Govt finalising regulations on household-generated e-waste disposal

The United Nations estimated that an average of 7.6kg of e-waste was generated by each individual in 2021, which recorded the e-waste generation of 57.4 million tonnes worldwide. (Rawpixel pic)

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia needs to have clear guidelines on the management of e-waste, to avoid contamination from hazardous materials that can affect the environment if not disposed of properly, says natural resources and environmental sustainability Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.

He said currently, there is an e-waste disposal system but only at the industrial level, while disposal at the household level or by the general public, is usually by just throwing it in the trash or disposed of illegally, Bernama reported.

He said that is why his ministry is now finalising a draft on e-waste disposal regulations.

According to Nik Nazmi, it would enable a mechanism for the management of e-waste, generated by households in this country, and could be enforced as early as next year.

“We already have the framework, but it needs to be adapted to the realities of the non-industrial sector. Then, once we have gone through an engagement process with interested parties, we will move to the next level,” he told Bernama.

He said like other countries, Malaysia just wanted to ensure that the e-waste is environmentally friendly, by improving legislation and developing an e-waste management mechanism.

Nik Nazmi added that the mechanism would involve refineries, importers and users, and registered collection and recycling centres, licensed under the environment department.

“Realising the increasing quantity of e-waste, which has become a global threat today, and the importance and need for a special management system to handle e-waste, more and more countries in the world have adopted regulations regarding this matter.

“Statistics show that e-waste is protected by laws, policies and regulations in 78 countries in 2019, compared with 61 countries in 2014. These statistics show that awareness about e-waste has begun to increase,” he was quoted as saying.

Nik Nazmi said Taiwan, Japan and the European Union members have developed e-waste regulations for more than 20 years, while in recent years, several neighbouring countries in Southeast Asia have also developed their own e-waste regulations.

He added that the draft regulations emphasise the concept of “extended producer responsibility and shared responsibility” to all interested parties involved in producing six e-waste control items, namely refrigerators, washing machines, mobile phones, computers, air conditioners and televisions.

“Aside from helping the environment, there is a new phenomenon called urban mining, namely efforts to recover metals and earth’s natural materials which are in e-waste, and can be recycled, making this guideline crucial,” he said, according to Bernama.

E-waste generated from industrial processes is under the purview of the environment department, through the Environmental Quality (Scheduled Wastes) Regulations 2005 and the Environmental Quality Act 1974, from the moment it is produced until it is disposed of.

The United Nations estimated that an average of 7.6kg of e-waste was generated by each individual in 2021, which recorded the e-waste generation of 57.4 million tonnes worldwide.