‘Don’t waste the waste’: Sarawak pushes green initiatives as food waste remains high
by Aliah Abdullah · Borneo Post OnlineKUCHING (Dec 13): Sarawak’s overall recycling rate remains below 10 per cent, with food waste continuing to pose a major environmental challenge, said State Deputy Minister for Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment Datuk Len Talif Salleh.
He said large volumes of food waste generated from daily activities and public events could become a serious long-term issue if not managed in a systematic and timely manner.
“Food waste remains relatively high. If it is not collected and transferred immediately, it will create environmental and cost-related issues in the future,” he said during the ‘Sustainability Within, Green Earth Beyond 2025’ programme.
The programme, organised by the Land Custody and Development Authority (LCDA) in collaboration with Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) and Kuching North City Commission (DBKU), aims to raise community awareness on environmental sustainability and the sustainable management of natural resources.
“It is a great initiative to encourage local communities to adopt greener lifestyles,” Len Talif said.
“We want people to see waste as a resource that can generate income for the community. As mentioned by our Premier, ‘don’t waste the waste, monetise the waste’ — an economic concept that can benefit schools and communities alike.”
Len Talif added that although agencies such as the Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB), DBKU and other local authorities have long been involved in waste management and recycling efforts, the overall impact remains limited.
“This is why programmes like this must be continuous, starting from the early stages, including schools, where students can become ambassadors to spread awareness on recycling and sustainable practices,” he said.
Held at Surau Darul Hijrah, the programme also featured a tree-planting activity involving an estimated 210 trees planted across seven zones around the Darul Hana housing area.
The species planted included Lagerstroemia speciosa (queen’s crape myrtle), Mimusops elengi (bunga tanjung), Bucida buceras (white bucida) and Casuarina equisetifolia (sea pine).
The initiative reflects LCDA’s continued commitment to ensuring that the redevelopment of Darul Hana aligns with low-carbon urban development principles under the Environmental Sustainability pillar of the Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030.
Other activities held during the programme included sustainability exhibitions joined by LCDA, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) and Eco-Doliya Organic Fertilizer, food waste recycling demonstrations, as well as traditional games such as sepak raga.
Among present were Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier’s Department (Project Coordinator for Regional Development Agencies, DBKU and Islamic Affairs) Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi, LCDA general manager Datu Zaidi Mahdi, Controller of Environmental Quality Sarawak Datu Jack Liam, and DBKU director Ramzi Abdillah.