THE Penang Island City Council (MBPP) has introduced a self-service dish-return initiative at the Tanjung Bungah food complex to improve cleanliness, promote civic responsibility and encourage better food-waste management.
The initiative, launched today, is the first of its kind at an MBPP-managed food complex, involving all 56 food stalls at the premises.
State Infrastructure, Transport and Digital Committee chairman and Tanjung Bungah assemblyman Zairil Khir Johari said the initiative would improve operational efficiency, enhance hygiene and raise the overall image of Penang’s food complexes, particularly as the state continues to welcome tourists.
“Besides improving waste segregation, this initiative promotes civic consciousness, as people learn to think about others rather than just themselves.
“When diners return their dishes after eating, the tables can be cleaned and made available for other customers more quickly,” he told a press conference at the food complex today.
Zairil said MBPP had received complaints about used crockery being left on the floor or tables for extended periods, attracting flies and affecting the cleanliness of food premises.
He expressed hope that the initiative would eventually be expanded to other food complexes across Penang if it proved successful.
MBPP mayor Datuk A. Rajendran said the council hoped to assess the initiative’s effectiveness within 30 days before extending it to other food complexes and hawker centres.
“All 56 stalls will participate in the initiative, which has already begun. We hope to receive the cooperation of everyone, especially the stall operators and customers, to ensure its success.
“We will provide advice rather than impose penalties, as the objective is to cultivate civic consciousness and encourage people to consider the needs of others,” he said.
Rajendran added that the initiative required relatively little expenditure but could deliver a significant impact if the public embraced it.
MBPP councillor Lee Seng Hwai said the initiative followed a dialogue with food stall operators several months ago, during which concerns over used crockery being left on the floor were raised.
He said the initiative also introduced a food-waste segregation and recycling component at the complex, with stall operators required to collect food waste daily and place it in designated bins for composting.
Relatively, Rajendran said about 47% of municipal solid waste consists of food waste, so there is a pressing need to take measures to address this problem.
“We must first prevent and reduce waste, followed by proper segregation and recycling. This initiative is part of a wider effort to improve waste management at its source,” he said.
Lee, on the other hand, said RM1,742 from his MBPP councillor allocation was spent on purchasing 112 buckets and a 360-litre bin to support the initiative.
Meanwhile, feedback from stall operators was mixed, with some welcoming the initiative as a way to ease their workload while others expressed concerns about its practical implementation.
Surina Shamsuri, who has been selling ‘cucur udan’g and other breakfast items at the complex since 2017, welcomed the initiative, saying it could ease the burden on operators who work alone.
“When we run a stall by ourselves, it is difficult to manage everything. Sometimes, we have to leave our stalls to collect plates from customers who eat at other tables.
“With this arrangement, it will be more convenient because customers can return the dishes themselves. It will help reduce our workload,” she said.
However, soup noodle operators Lee Bee Lan and Ang Chin Hock were more cautious, expressing concern that elderly customers might accidentally spill soup while returning their dishes, potentially creating additional mess.
They nevertheless hoped the initiative would be given a chance to demonstrate whether it could work effectively at the complex.
Another operator, C. Vallema, who sells fried mee goreng, was optimistic about the initiative.
Story by Kevin Vimal
Pix by Siew Chia En