Waste Management

Waste generation occurs at various points within the production process, spanning the supply chain and our own operational activities. F&N places a paramount emphasis on fostering efficient waste management by minimising and redirecting our operational waste. Furthermore, we extend our dedication beyond our immediate operations to collaborate with stakeholders along the supply chain. Together, we identify opportunities to embrace circular practices in their operations, thereby enabling them to achieve cost savings through resource-efficient practices.

We aspire to achieve “zero discharge, zero waste and zero landfill”. Our manufacturing teams seek to improve efficiency in our operations by applying innovation and discovering new opportunities to close the loop in the material cycle. In our waste management strategy, we conduct internal audit to track the amount and type of waste generated and waste disposal methods in our operations using cloud based system,  in accordance to the requirements of  ISO 14001 certification.

With this, we prioritise environmentally responsible practices for different types of waste. Non-hazardous waste is predominantly recycled, as we aim to maximise resource utilisation and minimise environmental impact. General waste, which includes materials that cannot be recycled, is directed towards power plant waste-to-energy facilities, where it can contribute to energy production while reducing landfill usage. Although hazardous waste generation is minimal, we ensure its proper disposal by entrusting licensed waste contractors to transport and incinerate it safely at specialised facilities, adhering to stringent regulatory standards. This comprehensive approach underscores our commitment to sustainable waste management practices across all waste categories.

In accordance with our ESH Policy, we actively promote employee awareness regarding responsible consumption and the critical significance of efficient waste management throughout all our business endeavors.

Employee Awareness

We have embedded the concept of the Circular Economy into the heart of our environmental awareness initiatives for our employees. These ongoing programmes focus on instilling responsible waste management practices, particularly through waste separation activities. The goal is to promote the continual reuse of what is conventionally considered “waste” as a valuable resource until it reaches the end of its lifecycle.

An excellent example of our commitment to these principles can be seen in our team in Thailand. They have taken steps to eliminate the use of plastic bags in waste collection by repurposing bags originally used for packaging materials. This simple yet effective change has resulted in a remarkable reduction in plastic bag consumption, amounting to over 10,000 kg. This initiative showcases the tangible benefits of embracing a Circular Economy approach.

In Malaysia, as part of our efforts in inculcating eco-awareness among employees, we organised a waste-to-cash Recycle Day at our Shah Alam office. Employees were rewarded with vouchers to redeem food and household items. Over 358 kg of recyclable materials was collected and recycled through this programme.

Recycling Programme

In Malaysia, F&NHB partners with influential industry leaders to establish a voluntary initiative named Malaysian Recycling Alliance (MAREA), that aims to enhance the collection and recycling of packaging after use focusing on Extended Producer Responsibility. The alliance has set a target to recycle a minimum of 25% of its members’ packaging volume by 2025. In 2023, MAREA has piloted projects on curb side collection of plastics – PET bottles, HDPE and flexibles, across Langkawi, Malaysia.

As a part of the Group’s continuous efforts to raise awareness about the importance of recycling among school children, F&NHB partnered with SWCorp Malaysia, an agency under the Ministry of Local Government Development (MLGH) to organise School Recycling Programme. This five-month campaign targets about over 1,400 primary and secondary schools throughout Malaysia. The Group also works closely with municipal councils around Malaysia on this programme. Each participating school will compete to collect the largest number of recyclable materials as well as implement a creative campaign to practice the 5R principles of “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rethink & Reinvent”. All the schools will be assessed at the end of the campaign period and winners will receive a cash prize sponsored by F&NHB.

In Thailand, the Waste Bank and Recycling Project was established in two local schools within the Ayutthaya Province – Wattanodtia School and Watkokmayom School. The waste bank provides tangible monetary benefits to the students by selling the recyclables they have collected.

Additionally, we have partnered with industry leaders KLEAN, GRAB and Malaysian Research Accelerator for Technology and Innovation (MRANTI) to launch 18 Artificial Intellenge (AI)-driven Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) in strategic locations across the Klang Valley. The pilot project is set to run for a period of six months, with each fully operational RVM ready to accept plastic food containers, on top of aluminium cans and PET bottles that are more commonly collected for recycling. These would then be collected by Asasrama Sdn Bhd, a certified processor, to recycle into raw materials such as plastic pallets/ flakes, eventually giving them a second-life by turning them into new products including apparels, furniture fillings and plastic furniture/ boxes.

Initiatives:

• 100% of industrial sludge from our dairy plants in Thailand and Malaysia is converted into organic fertiliser and distributed to local farmers.
• Wastewater from our industrial effluent treatment plants in Malaysia and Thailand is treated and repurposed for general cleaning purposes and watering of plants. We also reuse treated wastewater in our cooling system in our plants.
• At our Pulau Indah plant, 100% of recyclables are sent for recycling while kitchen waste is sent for composting.
• At our Shah Alam plant, all aluminium, bottles and cartons are recycled and kitchen waste is composted. A future initiative that we are looking forward to undertaking is new technology for soya extraction which utilises the leftover okara (soy pulp).