Working with a technology consultancy, the recycling Malaysian firm has embarked on a five-year plan to streamline and boost the eco sector.

Recycling plastic waste in Malaysia is fraught with challenges, but one industry stalwart is adopting digitalization to boost its success.

Heng Hiap Industries, a fully integrated plastic recycling company in Malaysia with 19 years of experience, works with over 28,000 domestic plastic recyclers to buy and convert plastic scraps into high performance resin before selling it to clients that include top South Korean appliance manufacturers and Japanese automotive companies.

However, the company was struggling to keep pace with the demand for quality recycled plastic as the collection processes were manual and complex, involving pen and paper transactions as well as in-person negotiation. Now, it is embarking on a new roadmap that involves using mobile apps.

Rewarding the recyclers

By digitally transforming its plastic recycling operations, the Malaysian firm aims to collect more and better-quality plastic waste. How? By extending its collection infrastructure beyond informal collectors and grassroots recyclers, all the way to the household level, through a simplified and user-friendly collection process.

In the long term, the malaysian firm envisions creating a truly circular economy for plastics by helping its business-to-business (B2B) customers address the growing pressure from eco-conscious consumers for greater transparency and traceability.

Working with technology consultancy Capgemini, the firm has created a five-year business model to help realize the company’s vision for an eco-friendly world. The roadmap involves:

  • leveraging eco-conscious consumers to drive demand for recycled plastics.
  • making the adoption of the solution attractive to both collectors and consumers.
  • providing a solution that meets the public compliance and sustainability commitments of the brands that consumers love.

Said Seah Kian Hoe, Founder and Managing Director, Heng Hiap Industries: “In short, we make plastic recycling simple, convenient, and worthwhile. With integrated traceability and digitalization innovations, we can achieve a greener world and keep waste out of the ground and oceans for good. Capgemini is a believer in digitalization and sustainability; hence we chose them as our innovation partner for expansion, particularly in the South-east Asia region.”

Mobile technology involved

One of the central elements proposed is a mobile application designed to revolutionize the plastic recycling process by introducing a new way for consumers to recycle their waste.

Through the app, consumers can request a pickup of their recyclables from their doorstep while collectors can respond to requests, plan routes, track consumer satisfaction ratings, and receive payments digitally.

Not only does the app make collection easier, it also motivates consumers to recycle their plastic waste by the process of gamification: supports earn points each time they recycle their plastics. This solution helps introduce a new source of plastic directly from households, that can be sorted and cleaned, and enhances visibility on the transportation and overall processing of plastic waste.

Said Sumit Nurpuri, Chief Operating Officer of Capgemini in South-east Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan: “Capgemini believes that digital transformation should benefit all of humanity and this collaboration with Heng Hiap Industries is a testament to its purpose of unleashing human energy through technology for an inclusive and sustainable future.”