To tackle the serious problem of landfill waste, I have been conducting fairly extensive qualitative research on how the extended producer responsibility (EPR) framework should be implemented through collective action. This framework consists of three stages that clarify the responsible actions of brand owners/producers and consumers. We have started to witness some great initiatives. For instance, Body Shop and Aesop as brand owners, Greensteps as a community recycling initiator and Dialog Eseco as a recycling company have set a great example for others to follow or collaborate with. Every consumer should take individual responsibility by cleaning and drying used products for recycling and segregating waste at home. I strongly urge brand owners to transfer recycling knowledge from their home countries to Malaysia, where they both manufacture and sell their products to approximately 34 million potential consumers. This model may also be applicable to other nations in Southeast Asia, such as Indonesia, the Philippines and Myanmar.

I wish to thank in particular Dr S Sri Umeswara and Ms Pauline Goh for their unwavering support in this project.