WASTE is not wasteful, but useful, said Datuk Sri Wong Soon Koh (Bawang Assan) as he backed the Sustainable Resources and Waste Management Bill, 2025.
Wong said the Bill marks a major shift in Sarawak’s waste management, transforming it from a disposal burden into an economic asset through technology, regulations and the circular economy.
“In the past, waste was treated as something to be buried or burned. Today, we recognise that waste is not wasteful but useful.
“What we once called rubbish can now be converted into energy, fertiliser, industrial feedstock, construction materials and even critical minerals,” he said when debating in support of the Bill.
He cited examples such as organic waste being turned into biogas and compost, plastics into recycled polymers, and electronic waste into gold, silver, copper and lithium.
“However, non-recyclable residues can be channelled into modern waste-to-energy systems. When managed properly, waste creates jobs, attracts investment, reduces pollution and supports our sustainability goals,” he said.
Additionally, Wong said the proposal to establish a Sustainable Resource and Waste Management Authority is timely and strategic.
“The Authority is essential to ensure waste is treated not as a burden but as a resource and a raw material. This is not merely an administrative upgrade; it is an economic necessity and an environmental safeguard,” he said.
He emphasised that the Authority must function as a regulator and developer of resource-recovery value chains, with clear powers and well-defined functions as outlined in the Bill, including enforcement and management of sustainable resources.
“A Sustainable Resources and Waste Management Authority must be more than a bureaucracy. It must be the nerve centre of Sarawak’s green economy.
“It will help Sarawak turn waste into opportunity while ensuring a cleaner and greener future for the state,” he said.
