COMPLETION REPORT

A comparative study of municipal solid waste (MSW) recycling practices
in Kitakyushu Japan and Putrajaya Malaysia
Dr. Norjan Binti Yusof (+4)
Senior Lecturer
Faculty of Science and Mathematics, Universiti Pedidikan Sultan Idris
This study compares the recycling practices of municipal solid waste (MSW) in City of Kitakyushu
Japan and Putrajaya Malaysia. Also assessed were (1) the Putrajaya residents’ preference for MSW
recycling system, (2) Kitakyushu high school students’ reasons for MSW recycling, and (3) therecycling behaviour of Putrajaya school students. As the federal administrative centre of Malaysia,Putrajaya pioneers the promotion of 3R (reduce, reuse, and recycle) programme since 2001. On theother hand, City of Kitakyushu’s recycling programme was driven by the resident’s awareness on
waste management during the “Sanitation War” in 1966. Concerns from the residential community
prompted the Kitakyushu municipality to shift the focus of waste management from treatment to thepromotion of waste recycling and to moving towards a “sound material-cycle society.”
With respect to waste management regulation in Malaysia, Japan’s recycling laws are morecomprehensive and straightforward hence are more accepted by the public. The regulations arealways updated with advance issues on material recycling. On the other hand, the Malaysian legal
framework that specifically addresses SWM and waste recycling was only established in 2007
through The Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Act 2007, about 37 years behind thepromulgation of similar legislation in Japan (Waste Management and Public Cleansing Law 1970).
Accordingly there is still much improvement that Putrajaya could learn from Kitakyushu in relation toMSW recycling regulation.
The MSW generation rate in Putrajaya was 0.944 kg/capita/day from a population of 80,500 citizens
in 2014. The MSW recycling rate in 2014 was about 8%, far from the national target (22%). In thesame year, the quantity of MSW generated in the City of Kitakyushu was 390,953 tonnes with thegeneration and recycling rates of 0.495 kg/day/capita and 26% respectively. The City of Kitakyushupractices separated waste collection system. Waste is separated into twenty-two recyclable items andthe residents are required to purchase designated bags for waste separation and storage. The separated
waste is then collected at waste collection stations and collection boxes. Household waste is collected
twice a week to be sent to the incineration facilities. Recyclable materials are collected once a week to
be sent to four separation centers before being processed at recycling plants. Putrajaya, on the other
hand, practices kerbside collection and buys back centre systems. Non-recyclable items arecollected twice a week while recyclable items (paper and plastics) are collected once a week. Six
community recycling centers were established near to the residential areas to enhance the recycling
activities. Recyclable materials are sent to a separation center while non-recyclable materials aredisposed in landfills.
No significant difference was noted between Putrajaya residents’ preferences for either the existing
MSW recycling system practiced in Putrajaya or the proposed MSW recycling system implemented in
City of Kitakyushu. The Putrajaya residents and Kitakyushu high school students agreed that theirpurpose for recycling was to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emission and waste disposed tolandfill. Another 40.5% of the respondents from Putrajaya and 75.8% from the City of Kitakyushu
performed recycling due to monetary rewards. A survey conducted on the behaviour among Putrajayaschool students revealed that students had exhibited positive MSW recycling behaviour. Attitude,
subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, awareness, recycling practices, and situational
factors appear to be the significant predictors of students’ MSW recycling behaviour.
Publication of the Results of Research Project:
Verbal Presentation (Date, Venue, Name of Conference, Title of Presentation, Presenter, etc.)
19th November 2016, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris International Conference on Education,Mathematics and Science 2016 in conjunction with 4th International Postgraduate Conference on
Science and Mathematics 2016 (abstract acceptance) Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) RecyclingBehaviour among Form Three Students in Putrajaya, Nurul Ashikin Izhar.
Thesis (Name of Journal and its Date, Title and Author of Thesis, etc.)
1. Applied Research in Quality of Life, submitted on 11th June 2016. Students’ Municipal Solid Waste(MSW) Recycling Behaviour: A Case Study in Putrajaya, Malaysia. Nurul Ashikin Izhar, NorjanYusof, Akira Haraguchi, Hanisom Abdullah, Azlan Kamari and Som Cit Si Nang.
2. Master of Education (Biology) (course work) project paper. 2016. Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)
Recycling Behaviour among Form Three Students in Putrajaya, Nurul Ashikin Izhar.
3. A comparative study of municipal solid waste (MSW) recycling practices in Kitakyushu Japan andPutrajaya Malaysia (manuscript preparation).
Book (Publisher and Date of the Book, Title and Author of the Book, etc.)
Nil