From trash to compost: Evaluating waste reduction and carbon emissions in a Malaysian ecotourism site

Abstract

Tourism-related waste generation poses a significant environmental challenge, particularly in ecologically sensitive areas. This study investigates the quantity, composition and associated carbon emissions of solid waste generated by tourists over four weekends at Lata Sempeneh, Batu Kurau, Perak, Malaysia. The waste characterization was conducted following the Malaysian Standard MS 2505:2012 for household solid waste composition, whereas greenhouse gas emissions (methane (CH₄) and carbon dioxide (CO₂)) were estimated using the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 1996 mass balance methodology. The average waste generation rate was found to be 0.174 kg per capita per day, with an estimated 259 tourists visiting the site each weekend day. Food waste constituted the majority (63.92%) of the total waste, indicating a significant potential for CH₄ generation if landfilled. The average carbon emission attributable to tourist-generated waste was estimated at 0.138 kg CO_2-eq per capita per day. Scenario analysis demonstrated that diverting 50% of food waste through composting could reduce this number by nearly half, to 0.069 kg CO_2-eq capita per day. This study highlights the practical sustainable waste management strategy for tourist-generated waste in natural recreational areas like Lata Sempeneh. Unlike conventional disposal methods, this approach not only diverts organic waste from landfills, thereby significantly reducing carbon emissions but also promotes resource recovery by transforming food waste into compost, which can benefit local agriculture or landscaping efforts. Such a localized, circular intervention tailored to tourist hotspots in Malaysia remains underexplored and adds a practical dimension to sustainable tourism management.