In 2002, solid waste generated in Peninsular Malaysia was 17,000 tonnes per day and in 2005, 19,100 tonnes per day of waste was generated in Malaysia. Furthermore, generation of solid waste is expected to reach about 30,000 tonnes per day in the year 2020, which is approximately equivalent to 10.95 millions tonnes per year.
Apart from increasing amounts of waste, we have been facing problems related to the types of solid waste produced. The ninth Malaysia Plan estimated that 49.3% of waste consists of food waste (organic waste), followed by 17.1% paper, plastic and iron with 9.7% and 1.6% respectively and 22.3% of other waste.