By Thivyamalini Ramalu

PUTRAJAYA, March 27 (Bernama) -- Alam Flora Sdn Bhd (Alam Flora) is managing between six to seven tonnes of domestic waste generated daily at five Ramadan bazaars around Putrajaya this year, namely in Precincts 3, 9, 11, 14, and 16.

The services provided by Alam Flora include collection, cleaning, and segregation of recyclable waste, including the management of four special bins with a capacity of 1,000 litres each for segregating liquid waste.

Alam Flora Putrajaya manager Mohamad Hafizudin Zainal acknowledged an increase in domestic waste compared to last year, which is due to the increased number of traders involved this year, with the highest record of domestic waste collection reaching 7.5 tonnes on March 24.

“What’s extra at Precinct 3 Ramadan bazaar is that we have special segregation boxes for recyclable items that can collect between 150 to 173 kilogrammes (kg) of waste per day, and four black bins for disposing of liquid waste such as drinks, oily gravy, or soup, which can reach up to two tonnes per day.

“We want traders to utilise the black bins for liquid waste, otherwise the liquid waste could cause clogged drains or flow into and pollute the Putrajaya Lake,” he told Bernama here.

Alam Flora is among the concession companies responsible for solid waste management and public cleansing in Malaysia, providing services in the central and east coast areas of Peninsular Malaysia including Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Pahang, Terengganu, and Kelantan.

Not limited to domestic and liquid waste, the company is also responsible for food waste segregation through the provision of orange bins for the convenience of visitors at Iftar Square here, which is operated as a joint initiative with the Putrajaya Corporation (PPj).

“We have labelled these orange bins specifically for food waste only, and some materials that cannot be disposed of in these bins include plastic, polystyrene containers, shells, corn husks, and recyclable materials,” he said.

It is estimated that around 10 to 11 kg of food waste is generated daily, which will then be turned into compost fertiliser.

Mohamad Hafizudin said Alam Flora also provides special roro (roll on/roll off) bins for the disposal of coconut husks and sugarcane bagasse since these materials cannot be put into the compactor.

Asked about the cooperation of Ramadan bazaar traders in Putrajaya regarding waste management, he said that, so far, they have been complying with the established regulations such as segregating recyclable materials or putting sugarcane bagasse in plastic bags before disposal.

“However, I would also like to urge visitors to shop responsibly and plan their purchases for breaking fast to avoid wastage.

“Better still, they are encouraged to bring their own containers for purchasing food and not rely on single-use plastic. This will also help Alam Flora workers as waste segregation indeed takes time,” he explained.

At the Ramadan bazaar in Precinct 3, Alam Flora provides a total of 175 green bins (for domestic waste) with a workforce of 15 people on duty from 3 pm to 11 pm.

Also provided is a high-pressure water jet cleaning service for the bazaar area.

-- BERNAMA