Nestlé Malaysia is reinforcing its dedication to a waste-free future by expanding its community-led recycling efforts in Kedah through its flagship initiative, Project SAVE (Segregate, Avoid, Value, Educate). Marked by the recent Karnival Kitar community event, this initiative showcases how embracing Voluntary Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) projects can translate into tangible environmental benefits. The strengthening of this alliance was highlighted by a Memorandum of Understanding exchange between Nestlé Malaysia and the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp), witnessed by Tunku Temenggong Kedah, YTM Tan Sri Tunku Puteri Intan Safinaz binti Almarhum Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah.
First introduced in 2020, Project SAVE stands as Nestlé Malaysia’s premier voluntary recycling programme and the largest EPR initiative in the country. It actively supports household Separation-at-Source through a system of weekly door-to-door collection of dry mixed recyclables, executed in tandem with municipal councils, waste management concessionaires, and private recyclers. Having scaled nationwide, the programme now reaches approximately 260,000 households across nine cities. Its environmental footprint is substantial; in 2025 alone, the initiative successfully diverted an estimated 15,000 tonnes of solid waste from landfills and oceans, which included 10,000 tonnes of plastic.
The project’s footprint in Kedah gained significant traction when it expanded to Kulim via a pilot programme alongside SWCorp, E-Idaman, and ESH Resource. Since that launch, the Kulim pilot has successfully gathered roughly 100,000 kilograms of recyclables, including about 28,000 kilograms of plastics, entirely through its structured weekly collection routes. Juan Aranols, Chief Executive Officer of Nestlé Malaysia, noted that while strong partnerships and consistent ground systems are vital to kickstart effective recycling, real change ultimately begins at home. He emphasized that encouraging Malaysians to adopt waste separation as a daily habit is what turns small actions into meaningful nationwide impact, reinforcing Nestlé’s commitment to driving a circular economy.
Sustaining this momentum requires tight coordination between operational partners, local authorities, and residents. Tuan Khalid Bin Mohammed, Chief Executive Officer of SWCorp, pointed out that the collaboration in Kulim underscores how essential a well-structured collection system is to enabling effective recycling. He reiterated SWCorp’s ongoing commitment to boosting household involvement, viewing local participation as the cornerstone for strengthening the wider recycling ecosystem in Malaysia. To keep the momentum going, the Karnival Kitar event at SMK Taman Selasih brought together residents, schools, and community leaders through interactive booths and educational roadshows, celebrating local contributions while inspiring continued environmental stewardship.
