Penang: Translating policies into action on the ground

Tuesday 22 Sep 2026

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This article first appeared in The Edge Malaysia Weekly on December 29, 2025 - January 4, 2026

Different groups in Penang are taking action to reduce landfill waste and increase the recycling rate. Despite the ban on single-use plastic by the state government, old habits die hard, and it will take more than a top-down policy to change the landscape.

Keeping Hin Bus Depot free of single-use plastic

The Hin Bus Depot, which is an arts and community space located in an old bus station, attracts visitors to its markets every weekend. There are stalls selling arts and craft, food and coffee, as well as live performances on weekends.

One problem resulting from the crowd is the amount of rubbish collected. Most of it, observes Tan Shih Toe, owner and manager of Hin Bus Depot, consists of takeaway single-use plastic cups and containers.

“We were very alarmed. So, we thought, the first step is to take away all the single-use plastics,” says Tan.

The venue began to impose a single-use plastic ban on its food vendors on weekends, which saw great results. Then, it began to collaborate with Grow Market, which organises sustainable marketplaces focusing on eco-friendly products, plants and green living, and hosted workshops to promote environmental awareness. Today, Grow Market takes over the Hin Bus Depot on the first Saturday of every month.

“A key thing to do is to reduce rubbish, not just recycle. Many people think just recycling is okay, but we try to eliminate in the first place,” says Tan.

That led the Hin Bus Depot team to take its boldest action by removing rubbish bins from the venue during Grow Market Saturdays. This was a suggestion from the Grow Market organiser, says Tan. “At first, I asked, ‘Are you sure?’ I can imagine people just throwing rubbish on the ground. But, to my amazement, the amount of rubbish actually reduced, and it’s cleaner than normal weekends when we provide rubbish bins.”

On the first Saturday, when the bins were removed, people were more conscious with their trash. “People asked us, ‘Where is your rubbish bin?’ We explained to them that they have to take it home or use the recycling station at the venue,” says Tan. The recycling station had information about what could be recycled, which helped build public awareness.

This is something that Tan is keen to see being done in Penang as well. “Bring your own container. I’m so used to bringing my own cup for coffee now,” says Tan.

Making it easier to recycle

Instead of trading stocks and derivatives, Chew Chin Huat, founder of Riiicycle Tech Sdn Bhd, found himself trading items for recycling in recent years. Driven by a desire for greater impact, he launched Riiicycle, a company that provides recycling solutions to residential areas and corporate clients.

“If Grab can revolutionise the mobility industry, can any system revolutionise the informal collector and recycling collection system? That’s why I thought about this system, and I found one of my business partners, who is a programmer,” says Chew.

His first collection point for recyclables had to move because he did not have the licence, and it had to be located in an industrial area. So, he moved to Batu Kawan, where he sorts out recyclables collected from the public and informal collectors. “Sometimes, I buy from the aunties who pull the trolley full of recyclables. They collect from commercial areas, and we buy from them,” he says.

Riicycle has recycling collection stations in community centres and malls. It also goes to high-rise buildings to collect recyclables. This programme has now been expanded to Kuala Lumpur, in collaboration with the Malaysian Recycling Alliance. People who drop off their recyclables can use Riiicycle’s app to earn rewards. “Most people use it to exchange for money in the Touch ’n Go eWallet,” says Chew.

The company’s main revenue stream, however, comes from its house-to-house collection of e-waste, which has a higher profit margin compared with other recyclables.

The awareness of recycling has gone up in Penang, he concedes, but there are still challenges. “Hawkers are still using plastic bags, it’s just the grocery stores and malls that have stopped,” he says.

Riiicycle is doing its part by educating different people about what can be recycled through its collection activities, and Chew hopes to expand its locations. During the Penang Green Summit, he unveiled a new recycling collection machine, which can be deployed in different locations.

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