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THE Penampang Municipal Council hopes to get more food operators within its rating-area to install a machine in their kitchens which converts the wet-waste from their activities into a clear fluid.

A spokesman for the agency said this would go a long way to minimising the nuisance posed by the foul smell given off when the kitchen scraps began to rot.

The microbes in the machine broke down organic waste into an odourless liquid, according to him, which could either be discharged into the nearest drain or used to fertilise plants.

“The machine has been installed at two eateries in Donggongon and one in the Padimas area,” he said. 

“The owners of these premises are among 24 food operators around Penampang who are presently using the device.”

He said the twenty fifth machine was due to be put in place at a shop, involved in catering activities, which was based at a commercial centre off Jalan Suak Batu in Kepayan.

“We hope the 10 other eatery-owners at the property will follow suit.”

The spokesman was responding to feedback about the stench given off by the pools of leachate around the bin-centre for the commercial centre. 

“Leachate” is the foul smelling liquid which drains from, or “leaches” through, when the piles of bagged waste are compressed.

The proprietors, who spoke out about the poor state of the bin-centre told Hotline that this amenity was meant for unit-owners and their tenants. 

“Outsiders” from the surrounding area, however, had taken to disposing of their rubbish haphazardly near this building, according to them.

Their grievances were forwarded to the Council.

The spokesman said a check was made of the bin-centre, located off Lorong Kepayan Perdana 1, a few days after the agency was contacted by the media.

He said officers with the agency’s Health and Urban Services Divisions participated in this inspection, together with a representative from the management company (MC) for the commercial centre.

“The foul smell was immediately obvious when our officers approached the bin-centre. They also noticed that the road around the building was soiled with pools of leachate.”

He said the MC was asked to accord priority to keeping the bin-centre and the area around it clean.

“The firm’s staff, who was in attendance, assured our officers that the firm would have the amenity, as well as the road nearby, washed down regularly.”  

He said the firm had been “strongly encouraged” to crackdown on litterbugs among its tenants and unit owners.

“We called on the MC to have their security guards keep an eye out for these inconsiderate individuals and deal with them accordingly. 

“The Council was informed that the company intends to have a closed circuit television (CCTV) installed near the bin-centre, with the intention of capturing footage of those who dispose of their garbage haphazardly at this amenity. These individuals will be taken to task for their irresponsible actions.”

During the inspection, the spokesman said, the trio also went to an eatery which was identified as the chief contributor of the wet-waste dumped at the bin-centre.

“The owner does large scale cooking at the premises as he/ she has been engaged by the State Prisons Department to provide food for about 1,000 inmates daily. 

“The food operator has agreed to have the machine with the microbes installed at his/ her premises. He/she is presently in talks with the supplier about this.”

He said the agency intended to try and persuade the other eatery owners at the property to have the device put in place in their units, once the Fasting Month was over.

When asked about the garbage collection at the commercial centre, the spokesman said a check of the agency’s records revealed that there had been no breakdown in this service.

“A team from our Urban Services Division removes the garbage from the bin-centre on a daily basis.”