The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (the Centre) has recently invested in a food composter machine in a bid to expand its waste management efforts.
This latest initiative also aims to develop a circular economy model for the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) precinct, to help transform it into a Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) hub and create a sustainable meetings destination in Malaysia.
The Centre’s general manager, Alan Pryor, shared: “In our endeavour to manage event-generated waste responsibly, investing in our own composting machine is another significant step. Since including composting as part of our process, we have recorded a 30 per cent decrease in the overall food waste disposed.
“We are also collecting more data, through which we can better study delegates’ consumption behaviour. This enables us to plan food production more efficiently and cater to customer-based cooking, which results in reduced food waste and less food cost. One of the long-term plans of the composter is to also provide non-chemical-based fertilisers to the 50-acre KLCC park that is adjacent to the Centre.”
According to the World Resources Institute, out of 100 billion tons of resources that enter the economy every year, only 8.6 per cent is recycled. Since 1970, the use of resources has tripled and could double again by 2050 if business continues as usual.
“We understand how critical it is to move away from a linear economic model to a circular model. Our focus is on creating a regenerative system that helps us make better use of finite resources, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect the well-being of our biodiversity and boost the business of the various entities that make up the KLCC precinct,” continued Pryor.
The integrated KLCC precinct is a 40-hectare city-within-a-city development comprising the world’s tallest twin towers, a purpose-built venue, numerous four- to five-star hotels, a shopping mall and a recreational park.
He has over two decades of experience in luxury hospitality, having led hotel operations with The Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, The Taj Group of Hotels, and overseas properties like The Marriott Marquis Doha, The Westin & Le Méridien City Centre Bahrain, and JW Marriott Jakarta.
