Solid Waste Management and Recycling in Malaysia

Throw away rubbish in Johor and it becomes a federal government matter; throw away the same rubbish in Penang and it remains the business of the local council. That is the core peculiarity of how Malaysia manages its solid waste — one grand federal law, but one that only takes effect in the places that have agreed to adopt it.

Who is responsible for your waste?

The backbone of solid waste management in Peninsular Malaysia is the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007, better known as Act 672. The Act empowers the federal government to take over the management of solid waste and public cleansing from local authorities, with the aim of standardising the law across the country.

Two bodies do the work on the ground. The National Solid Waste Management Department (JPSPN) formulates policy, while SWCorp — the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation — acts as the implementing and enforcement body. SWCorp manages various waste streams: household, commercial, industrial, institutional, construction and public.

Private concessionaires such as Alam Flora and SWM Environment, in turn, handle day-to-day waste collection in the field, under SWCorp’s supervision.

Why doesn’t the Act apply everywhere?

This is the part most often misunderstood. Although Act 672 is a federal law, it is not automatic. Each state must officially agree to adopt it before the federal government can take over waste management there.

Six states have adopted Act 672 — Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Kedah and Perlis — together with the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya. In May 2024, Selangor followed as the eighth jurisdiction to adopt the Act (via a letter of consent), and by 29 July 2026 the Cabinet agreed to extend Act 672 to all 12 local authorities in Selangor. Those that have yet to adopt it are Kelantan, Terengganu, Perak and Penang; in these states waste management remains under their respective local authorities.

Penang is still under evaluation: SWCorp was appointed to review the state’s waste management system, with a decision on adoption still not finalised as of 2026.

It must be emphasised: Sabah and Sarawak fall entirely outside the geographical scope of Act 672. Both Bornean states retain their own legal frameworks for solid waste.

Act 672 status (as of 2026)	Region
Adopted	Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Kedah, Perlis + FT Kuala Lumpur + FT Putrajaya; Selangor (eighth, May 2024; extended to 12 local authorities in 2026)
Not yet adopted	Kelantan, Terengganu, Perak, Penang
Under evaluation	Penang (SWCorp reviewing waste system; decision not finalised)
Outside the Act’s scope	Sabah, Sarawak (own laws)

What changes when a state adopts Act 672?

When a state adopts the Act, waste collection and disposal become a federal responsibility through SWCorp and its appointed concessionaires. One of the most tangible changes for households is waste separation at source — the obligation to separate recyclables (such as plastic, paper and metal) from residual waste before collection.

In states that have adopted the Act, separation at source is enforced, and SWCorp enforcement officers can issue compounds for non-compliance. In states that have not adopted the Act, waste separation is usually encouraged but not uniformly enforced under the same federal framework.

How much waste does Malaysia produce?

The figure is large and keeps rising. Malaysia generates about 39,000 tonnes of solid waste per day — equivalent to roughly 1.17 kg per person per day, or about 3,000 garbage trucks.

The composition of household waste — based on the KPKT waste composition study underpinning the Circular Economy Blueprint for Solid Waste — shows why recycling is difficult and why food waste has become a policy focus:

Type of household waste	Percentage
Food waste	44.5%
Plastic	13.2%
Disposable diapers	12.1%
Paper	8.5%

Food waste dominating nearly half the stream means that many recyclable materials are contaminated before they can be recovered — a key reason why the recycling rate is hard to lift.

Is Malaysia meeting its recycling target?

Not yet. Under the 12th Malaysia Plan, the country targets a 40% recycling rate by 2025. Progress is slow but real:

• 2023: 35.38%
• 2024: 37.9%

Malaysia is closing in on the target, but still lags far behind developed nations — Germany records about 65% and South Korea 59%, according to a comparison released by MIDA.

Why is Malaysia still too reliant on landfills?

Because it is cheap and easy. Malaysia operates 135 landfills, but only 22 of them are properly managed sanitary landfills; the remaining 114 are open dumpsites. Landfilling remains the country’s dominant disposal method.

It is precisely this reliance that is driving policy change. To divert waste from landfills, Malaysia is exploring waste-to-energy. The country’s first WTE plant in Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, has been operating since 2023. KPKT is now targeting the construction of 18 WTE plants across Peninsular Malaysia by 2050, with a second plant in Sungai Udang, Melaka, scheduled for completion by 2029. Combined, these plants are expected to generate up to 600 MW of power — enough for about 500,000 households.

Towards a circular economy

On 6 August 2024, at the Circular Economy Conference 2024 held at DoubleTree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur and attended by about 400 stakeholders, the Ministry of Housing and Local Government launched the Circular Economy Blueprint for Solid Waste in Malaysia (2025–2035) — a ten-year roadmap to move Malaysia away from a “throw and forget” model towards a system in which materials are recovered and reused. This circular economy approach also supports the country’s commitment to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions as early as 2050 — a target announced under the 12th Malaysia Plan in September 2021.

Investment momentum also supports this direction. As of June 2025, the integrated waste management and recycling sector had attracted investments totalling RM22.7 billion, according to MIDA.

What’s next

For households and businesses, the most practical step is to check whether your state has adopted Act 672. If so, waste separation at source is a legal obligation, not an option — separate plastic, paper and metal from food waste, and check your local concessionaire’s recyclables collection schedule. If your state has not adopted the Act, the local council still provides recycling programmes, though less uniform.

Things to watch: the full implementation of Act 672 in Selangor across all 12 of its local authorities, as well as Penang’s adoption decision that is still under evaluation; whether the 2025 recycling rate finally reaches the 40% target; and the implementation of the Circular Economy Blueprint 2025–2035, which will determine whether Malaysia can break its reliance on landfills.

The figures in this article are referenced to the sources listed above: the recycling rate, total daily waste, number of landfills, international comparisons and investment figure come from MIDA; per-capita generation (1.17 kg/person/day) and household waste composition from KPKT; Act 672 adoption status verified against Malay Mail and BERNAMA reports; the launch date and details of the Blueprint from The Star and The Sun; waste-to-energy plant details from BERNAMA/BusinessToday; and the 2050 net-zero emissions target from the 12th Malaysia Plan (The Edge/MGTC). This article was generated with AI assistance and has undergone human review.