FoodPanda responds to illegal jungle rubbish, locals claim dumping happening for decades

Following the discovery of a mountain of rubbish in one of Kuala Lumpur’s urban jungles, much of it from food delivery service FoodPanda, the company has issued a statement vowing to investigate and to clean up the affected area, which locals say has been used used as an informal dump for decades.

The trash was first discovered on Sunday by Andy Hickson, who told Coconuts KL that he found the heap in the Gombak area of the city, and that the site was near both the road and a popular hiking trail. He added that following the shock of his discovery, he spoke to locals who told him that the area had been used as a dumping ground since the 1980s.

They also told him that the local council was aware of the matter, but nothing has been done about it. Hickson added that the people he spoke to told him it wasn’t personal rubbish, and that lorries would come at night to make the dumps.

Hickson’s discovery, shared in a Facebook post, touched off an outpouring of criticism on social media.

The online brouhaha caught the attention of FoodPanda’s PR team, who released a statement saying that they would be investigating the matter immediately.

They wrote that they “work with suppliers to properly dispose of unusable delivery bags,” and that once they have completed their life cycle “they are dismantled, sorted by material type and then sent to recycling facilities.”

They added that sustainability was important to the corporation and that they are currently in contact with Hickson, who has agreed to show them the location, so that the rubbish can be removed immediately.

The company did not respond to an emailed request for comment from Coconuts KL asking who the company had contracted to handle their waste management.

Some answers, but a lot more questions, such as: Who is responsible for dumping the trash, and how has local council allegedly turned a blind eye for decades?

We’ll try to bring you more answers as the story develops.



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