LEGISLATIONS ON SOLID WASTE MINIMIZATION: A COMPARISON BETWEEN MALAYSIA AND AUSTRALIA

Abstract

Sustainable solid waste management contributes to three important aspects of sustainable development, that is, the environment, and economic and social wellbeing. The contribution of solid waste management to the environment is characterized by the reduction of environmental impact and minimization of resource extraction. The indicator of this is the reduction and minimization in waste generation. In Malaysia, the increasing generation of solid waste in Malaysia shows that continuous reduction in waste generation in Malaysia has yet to be a total success. The increasing generation of solid waste may cause air, land and water pollutions. On the other hand, there is slight reduction of Australia’s waste generation in recent years.  This shows Australia’s success in practising waste minimization, recycling and recovery of energy from waste. Based on library research method, this paper aims to compare legislations related with solid waste minimization in Malaysia and Australia. It is found that waste minimization is the main focus of solid waste management laws in Australia, whereas Malaysia’s legislations still focus on basic solid waste management issues which include collection, disposal and infrastructure necessities.