Malaysia may see 230 million tonnes of plastic waste by 2040, with 23 million entering waterways yearly, says ministry

By 2040, Malaysia is projected to face pollution from 230 million metric tonnes of plastic waste, significantly threatening marine ecosystems.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability has developed strategies to improve waste management, including coordinated beach clean-ups and monitoring.

The collected data will assist researchers in understanding waste patterns and support community education on reducing plastic use and protecting coastal ecosystems.

KUALA NERUS, Sept 5 — An estimated 230 million metric tonnes of plastic waste are projected to pollute Malaysia’s terrestrial and aquatic environments by 2040, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) has revealed.

Deputy secretary-general (Environmental Sustainability) Datuk Nor Yahati Awang pointed out that approximately 23 million tonnes of this plastic waste are discharged into waterways annually, representing a significant threat to marine ecosystems.

In response, she said NRES has formulated a range of strategies and initiatives to enhance marine waste management nationwide, including the development of a uniform monitoring framework through coastal clean-up programmes.

“These efforts include beach clean-ups, systematic data collection, and monitoring. Reliable data not only facilitates evidence-based policy formulation.

“It also fulfils our international obligations under SDG 14: Life Below Water,” she said during the closing ceremony of the 2026 National Citizen Science Programme: Monitoring and Cleanup of Marine Plastic Waste at Tanjung Gelam Beach here today.

Her address was delivered by NRES deputy secretary of Natural Resource Management Division, Azrina Mohd Said.

Also present was Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) deputy vice-chancellor (Research and Innovation) Prof Dr Muhammad Ikhwanuddin Abdullah.

Nor Yahati said this approach is also recommended by The Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA), which emphasises that beach cleanup activities should be integrated with systematic scientific monitoring, uniform waste classification, quality data collection and trend analysis over time.

She stressed that prevention and reduction efforts are vital to ensure marine ecosystems, resources, and biodiversity remain protected and resilient for future generations.

Meanwhile, Muhammad Ikhwanuddin said 165 kilogrammes of waste were collected in less than two hours by over 100 participants during today’s cleanup.

He said the joint programme involving UMT, NRES and the Geng Plastik Ija association focused on collecting and sorting marine debris such as plastics, packaging materials and fishing gear, which have the potential to impact coastal ecosystems.

The data gathered, he added, will help researchers identify the types, volume and distribution of waste along the coastline, serving as a valuable resource to support future studies, monitoring efforts and environmental management planning.

“In addition to the cleanup, participants comprising students, volunteers, and local community members were also educated on marine waste classification, the importance of reducing plastic use, and the role of communities in protecting coastal areas.

“Kampung Tanjung Gelam was chosen for today’s programme due to its significance as a recreational area and coastal ecosystem that requires ongoing monitoring and care,” he said. — Bernama

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预计到 2040 年，马来西亚将面临 2.3 亿吨塑料垃圾造成的污染，这将严重威胁海洋生态系统。

自然资源和环境可持续发展部制定了改善废物管理的战略，包括协调海滩清理和监测。

收集到的数据将帮助研究人员了解废物模式，并支持社区教育，以减少塑料使用和保护沿海生态系统。

瓜拉尼鲁斯，9月5日讯——马来西亚自然资源与环境可持续发展部（NRES）透露，预计到2040年，将有约2.3亿吨塑料垃圾污染马来西亚的陆地和水生环境。

副秘书长（环境可持续发展）拿督诺尔·亚哈蒂·阿旺指出，每年约有 2300 万吨塑料垃圾被排放到水道中，对海洋生态系统构成重大威胁。

对此，她表示，NRES 已制定一系列战略和举措来加强全国海洋废物管理，包括通过海岸清理计划建立统一的监测框架。

“这些努力包括海滩清理、系统的数据收集和监测。可靠的数据不仅有助于制定基于证据的政策。

“这也履行了我们在可持续发展目标 14：水下生物方面的国际义务，”她今天在丹绒格南海滩举行的 2026 年国家公民科学计划：海洋塑料垃圾监测和清理闭幕式上说道。

她的讲话由国家可再生能源服务局自然资源管理司副司长阿兹丽娜·莫哈末·赛义德代为宣读。

出席的还有马来西亚登嘉楼大学（UMT）副校长（研究与创新）Muhammad Ikhwanuddin Abdullah 博士教授。

Nor Yahati表示，东亚海域协调机构（COBSEA）也推荐这种做法，该机构强调，海滩清理活动应与系统的科学监测、统一的垃圾分类、高质量的数据收集和长期趋势分析相结合。

她强调，预防和减少海洋生态系统、资源和生物多样性对于确保子孙后代能够继续受到保护并保持韧性至关重要。

与此同时，穆罕默德·伊赫瓦努丁表示，在今天的清理活动中，100多名参与者在不到两个小时的时间里收集了165公斤垃圾。

他表示，UMT、NRES 和 Geng Plastik Ija 协会的联合项目重点是收集和分类海洋垃圾，例如塑料、包装材料和渔具，这些垃圾有可能对沿海生态系统造成影响。

他补充说，收集到的数据将帮助研究人员确定沿海地区废物的类型、数量和分布情况，为未来的研究、监测工作和环境管理规划提供宝贵的资源。

“除了清理工作外，参与者（包括学生、志愿者和当地社区成员）还接受了有关海洋垃圾分类、减少塑料使用的重要性以及社区在保护沿海地区方面的作用的教育。

他说：“之所以选择丹绒格南村作为今天活动的地点，是因为它作为休闲场所和沿海生态系统具有重要意义，需要持续的监测和保护。”——马新社

马来西亚气象局警告称，八个州将出现雷暴和强降雨，持续到下午6点。

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