International Joint Workshop on Sustainability in Solid Waste Management 2021, organized by the Faculty of Architecture, Planning and Surveying (FSPU), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Shah Alam with the Ube International Environmental Cooperative Association (UBE-IECA), Japan. The online workshop was held via Zoom platform on 10th November 2021 and 11th November 2021 with participation from local and international with a total of 135 participants. Assoc. Prof Ts Dr Emma Marinie Ahmad Zawawi (Deputy Dean (Academic) of FSPU) gave the opening speech followed by a responding speech from Prof Dr Hiroshi Matsuda (President of UBE-IECA, Professor Emeritus Yamaguchi University).

The two-day workshop focuses on the sustainability of solid waste management and the environment in Malaysia and Japan. On the first day, the speakers in the morning session are from Ube City Council, which are Mr Kawaguchi Shuhei, Mr Ochi Hidekazu, and Mr Hiroshi Tanaka. While in the afternoon session the speakers are from Solid Waste Corporation (SWCorp), which are Ts Mohd Hafizam Mustaffa, and Ms Siti Nur Aqilah Rohizad. The main inputs given by the speakers from Ube City Council on the workshop are on the success of the UBE waste management model and the economics of scale for recycling plants and landfills in UBE. Meanwhile, SWCorp’s speakers talk on the Melaka journey towards sustainability and the scenario of solid waste management in Malaysia towards a circular economy.

The workshop continued on the next day, where the titles of informative talks delivered in this session are “Empowering Community Engagement in UBW Waste Recycling Program” by Mr Kawaguchi Shuhei (Ube City Council) and “Utilisation of Local Waste Materials” by Prof Dr Mohamad Nidzam Rahmat (FSPU, UiTM). At the end of the session, Ts Dr Julitta Yunus, the head of the programme expressed her gratitude towards all the speakers and participants involved in such enriching sessions of the two-day workshop. This joint workshop will continue with more lectures and activities in order to increase visibility and strengthen the relationship between UiTM and UBE-IECA, Japan.