By TMR

Back in 2013, frustrated garbage contractors dumped some 250 tonnes of waste along the Kuala Lumpur Middle Ring Road 2 (MRR2) due to the lack of proper maintenance needed to run the Taman Beringin, Kuala Lumpur transfer station. 

After Alam Flora Environmental Solutions Sdn Bhd (AFES) took over the operations at the transfer station, it found that the number of repairs that needed to be done to restore the station was more than it had expected. 

To restore the facilities and normalise the transfer station back into operations, the challenge then was not only repairing the building and cleaning the trucks, it was also making sure that the residents living close to the transfer station were no longer impacted by the pollution caused. 

AFES head of Waste Management Facilities Mohd Norazizi Zakaria said the transfer station is a transit point for the waste from Kuala Lumpur before it is sent to the sanitary landfill for the final disposal. 

“We receive up to 2,700 tonnes of waste and the operations needed to maintain the station and manage the waste coming through is a 24-hour work,” he said.

However, despite the high volume of waste coming through daily, the operations were still able to cope with it. 

“Previously, all waste coming from Kuala Lumpur will be directly sent to the station, but now we can reduce it thanks to the recovery and treatment plans in place that can treat recyclables and green waste,” he added.   

Sustainability is the way to go

With increasing recycling habits and more machinery to segregate and treat the waste accordingly, Mohd Norazizi said there is much less waste being sent to the landfills these days.

To tackle the issue of pollution from worsening even further, AFES installed systems to control the odour and made sure any discharge was disposed of through the proper channel. 

Every facility is required to obtain an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approval but unfortunately, under the previous management, the transfer station did not have one. 

Following the environmental management plan, AFES tests and monitors the air quality, the groundwater quality and water samples from the river every month. 

“To neutralise the odour, we spray 5,000 litres of effective microbes every day and our team sprays up to 5.3 hectares daily. Being located close to a river also means that our treatment is crucial,”he said, referring to the absolute need to ensure that every step of the way complies with the regulations. 

Reports from the tests are then sent to the Department of Environment (DOE) every quarter and this ensures that no problem comes up from the parameter of the transfer station. 

“In line with the agreement with the government, we have to transfer all incoming waste within 24 hours to the sanitary landfill, but we are doing more than just that. 

“We upgraded our treatment plan by adding another layer to the existing process because we want to make sure that the discharge released from the transfer station does not impact the surrounding residentials,” Mohd Norazizi says.  

Additionally, AFES’ work with the transfer station did not just include the welfare of the communities living nearby but also the staff who worked within the station’s parameters. 

Mohd Norazizi pointed out that cleanliness has to be constantly maintained within the parameters and this extends to the facilities used by the workers, which included the canteen, restrooms and others.

“Even our machinery is maintained on time and accordingly. If they have exceeded the set mileage, the necessary work is carried out to guarantee their efficiency.

“All this involves financial expenses, but these are necessary and important for the work we do,” he said. 

Challenges in achieving a sustainable future

While AFES’ work has garnered praise over the years, it was not exempted from challenges. 

“We deal with a continuously high volume of waste; hence having sufficient machinery and manpower is of utmost importance. We have to be ready at all times, and even on holidays,” Mohd Norazizi said.

According to AFES, while a substantial amount of money has been spent to maintain and upgrade the waste management system, enforcement is still lacking. 

The absence of proper enforcement can lead to a mishap in waste management, Norazizi said, hence it is important for both the private and public sectors to work together in tackling the problem of enforcement. 

“We hope the government will work with us to promote the habit of waste segregation which is important for the waste treatment process. While awareness has been gradually increasing over the last decade, we realise that it takes time to normalise the sustainability culture and it must keep going. 

“It is our collective responsibility to preserve and sustain the environment,” he concluded.