Exploratory Discussion and Sharing of Waste Management Best Practices
between Universiti Malaya (JPPHB & UM Zero Waste Campaign) & Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ)
Date: 23 March 2023 (Thursday)
Time: 2:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Venue: UMSDC Office, RMIC UM
One of the co-researchers of UM Circular Economy Living Lab on the Food Waste Management team, Associate Professor Dr. Fauziah Shahul Hamid (Faculty of Science UM), initiated this exploratory discussion. This discussion is moderated by UMZWC core member: Mrs. Mairuz Asmarafariza Azlan.
Universiti Malaya team consists of two parties, i.e., the Department of Development and Estate Maintenance (JPPHB) and UM Zero Waste Campaign 2.0:
1) JPPHB: Mr. Noor Azril Ramli (Coordinator, Environmental Sustainability and Health Section) and Mr. Nadzmi Nor Hakim (Coordinator, Landscape Section)
2) UM Zero Waste Campaign and UM Circular Economy Living Lab (Food Waste Management): Assoc. Prof. Dr. Fauziah (Co-Researcher) and Mrs. Mairuz.
Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) team comprises the key representatives, Mrs. Nazatul Aini and Mr. Khanna.
Both parties shared their experience and best practices on waste management, mainly on how each party manages and address food waste and single-use plastics.
One exciting highlight shared by MBPJ is the launch of the Petaling Jaya 2022 Green Environmentally-Friendly Home Assessment Tax Rebate Scheme, which benefited nearly 2,000 residents of Petaling Jaya who practice green initiatives to receive an assessment tax rebate. The tax rebate applies to homeowners who have carried out eco-friendly initiatives, including saving on electricity and water, good waste management, using public transport, and planting trees around their residences. As a result, this initiative promotes an eco-friendly lifestyle within the community of Petaling Jaya while transforming the city green and low-carbon.
In discussing strategies for managing municipal waste (in the case of a city or campus setting), both parties agreed that the carrot-and-stick approach (a combination of reward and punishment approach) is practical to induce responsible behavior. In most cases on lifestyle campaigns shared by MBPJ, the carrot (reward) in monetary form is preferable and appealing to the users compared to the penalty system.
Figure on Types of Policy Instruments (Carrots, Sticks, Sermons and Hybrid)
The session concluded with UM team will do a follow-up internal discussion on the next step to explore further collaboration with MBPJ and its strategic partners.
MBPJ welcomes proposal submissions for the ongoing calls on Petaling Jaya Sustainable Community (PJ S.E.E.D) Grant 5.0 with a minimum funding of RM5,000 up to RM50,000 per project. UM Community Engagement Centre (UMCares) coordinates the call for UM researchers.
Universiti Malaya team thanks and congratulates the prime movers of sustainability initiatives in MBPJ: the Low Carbon Green City of Petaling Jaya task force secretariat and the MBPJ Solid Waste Management Department and Public Cleaning for making UM's neighboring city of Petaling Jaya greener.
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