The main objective of this study is to investigate the impacts of government food waste policy on household food waste disposal and household's knowledge of environmental effects of food waste could be a panacea towards food waste reduction in Malaysia. The study was conducted in Selangor and Terengganu applying purposive random sampling with 333 respondents representing same number of households. 257 were from Selangor and 76 from Terengganu. The primary data was collected through structured questionnaire and was analyzed by descriptive statistics and logistics regression model. Findings has shown in percent Selangor, 41.6 respondents or households gives out their edible food waste to neighbours, while Terengganu had 63.2 percent who gives their edible food waste to neighbours rather than disposed it into the waste bins. The most frequent food waste by Selangor respondents were rice and fruits at 19.1 and 36 percent receptively. While Terengganu had 9 and 26 percent that frequently waste same composition of food waste. Knowledge of environmental effects of food waste on cost of waste management, its impacts to increase energy consumption, government policy on household food waste management and government creating awareness of the impact of food waste to the environment were significantly related to influence household's to reduce food waste.

The issue of sustainable waste management has become an important priority for policymakers and other relevant stakeholders of Malaysia as the country prepares to project itself as a developed nation. Despite several attempts by the government, such as enactment of new laws and pursuing privatisation, Malaysia is still lagging behind significantly in sustainable waste management practices, particularly in the area of recycling. Based on studies conducted in the Selangor state of Malaysia, this paper attempts to analyse the current waste management practices of Malaysia along with their problems and prospects, and examine the steps taken by the government and other stakeholders for attaining sustaining waste management practices. The paper will help the policy makers, waste management strategists, local administrators and researchers in the field to formulate sustainable policies and identify further areas of study in the relevant field.

Malaysia has seen a high rate of economic growth in past couple of decades hand in hand with an ever increasing size of population. As a consequence, the issue of sustainable waste management has become an important priority for policymakers and other stakeholders of the society. Although there are potentials to recycle up to 80 per cent of the total dry wastes collected, currently most of them are deposited into various landfill sites. Waste treatment facilities are also insufficient in the country. The government has introduced SWM Act 2007 along with other initiatives to improve the waste management scenario, but more needs to be done to be able to recycle and treat a major portion of the wastes. Based on studies on the state of Selangor in Malaysia, this paper this paper attempts to analyse the waste management scenario of Malaysia and the problems and prospects of waste recycling there. The paper will help the policy makers, waste management strategists, local administrators and researchers in the field to formulate sustainable policies and identify further areas of study in the relevant field.

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