By Olivia Miwil
KOTA KINABALU: Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) is standing by its multipronged strategy to combat marine litter, citing a combination of community education and strict enforcement of anti-litter laws.
DBKK deputy director-general (operations) Robert Lipon said the authority is prioritising waste reduction through recycling, composting, and reducing single-use plastics.
He said systematic waste disposal and collection infrastructure are being provided at critical locations, including water settlements and stilt-house communities.
"It is inevitable that some of these measures require high costs and take a considerable amount of time. But they can be achieved with political will and cooperation from all Sabah residents," he told the New Straits Times.
His comments follow a recent talk titled Perennial Issue of Rubbish in Sabah, where former DBKK director-general Datuk Dr Chua Kim Hing called for a shift in mindset regarding gotong-royong activities and rubbish collection.
Chua said that unless litterbugs are stopped, the vicious cycle of waste being thrown and then picked up by others would continue indefinitely.
Meanwhile, a pilot project by Zero Waste Sabah in Kampung Gerinsing, Tuaran, has demonstrated that sustainable waste management education can yield positive results.
The project, funded by APPGM-SDG, included waste segregation briefings, composting workshops, and the establishment of a community compost site.
A waste audit of 60 households by the NGO's task force revealed that 41 per cent of waste consisted of recyclables, while 32 per cent was kitchen waste.
General waste accounted for 21 per cent, followed by special waste (five per cent) and hazardous waste (one per cent).
The NGO said about 30 per cent of Kampung Gerinsing residents have committed to waste separation and have agreed to pay a monthly fee to sustain the initiative.
"The success of this pilot project proves that zero waste models implemented in the Philippines, India and Vietnam are fully replicable in Sabah," the NGO said in a statement.
It urged the government to move beyond incineration and invest in community-driven alternatives rather than relying solely on waste-to-energy solutions.
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