Chapter 2
Literature Review
2.1 Introduction
This chapter highlights the literature review for current study of Disposal Recyclable
Garbage, risk factor of proper disposal, effects of Human behavior of disposal recyclable
garbage, solution to the problem of Disposal Recyclable Garbage.
2.2 Issues of Disposal Recyclable Garbage in Bayan Lepas
The public willingness and awareness to recycle are high but the lack of knowledge for
the public and support from the Government and higher associates has caused a huge frustration
and bad effects to the environment. Some of the people are depending too much on the
volunteered group and this may leave the recycling programmed and activities wide open to
exhaustion and lead to failing. However, efforts of household composting that have been
introduced have gained strong acceptance among the people of Penang.
One of the ideas of green state is the 100 Steps to Cleanliness. This programmed has the
plan to place decorative 3R (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle) bins on the sides of major roads and at
tourist spots. The objective of these solar-powered and fully private-sponsored bins is to act as a
continuous reminder to the public to segregate their waste and recycle the waste accordingly.
The recycling bins that are place at major roads will make the recycling work easier and save
more time to the public.
When recycling, most of the waste go straight to the landfill and only small percentage of
plastic bags are actually recycle. The use of the non recyclable plastics bag has to be reduced or
banned to prevent environmental problem that are caused by them. At the same time, this will
also help to solve the problem of environment.
The most effective way to reduce the amount of plastic litter in the environment is to
reduce our daily usage of the plastic containers. As a consumer, self-willingness is required in
reducing the usage of plastic containers other than waiting for the government to solve the
problem of plastic bags. Be independent, start personally and change the community by showing
and teaching the young one to use their own containers. Moreover, the consumers are the most
important contribution to the campaign.
2.3 Risk Factor of Proper Disposal in Bayan Lepas
Even though the plastics are easy, cheap, and last for a long time, unfortunately these
useful qualities have brought a huge pollution problem to the environment. The plastic is
discarded easily because it is cheap but the persistent of this material has caused harm to the
environment. Urbanization has added the usage of plastic and brings more pollution in the cities.
Plastic thrown on land can enter into drainage lines and block the flow resulting into floods. An
experiment is done on the dead crow, and the findings are really shocking where a total of 35kg
plastic is found in the stomach. The plastic has caused death to the crow as the plastic does not
decompose and requires high energy ultra-violet light to break down. Moreover, the amount of
plastic waste in the oceans is steadily increasing. More than ninety percents of the articles found
on the beaches contained plastic. The plastic found on beaches near urban areas comes from the
use on land, such as packaging material used to wrap around other goods, food containers and
much more.
Based on observation and complaints received by Consumers Association of Penang
(CAP) and Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM), it is found that the greenery in some places is losing
and the environmental pollution is increasing despite the Penang Government’s initiative for a
Cleaner, Greener Penang.
Rivers and sea are polluted by industrial chemical discharge, non-treated sewage and
rubbish. River water quality monitoring as stated in the Penang State Department of
Environment Annual Report for 2011 shows those 10 out of 24 rivers in the seven river basins in
the state of Penang is classified as polluted, out of which six are in Class IV of the Water Quality
Index. Nine rivers were moderately polluted, whilst five were still considered clean.
2.4 Effects of Human Behavior of Disposal Recyclable Garbage in Bayan Lepas
Garbage in a city can cause various kinds of problems. These include contamination of
ground water, surface water, and even the city’s water system, if the chemical discharge dissolve
into the ground and polluted the water. Reading low pH because of the chemical are the problem
in the water and air. Flooding will lead due to landfills causes of sealing of the grounded surface.
The harmful animals and insect such as rats and cockroach will attract to disposal areas.
Its danger to human because of diseases such as plague plague, meningitis, pneumonitis,
and toxoplama-gondii.
Others effects can be are the infection or toxic garbage. People around the Bayan Lepas
area are not to dispose them dangers item in proper way; they will throw object just like that. It
will create a bunch of items as dangerous as medical waste or toxic and
corrosive chemicals. Often there are infectious diseases associated with medical waste that can
cause or heighten an epidemic.
2.5 Solution to the Problem of Disposal Recyclable Garbage in Bayan Lepas
At the moment, major political parties in Penang are making policies on waste and
recycling. One of the main arguments is whether or not rubbish bins should be collected weekly
or fortnightly. Their idea is that the collectors should collect the rubbish bins every fortnight,
rather than every week, and also that recycling bins should be collected every week. This is a
good idea in many ways, because if people's bins are not emptied every week, but their
recycling bins are it will force more people to recycle. However many people believe that this is
just a money saving scheme as tipping the rubbish is extremely expensive. Also many people are
concerned about hygiene; if the bins are not emptied and people refuse to recycle then they may
dump their rubbish in the street.
Another political idea is to measure the weight of the rubbish and charge people
accordingly. The government proposes that the heavier the rubbish, the more you get charged.
This is to encourage people to do more recycling and to get rid of less waste.
The recycling workshop was started in June 1997 with the vision to encourage the
disabled to become self-confident and independent. This unit is also a source of income for the
centre and supports the global call to save the environment. The trainees are either physically or
intellectually challenged.
2.4 Conclusion
Garbage pollution has a big effect on the environment. The garbage can causes rats and
fleas that carry harmful diseases. These vermin can then cause many cases of diseases. W even
more garbage piles up; there will be more cases and more deaths. This can happen from the
people attitude that instead of recycling a can of Coca Cola, it was littered along the walkway. A
change in life for a good and clean environment is very important in keeping the Mother Nature
healthy.