GEORGE TOWN – More than 150 recycling facilities in the northern region are at risk of permanent closure if the government refuses to allow the sector to operate during the Covid-19 lockdown.
Northern Indian Recycling Traders Welfare Association president Datuk S. Parthiban said the sector has been prohibited to operate since the start of the full lockdown, causing many of its members to lose between RM15,000 and RM200,000 a month.
Last year, he said, the government only shut down recycling plants for a month, and the current closure has been the longest so far.
“If there are states that have entered Phase Two under the National Recovery Plan, recycling plants should also be allowed to resume operation.
“We only have a handful of workers unlike industrial factories, and the government should allow us to operate because we are also included in the essential service category,” he said at a press conference today.
Parthiban said every day a recycling plant is estimated to process between five and 10 tonnes of waste per day, depending on the type.
However, at this time, a lot of waste has to be stored to the detriment of the environment and the material itself.
“How long do we need to keep the recycling material? Now it's the rainy season, all the material would be damaged. Or do we want another large-scale fire erupting at the recycling plants again?”
Last week, a fire broke out and destroyed 70% of a recycling plant in Simpang Ampat, Nibong Tebal. The smoke from the fire could be seen all the way in Kulim, Kedah.
Parthiban added that the closure of the recycling plants will force more than 1,500 workers to ration their food because employers can no longer afford to pay full wages.
In fact, he said, waste collectors comprising the B40 group will also lose their source of income and it will have a huge impact on their lives.
“I hope the government can consider our appeal because this matter involves the future of many parties.”
Earlier, The Vibes reported that Malaysia is facing a massive accumulation of hazardous waste, with more than 30,000 tonnes of recyclables going untreated daily due to government restrictions during the Covid-19 lockdown.
The Malaysian Indian Metal Traders’ Association called on the government to include waste recycling plants in the list of essential services, to enable them to operate and clear the backlogged waste during the movement control order. – The Vibes, July 10, 2021
