KUALA LUMPUR: The implementation of the National Cleanliness Policy would include a roadmap for an improved and more organised waste management system to create greater awareness on the matter.Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin said the initiative would be launched tomorrow by Melaka Chief Minister Adly Zahari at the Tehel People’s Housing Programme for the Hardcore Poor (PPRT) to promote cleanliness.

“It is time for us to create a guideline with a target to manage the nation’s waste from the local authorities, scrap metal and construction industries, and botanical waste and e-waste.“We will be setting a guideline under the policy to ensure thorough and conducive management of waste,” she told the media during an exclusive interview in Parliament on Tuesday.She said the policy would focus on 196 PPRT nationwide to inculcate cleanliness, with community service being proposed for those caught littering.“We must educate the people so that they will make it a habit to throw their garbage properly. We need to put a stop to littering by naming and shaming those who do it.”As for the community service punishment, she said it was required as part of the education awareness initiative.“If we impose a fine, people can just pay and get over the fact that they have broken the law.”

Stacks of aluminium cans ready for recycling. The National Cleanliness Policy guideline will provide for a better waste management system. FILE PIXZuraida said the implementation of the policy would focus on five clusters, namely awareness on cleanliness, environmental sustainability, circular economy, good governance, and enforcement and quality of awareness among the public.Fourteen strategies and 91 action plans have been developed to achieve the objectives through implementation by the federal government, state authorities, local governments and other agencies.Under the policy, the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) strategy would be implemented on manufacturers that import recyclable goods.“Many developed countries have implemented EPR, whereby manufacturers that use plastic bottle packaging will be imposed a small fee because we willcollect the bottles and return it to them. They will reuse the bottles for their packaging and this is how EPR will be implemented in our country,” said Zuraida.She said the idea for EPR was inspired by Taiwan and Singapore.