Malaysians indulging in gluttonous food wastage
Athi ShankarPublished: Nov 26, 2009 10:05 AM | Updated: Nov 26, 2009 10:09 AM
Malaysians are wasting mountains of food ranging from RM27 million to RM36 million or 4,500 tonnes in weight on a daily basis, said the Consumers' Association of Penang (CAP) today.
Malaysians are wasting mountains of food ranging from RM27 million to RM36 million or 4,500 tonnes in weight on a daily basis, said the Consumers' Association of Penang (CAP) today.
CAP president SM Mohamed Idris gave a graphic explanation of how the figures work out; each tonne of food can feed 2,000 people with a minimum spending of RM3 per person at an ordinary eatery outlet to a maximum of RM40 at a five-star restaurant or hotel.
He said according to a Housing and Local Government Ministry study, Malaysians threw away about 7.34 tonnes of solid waste, with waste food comprising 45 percent or 3.3 million tonnes, throughout 2005.
"The 7.34 million tonnes of solid waste can fill up 42 Petronas twin tower structures," he told a news conference at the CAP office in George Town.
He said Malaysians were daily disposing off 10,000 tonnes of solid waste now which is estimated to leap to 30,000 tonnes by 2020.
A rogue's gallery of wasters
He said by wasting food, the people were also wasting water and other energy sources used up in its manufacture.
He blamed star rated hotels, restaurants, factory canteens, eateries, official government functions and, wedding, engagement and birthday receptions as the biggest culprits in generating the enormous food wastage.
He said such wastage had also contributed to the rise of false demand and subsequently hiking up food prices, upping the cost burden on low income consumers.
He also said that food wastage was detrimental to the environment.
"Decomposition of food and other organic waste material in landfills produces methane, which is 20 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide," he said.
Idris wants the government to implement a clear policy now to control the wastage before a food shortage plagues the nation as the current 27 million population was expected to rise by 15 percent within a decade.
He called upon the government to legislate laws to penalise macro wasters such as hotels, large eateries and factory canteens.
Time to punish high flying offenders
"Offenders, even five-star hotels, should be subjected to publicity to discourage others," said Idris.
He suggested that restaurants also fine customers leaving behind leftovers on the table, and restaurants, bakeries and supermarkets should give away edible and unsold food to charities and organisations working with the hungry and destitute.
"Government agencies and companies should also not go overboard on the amount of food served at official and corporate functions," he said.
He attributed food wastage, which had rapidly become a global phenomena, on society's affluence.
He said in Singapore for instance, the wastage had escalated by 6.2 percent annually since 2002, reaching 558, 900 tonnes last year alone.
He said the Japanese throw away 25 percent of food annually while Britain's contribution was 4.1 million tonnes.
He said Waste and Resources Action Programme (Wrap), a UK government's waste watchdog, estimated that Britons threw away 20 percent of their edible food, meaning each household throwing away £420 per year.
He said Americans waste 30 percent of their food, or US$38.3 billion yearly while Australians' was A$6 billion, enough to feed the entire nation for three weeks.
Idris said that according to the United Nations' World Food Organisation, some 920 million people, with a third being children, were going hungry worldwide.
He called on the government to kick start an aggressive campaign to encourage proper planning of meals, saving leftovers, ordering sensibly when eating out and using doggy bags for leftovers.
The campaign, he said should encourage consumers to exercise restrain during festivities and celebrations.
CAP president SM Mohamed Idris gave a graphic explanation of how the figures work out; each tonne of food can feed 2,000 people with a minimum spending of RM3 per person at an ordinary eatery outlet to a maximum of RM40 at a five-star restaurant or hotel.
He said according to a Housing and Local Government Ministry study, Malaysians threw away about 7.34 tonnes of solid waste, with waste food comprising 45 percent or 3.3 million tonnes, throughout 2005."The 7.34 million tonnes of solid waste can fill up 42 Petronas twin tower structures," he told a news conference at the CAP office in George Town.
He said Malaysians were daily disposing off 10,000 tonnes of solid waste now which is estimated to leap to 30,000 tonnes by 2020.
A rogue's gallery of wasters
He said by wasting food, the people were also wasting water and other energy sources used up in its manufacture.
He blamed star rated hotels, restaurants, factory canteens, eateries, official government functions and, wedding, engagement and birthday receptions as the biggest culprits in generating the enormous food wastage.
He said such wastage had also contributed to the rise of false demand and subsequently hiking up food prices, upping the cost burden on low income consumers.
He also said that food wastage was detrimental to the environment.
"Decomposition of food and other organic waste material in landfills produces methane, which is 20 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide," he said.
Idris wants the government to implement a clear policy now to control the wastage before a food shortage plagues the nation as the current 27 million population was expected to rise by 15 percent within a decade.
He called upon the government to legislate laws to penalise macro wasters such as hotels, large eateries and factory canteens.
Time to punish high flying offenders
"Offenders, even five-star hotels, should be subjected to publicity to discourage others," said Idris.
He suggested that restaurants also fine customers leaving behind leftovers on the table, and restaurants, bakeries and supermarkets should give away edible and unsold food to charities and organisations working with the hungry and destitute.
"Government agencies and companies should also not go overboard on the amount of food served at official and corporate functions," he said.
He attributed food wastage, which had rapidly become a global phenomena, on society's affluence.
He said in Singapore for instance, the wastage had escalated by 6.2 percent annually since 2002, reaching 558, 900 tonnes last year alone.
He said the Japanese throw away 25 percent of food annually while Britain's contribution was 4.1 million tonnes.
He said Waste and Resources Action Programme (Wrap), a UK government's waste watchdog, estimated that Britons threw away 20 percent of their edible food, meaning each household throwing away £420 per year.
He said Americans waste 30 percent of their food, or US$38.3 billion yearly while Australians' was A$6 billion, enough to feed the entire nation for three weeks.
Idris said that according to the United Nations' World Food Organisation, some 920 million people, with a third being children, were going hungry worldwide.
He called on the government to kick start an aggressive campaign to encourage proper planning of meals, saving leftovers, ordering sensibly when eating out and using doggy bags for leftovers.
The campaign, he said should encourage consumers to exercise restrain during festivities and celebrations.
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