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Life in an estuary and at the beach are unique settlement patterns in the history of Malaysia. Sabah is well known for its water village settlements that are built on wooden pillars and which can be found along Sabah coastal water. However, a lot of problems have occurred at the Sabah water villages. Thus, the aim of this study is to measure the solid waste generation and composition in 150 households at select water villages in Sabah, Malaysia. The study was conducted at three major towns in Sabah, namely Kampung Tanjung Batu Laut, Tawau water village, Kampung Tanjung Aru, Kota Kinabalu water village and Kampung Sim-sim, Sandakan water village. Based on the results, the total waste generation is 1519.30 kg and the average solid waste generation rate per household is 0.29 kg/person/day. The main component of solid waste is food waste, which comprises 37% of the total waste generated, followed by plastic waste at 31%, paper waste 14.7%, glass 7.2%, and metal 6.3%. The remainder (3.8%) includes bulky waste, furniture, wood, etc. Although the solid waste generation rate is comparatively low, it will create a negative impact on the environment and public health if proper management of solid waste is not practiced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid waste management (SWM) is a global issue and has proven to be a key challenge facing many developing countries. SWM constitutes a crucial health and environmental problem. Most cities spend 20-50% of their annual budget on solid waste management, but only 20-80% of the waste is collected. Due to the diversity of different system components that need to be addressed and the inability of a single tool to assess all components, it has necessitated the need for an integrative approach to SWM issues. Recently more integrative techniques and methods are being utilized to address the different issues that arise in solid waste management as a whole. One technique or method is inefficient and cannot encompass all components of a solid waste management system. This paper looks into the different system analysis techniques that have been applied in SWM and shows system engineering tools have a wide and diverse application, require less data, and are quite cost effective when compared to the system assessment tool, which requires a wide and diverse range of data to be applicable and reliable. The system engineering tools when applied do not reflect the actual scenario for assessment and are quite difficult to implement practically. The system engineering tools are very reliable with regard to choosing options and stimulation of a scenario. System assessment tool seem more realistic, practically applicable for the decision makers and analysis/assessment using system assessment tools can easily be understood and simplified. An integration of engineering and system assessment tools seems more appropriate for obtaining a holistic assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malaysia is faced with daunting challenges related to solid waste management. Due to an increase in population, economic growth, inadequate enforcement of waste legislation, infrastructure, and public attitude among others, solid waste management is considered a crucial issue in Malaysia, particularly in urban settings. This paper gives an overview of solid waste management in Malaysian with the aim of presenting the state of waste generation, composition, management practices, and problems with regards to environmental, economic, and other ramifications from previous records. In general, the total waste generated in Malaysia is estimated to be 7 million tons in 2000, with an annual increase of 3%. This is due to many factors such as urban migration, affluence, and rapid development. This circumstance requires greater focus to be in placed on managing solid waste and mitigating the negative public and environmental effects. Presently, management of solid waste is carried out by the Ministry of Housing and local government, with the support of the private sector. This new holistic approach initiated addressing the solid waste issue, taking into account public health and environmental concerns with an emphasis on reduction, reuse, and recycling before reaching final stage -- disposal at landfill, and this to certain extent has a greater potential in addressing SWM problems in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]