Turning leftovers into lessons.

How does one composting machine at a Hari Raya Do signal the start of a bigger conversation on Malaysia’s food waste crisis? 

It was April 29, 2024, when the air at Tenaga Nasional Berhad’s Hari Raya celebration buzzed with the familiar sounds of laughter and chatter, plates piled high with delicious festive delicacies.

Yet, amidst the salubrious cheer, a quiet revolution was underway.

A composting machine stood ready, poised to transform leftovers into something valuable.

As guests scraped their plates into the machine, it whirred to life, turning 270 kilograms of food waste into 50 kilograms of nutrient-rich fertiliser–ready to nourish the green patches around the company’s premises.

This simple act reflected a shift happening, prompting a deeper question: How can we stop waste before it even starts?

Malaysia faces a significant challenge in food waste.

According to a report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the nation discards an astonishing 8.3 million metric tonnes of food annually.

This stark statistic underscores the need for immediate action and illustrates why stationing a composting machine at a feast was more than a mere recycling gimmick.

In fact, it was a small step towards addressing a national crisis.

But then again, it wasn’t just the composting that mattered–it was the way in which the event was planned.

For example, in the case of TNB’s, caterers worked with precision, designing portions to match guest numbers. Meals were thoughtfully chosen, ensuring minimal leftovers.

And when there was surplus, it didn’t end up in bins–it went home with employees.

This wasn’t a one-off experiment. The same principles are beginning to take root across TNB’s operations.

With a cafeteria food waste segregation programme in the works, the idea is to embed small, mindful habits–ones that ripple outward.

Malaysia is moving toward a circular economy, aiming to reduce landfill waste by 30% by 2025.

More organisations are stepping in, each with their own piece of the puzzle.

For TNB, part of the solution lies in technology.

Engineers are exploring ways to divert cafeteria scraps into an anaerobic digestion system, which could convert waste into biogas and fertiliser.

The vision? To turn everyday waste into energy–closing the loop between consumption and production.

Efforts like these may seem small. A composting machine here, a food segregation programme there. But the real shift is in how people think–how choices add up, how habits shape outcomes.

At the heart of these initiatives is a simple truth: waste isn’t inevitable. It’s a choice, one that can be unmade with the right steps.

And sometimes, it starts with something as simple as deciding what to do with your leftovers.