Comparison of Recycling Activities at Landfills in Indonesia and Malaysia

The situation of on-site recycling at landfills in Malaysia was investigated. Although Malaysia’s per capita GDP is three times that of Indonesia, waste picking at landfills is still economically feasible. The reason for this is that in Indonesia, the main recovered item is plastic bags as more valuable items are removed before the waste arrives to the landfill, while in Malaysia items such as PET bottles and metal cans are abundant in landfills, thus the waste pickers can earn a higher income. The authorities should make active efforts in supporting recycling at more upstream of the material flow so that recovering of materials at landfills will be unnecessary.