Ramping up its ongoing efforts to shape a waste-free Malaysia, Nestlé Malaysia has further expanded its community recycling initiative with the launch of its KitaR Programme. Complementing the Company’s existing Door-to-Door Collection and Recycling Programme, KitaR is a pilot initiative aimed at enhancing waste management and improving collection and recycling of plastic waste among rural communities.
Mr Juan Aranols, Chief Executive Officer, Nestlé (Malaysia) Berhad, said, “As a leading food and beverage manufacturer, Nestlé Malaysia is fully committed to bring positive societal changes including a more sustainable future for all. Chief among these efforts are the actions to raise environmental awareness and empowering communities to better manage waste. We have made significant progress in our initiative to organise collection, separation at source and recycling, and I am pleased to share that we have reached a total of 112,000 households across Klang Valley, thus well ahead of our initial target of 100,000 households by the end of 2022.”
“KitaR is an extension of our ongoing efforts, and we believe it is an excellent platform to help improve waste separation and collection at source in rural areas. Reaching all facets of society is key to improving the recycling rate in Malaysia, and we look forward to further expanding our recycling programmes to more rural communities in the future. We have started in Shah Alam and based on the pilot, we will scale the programme in the year ahead.”
In collaboration with the Shah Alam City Council (MBSA), KPT Recycle Sdn. Bhd. and Kampung Sungai Kandis Village Community Management Council (MPKK), the programme kicked off in Kampung Sungai Kandis, Shah Alam, in December 2022. This followed the conclusion of an eight-week pilot phase, which saw 251kg of recyclables successfully collected from 124 households in Kampung Sungai Kandis and 750 households in Kampung Jalan Kebun, Shah Alam. The programme has been expanded to include all 1,600 households in Kampung Sungai Kandis, with weekly door-to-door collection of recyclables taking place on both Saturdays and Sundays using tricycle motorbikes.
Tuan T.S Mohd Azmi Bin Amir Khan, Director of the Solid Waste Management & Public Cleansing Department, MBSA said, “Following the success of our partnership with Nestlé on the Door-to-Door Collection & Recycling Programme, we are excited to once again work together to address collection challenges in rural and suburban areas of Shah Alam. Collaborating with stakeholders enables us to improve access to recycling for all segments of society, in order to inculcate better recycling and responsible waste management habits.”
Present during the launch ceremony, Zarwazi Bin Khatib, Village Head of Kampung Sungai Kandis, commented, “We have faced issues with waste management in our village as the roads are too small to accommodate large collection vehicles and the communal bins need to be placed at the main roads. This door-to-door collection service will certainly make it easier for the villagers to dispose of their waste responsibly, and I am hopeful that it will motivate them to make recycling part of their day-to-day lives.”
KitaR is one of five voluntary Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) initiatives spearheaded by Nestlé Malaysia under its Project SAVE, which aims to establish a viable circular economy model for post-consumer packaging, in line with its commitment to ensure that none of its packaging, including plastics, ends up in landfills or as litter. Since 2020, Nestlé Malaysia has collected 7,000 tonnes of post-consumer packaging waste through its plastic neutrality initiatives under the project, including its Klang River Plastic Collection Programme, CARETon Project and Door-to-Door Collection & Recycling Programme.
