Waste indicates something even worse for society and the environment , such as the loss of biodiversity and , albeit indirectly , climate change
Consequently , the importance of waste growth and improper management is also rising . Waste is inefficiency in the eyes of an investor , even one who has not yet realised the significance of sustainability or ESG .”
– Gunaprasath Bupalan
24 COVER STORY
ESG | JULY-AUGUST , 2023
Informative and thought-provoking
Waste indicates something even worse for society and the environment , such as the loss of biodiversity and , albeit indirectly , climate change
PENTAS FLORA , one of Malaysia ’ s leading Scheduled Waste Management companies , held its inaugural roundtable on July 11 at KL Wellness City in Bukit Jalil , exploring how waste may be a catalyst for economic development in the ESG Agenda .
This roundtable discussion was held in collaboration with BMW Group Malaysia , Tindakan Strategi Sdn Bhd , and Sunway Centre for Planetary Health , Sunway University , and was the first in a series .
Oon Kin Seng , Group Executive Director of Pentas Flora Group , Sashi Ambi , Head of Corporate Communications and Sustainability of BMW Group Malaysia , Rizal Kamaruzzaman , Director of Tindakan Strategi Sdn Bhd , and Dr Amir Hamzah , Adjunct Professor at Sunway Centre for Planetary Health Malaysia , were among the distinguished panel of speakers .
Gunaprasath Bupalan , Corporate Communications Consultant at Pentas Flora , moderated the discussion .
The roundtable discussion began following a brief welcome address by Oon and a video presentation by BMW emphasising their involvement in the sustainability and regeneration agenda with strategic partners such as Pentas Flora , Car Medic , and others .
During the event , Gunaprasath highlighted that three of the most severe issues facing the globe today - the climate crisis , biodiversity loss , and social inequality - are all becoming worse simultaneously . Consumers , employees , and society expect real solutions to these and other issues .
“ Consequently , the importance of waste growth and improper management is also rising . Waste is inefficiency in the eyes of an investor , even one who has not yet realised the significance of sustainability or ESG ,” Guna highlighted .
“ Harvard professor Michael Porter stated in 1995 that pollution was often a form of economic waste . When waste , hazardous materials , or energy sources are released into the environment as pollution , resources have either been misused , inefficiently , or ineffectively .
“ Additionally , businesses must carry out extra tasks that increase expenses but do not benefit customers , like processing , storing , and disposing of wastes .
“ Waste indicates something even worse for society and the environment , such as the loss of biodiversity and , albeit indirectly , climate change .”
EMPHASISE IMPORTANCE OF WASTE MANAGEMENT
Waste management policies have evolved from simple , informal guidelines to the Action Plan for a Beautiful and Clean Malaysia ( ABC ) in 1988 , the National Strategic Plan for Solid Waste Management ( NSP ) in 2005 , the Master Plan on National Waste Minimisation ( MWM ) in 2006 , the National Solid
The roundtable discussion saw great insights by Oon , Sashi , Rizal and Dr Amir . The session was moderated by Gunaprasath .
Waste Management Policy in 2006 , the Solid Waste and Public Cleaning Management Act ( SWMA ) in 2007 , the Solid Waste Corporation Strategic Plan ( 2009-2013 ), and finally to the 10th-12th Malaysian Plan which has articulated the Malaysian government ’ s commitment to sustainable waste management .
Rizal explained that to explore more integrated waste management solutions , the government had extended the Green Technology incentive , launched in Budget 2014 , through Budget 2020 to Dec 31 , 2023 .
The incentive was intended to encourage businesses to reconsider their strategy by combining waste management practices such as collection , storage , composting , and disposal with other essential recycling , recovery , or waste treatment activities . According to Oon , more emphasis should be placed on the importance of waste management .
“ As simple as it is for some to blame the authorities for lax regulations , it is clear that the government has stepped
Consequently , the importance of waste growth and improper management is also rising . Waste is inefficiency in the eyes of an investor , even one who has not yet realised the significance of sustainability or ESG .”
– Gunaprasath Bupalan
up with various programmes to instil this need among Malaysians ,” said Oon .
“ They have even begun to use drones to search for illegal waste sites . Before anything else , let ’ s start with selfawareness . It is critical to acknowledge that we must modify our attitudes towards recycling and repurposing waste to rescue the environment .”
Sashi Ambi , head of corporate communications and sustainability of BMW Group Malaysia , agreed with the idea of emphasising the significance of responsible waste management within the ecosystem of the automotive landscape .
He highlighted the value contributed to the ecosystem through collaborations with key partners like Pentas Flora , who are already making positive contributions to the environment by repurposing fuels , lubricants and solvents from vehicles .
RESEARCH ON PLANETARY HEALTH
In addition to its impressive product portfolio , BMW Group Malaysia is also focused on building meaningful initiatives in sustainability and circularity to leave a profound impact on both people and the planet .
Their active pursuit of innovative solutions and partners with the same vision reflects their position as leaders in the automotive space .
Dr Amir noted that , as an allergy clinician , he has spent the last three decades researching the impact of environmental deterioration and climate change as the leading cause of allergies and autoimmune illnesses .
“ As a result , we recently proposed the