The need for an environmental initiative amongst private sector property (office buildings, private dwellings, shopping centres

and malls, schools, government offices and other indoor areas) in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur is to us, clear and unambiguous. Why is this the case (!) "T#$%#&%" #&' $(T )((&%*$#T'% )urrent waste collection is the responsibility of each building. )leaning staff and waste disposal operators are responsible to each building+s management. They set their own standards and rules. The conse,uences of this are(a) For the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur as a whole, there is no coordinated set of standards for building tidiness and waste removal. This means that there is a random collection of standards . and in extremis an absence of proper standards . for building tidiness, and waste removal efforts at an individual building level. (This K.L.E.A.N Initiative is not concerning itself with building cleanliness and maintenance, merel the ugl effects of litter and waste in the !ro!ert ". (b) "tandards and efforts at waste removal itself varies widely from building to building. The number, si/e, location and efficiency of emptying waste bins varies widely and is not related in many cases to the volume of internally generated (i.e. from building occupants) and e0ternally generated (i.e. from the buildings+ visitor) waste. Furthermore it is our opinion that many waste bins have not been ade,uately designed and are in this sense deficient. (c) We thin1 that one result of the lac1 of coordination standards is that in many cases collection efforts are inade,uately i.e. substantial coordinated would help to improve collection efforts. Therefore, one reason for this initiative is to implement a uniform, across.the.board set of waste removal standards. Whilst clearly we cannot do this at a stro1e, we can say that we are aware of the need for them, that we have already itemised a set of standards and that as the K.L.'.#.$ *nitiative proceeds they will befurther refined, improved and implemented. (2) 3((& 4(T*5#T*($, L(W 4(&#L' #$% "T#T6", #$% L(W'"T )("T (3T*($ 4'T7(%" The current situation is that buildings+ management have adopted a lowest possible cost, and 8it+s only a necessary chore8 mentality. Whilst some may argue 1

that the necessary chore mentality is not important as long as the 9ob is done, such a mentality in our view does contribute to a lowering of standards. What is especially lac1ing is a community spirit and a 8we are environmentally conscious8 attitude that would lead to an improvement in waste removal standards and their implementation. The promotion of a 8recycling mentality8 is a subsidiary ob9ective of this initiative, and it will be dealt with in more detail further on in this brief. Thus, as previously mentioned, our initiative would include a list of minimum standards for waste removal, and various methods of ensuring they are met. These would include improving motivation and morale and in developing and sustaining an environmentally conscious mentality amongst building owners, waste removal wor1ers and the general public.

(:) 4(&' 3#3'&.;#"'% W#"T' )(6L% ;' "#5'% F(& &')<)L*$= 3aper which is disposed into our bins can be recycled. *f paper merely wastes away through poor collection it is lost for ever. Thus more future demand for paper is met from e0isting supply and less is met from pulp made from cut down trees. (ur K.L.'.#.$ *nitiative will improve the volume of collected paper. (>) *$"6FF*)*'$T W#"T' )($T#*$'&" The role of )ity )ouncils is to provide waste containers in public areas. Their scope of operation does not include private sector buildings. *t is a basic fact that both in public areas and in many private sector buildings there are simply not enough waste containers. They are often hard to find and many are not large enough. This only encourages people to discard their rubbish indiscriminately, and encourages them to repeat this behaviour in the future. (?) *F $(T 6", W7( *F $(T $(W, W7'$ *t is our belief that our initiative is currently the only one in The Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur to address this ,uestion. 3rivate sector companies who speciali/e in paper removal from offices do not offer waste containers and they are interested only the minimum ,uantity collection sufficient to ma1e a profit from a collection. They are most interested in industrial paper waste. We believe that it is a problem, and that overall waste collection standards are definitely deteriorating. #dded to the problem of deteriorating standards in e0isting buildings, is that the number of new buildings is fast increasing. ;an1 $egara forecast for the total cumulative supply of office space in and around Kuala Lumpur, is that by the end of !@@A there will be a total of B.: million s,uare meter. 4ore space generates more waste.

Therefore we thin1 that unless something is done the problem will get worse, before it can get better. # clarion call to action is needed and the problem should be tac1led rigorously now. "ince our approach has not been tried before in 4alaysia to the best of our 1nowledge, it is in fact a pioneering initiative. KUALA LUMPUR ENVIRONMENT ACTION NETWORK

To our childrens children, You have helped bequeath, Each and every effort counting, You are especially on the Nations team