Strategic Industry Alliance Created to Improve Collection and Recycling of Packaging Waste in Malaysia

10 FMCG Companies Pioneer Efforts Towards Circular Economy 

PETALING JAYA, April 1, 2021 – Cognisant of the rising environmental impact from consumer packaging waste, key industry leaders in the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sector have teamed up to tackle the situation with sustainability-centred solutions. The Malaysian Recycling Alliance (MAREA) has been established to enable a voluntary, industry-led Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) group of like-minded companies to focus on boosting the value chain and significantly improve collection and recycling of post-consumer packaging. 

 The first alliance of its kind in the country, MAREA comprises 10 initial members, made up of (in alphabetical order) Coca-Cola Malaysia, Colgate-Palmolive Malaysia, Dutch Lady Milk Industries, Etika Group of Companies, Fraser & Neave Holdings Bhd, Mondelēz International, Nestlé Malaysia, Spritzer, Tetra Pak Malaysia and Unilever Malaysia. 

Members of MAREA include [front row from left to right] Ramjeet Kaur, Business Director Consumer Dairy of Dutch Lady Milk Industries, Pauline Goh, MAREA General Manager, Juan Aranols, MAREA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nestlé Malaysia Berhad, and Wanaz Merican, Legal Counsel of Colgate-Palmolive Malaysia. [Second row, from left to right] Michael Wu, Managing Director of Tetra Pak Malaysia, Khalid Alvi, CEO of Etika Group of Companies, Lim Yew Hoe, CEO of Fraser & Neave Malaysia, and Lisa Tan, Legal Counsel of Unilever Malaysia. [Third row, from left to right] Kenny Lim, CEO of Spritzer, James Kane, Managing Director of Mondelēz International Malaysia, and Sumit Goyal, Chief Financial Officer of Coca-Cola Malaysia. 

MAREA’s goals will primarily revolve around enhancing collection, promoting the use of recycled and renewable materials as well as minimising post-consumer packaging leakage into the environment. MAREA is committed to collaborating with the Malaysian Government and other stakeholders interested in the matter to drive its goal of achieving circular economy solutions that are conducive to a cleaner and greener Malaysia. 

Among the initial tasks to be undertaken by MAREA will be to strengthen public-private collaborations as well as drive consumer education and awareness on better packaging waste disposal. An incentive scheme will also be implemented via a pilot project where consumer packaging waste, including polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, used beverage cartons (UBC), high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and Flexible packaging will be collected and channeled to local recycling providers. 

MAREA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Nestlé (Malaysia) Berhad, Mr. Juan Aranols, said, “As industry leaders, the members of MAREA decided that we must proactively take action by creating the first EPR platform to radically improve how consumer packaging waste is managed in Malaysia. Through MAREA, we will rethink how we can make the packaging value chain more environmentally sustainable. However, change cannot be driven by one entity alone and requires proactive collaboration between FMCG companies, policy makers, consumers, recycling companies and other stakeholders who share an aspiration.” 

Progress in packaging sustainability is a high priority for MAREA member companies, each of which has its own initiatives and measures to address the environmental impact of packaging waste. 

MAREA General Manager, Ms. Pauline Goh added, “With packaging waste escalating in recent times, environmental concerns are at an all-time high. Our aim is to promote sustainable end-of-life disposal of post-consumer plastic packaging waste through higher recyclability and recycled content. Changing consumer habits is also integral in our sustainability agenda and this can only come from sustained and effective programmes which we intend to roll out with partners and other stakeholders.” 

MAREA was incorporated on January 4, 2021. Today’s announcement is being made in conjunction with Global Recycling Day which falls on March 16, 2021.  

About MAREA

Malaysian Recycling Alliance Berhad (MAREA) is Malaysia’s first voluntary, not-for-profit, industry-driven EPR platform. Incorporated on January 4, 2021, MAREA comprises 10 leading FMCG companies in the country, aiming to bring about positive change by building awareness on the circular economy approach for more efficient packaging waste management. To trigger a positive spill-over effect throughout the value chain, MAREA is collaborating with the Malaysian Government and other stakeholders to jointly drive a common goal to improve collection and recycling rates for a greener, cleaner Malaysia and a more sustainable, waste-reduced future.

The 10 member companies comprise Coca-Cola Malaysia, Colgate-Palmolive Malaysia, Dutch Lady Milk Industries, Etika Group of Companies, Fraser & Neave Malaysia, Mondelēz International Malaysia, Nestlé Malaysia, Spritzer, Tetra Pak Malaysia and Unilever Malaysia.

Pauline Goh
Malaysian Recycling Alliance Berhad (MAREA)
E-mail: pauline@marea.com.my
Alya Nurina or Ezza Azira
Acorn communications sdn bhd

Tel: (+603) 7958 8348
Mobile: +6010-221 8216 (Alya) or
+6017 275 3721 (Ezza)
E-mail: acorncommunications@acornco.com.my

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