The Festive Hangover
Malaysia’s 17,000-Tonne Food Waste Crisis. We Malaysians love three things: our culture, our festivals, and—most of all—our food. From the golden spreads of Chinese New Year to the month-long indulgence of Ramadan bazaars and the cozy roasts of Christmas, our "open house" spirit is legendary.
But as the festive music fades and the buffet lids close, a sobering reality remains. Behind every "all-you-can-eat" sign is a mountain of waste that our landfills can no longer hide.
The Scale of the "Mountain"To understand the gravity of the situation, let’s look at the numbers. Malaysia generates roughly 16,688 to 17,000 tonnes of food waste every single day.
To put that in perspective:The 12 Million Meal Rule: That is enough food to feed 12 million people three times a day.
The Bus Metric: It’s equivalent to filling 340 double-decker buses with food and driving them straight into a landfill daily.The Festive Spike: During festive seasons, this waste increases by 15% to 20%. During Ramadan alone, we’ve seen up to 90,000 tonnes of food discarded in a single month—the equivalent of 343 million packs of Nasi Lemak.
Interesting (and Shocking) Facts You Should Know
The Household Culprit: While we often blame hotels, households are actually the biggest contributors, making up 44.5% of all food waste.
The "Pretty Food" Problem: About 24% of what we throw away is "avoidable waste"—perfectly edible food that was discarded simply because it didn't look perfect or we overbought during a "Buy 2 Free 1" festive sale.
The Hidden Tax: The average Malaysian household loses about RM210 per month (roughly RM2,600 a year) just by throwing food away. That’s a "waste tax" we are paying ourselves.
Methane: The Invisible Heat: Food rotting in landfills doesn't just disappear. It releases methane gas, which is 28 times more potent at trapping heat than carbon dioxide. Our buffet leftovers are literally heating up the planet.
The Buffet Culture: Can We Have Our Cake and Eat It Too? The "All-You-Can-Eat" model is a major driver of waste. We feel the need to "get our money's worth," leading to overloaded plates and half-eaten delicacies. However, the tide is turning.Across Malaysia, innovative solutions are popping up:#JomTapau: Encouraging guests to pack surplus food from buffets.
AI in the Kitchen: Some Malaysian hotels are using smart scales and AI cameras to track exactly what guests leave behind, allowing chefs to adjust their menus in real-time.
From Plate to Farm: Surplus food is being repurposed into high-quality animal feed or composted using Black Soldier Fly larvae, turning waste into a resource.
What Can You Do This Festive Season? The solution doesn't require giving up our celebrations; it requires a shift in mindset.
The "Small Plate" Strategy: Use a smaller plate at buffets. You can always go back for seconds, but you can’t "un-waste" what you leave behind.
Shop with a List: Festive sales are tempting, but 40% of impulse-bought produce ends up in the bin.
Support "Rescue" Apps: Platforms like ReMeal or MaGIC initiatives help connect consumers with surplus food from bazaars and cafes at a discount.
This year, let’s make our festivities about the memories we keep, not the food we throw away.
TESSA 22 December 2025
Contact Email: aeedaoli@gmail.com
Three Crows, A Cold Reflection
The garden wears its winter coat, a canvas stark and grey, Where sunlight, thin and far remote, just barely holds the day. A solitary bench she keeps, beneath the skeletal design Of branches where the slumber sleeps, of every sleeping vine.
She watches them—a watchful three, perched high on oak's dark spire. Three silent watchers in the tree, fueled only by cold fire. The first one dips a sable head, a flicker in the sky, A memory of words unsaid, a breath of moments gone by.
The cold is sharp, a bitter kiss that clings to skin and bone, So much like grief, or what we miss when standing all alone. But she recalls the summer heat, the blossoms wildly thrown, How every storm brings something sweet, a quiet lesson shown.
The second shifts upon its limb, a sudden, heavy beat, A metaphor for life's swift whim, a setback or defeat. The dizzying, deep downs that arrive, the shadow and the sting, When it takes all one has to strive and make the spirit sing.
Yet just as sure, the third one preens, then tilts its beak to call, A ragged, hopeful sound that means a triumph over all. For every valley deeply felt, there were the mountain ups, The warmth of love, the moments dealt in life's overflowing cups.
She sees the crows are simply being, enduring sleet and breeze, A quiet, stark, and perfect freeing found in common trees. The life she lives, the path she trod, is neither sun nor frost, But both entwined, ordained by God, counting what's gained, not lost.
The sky remains, the three remain, the silence starts to mend; She knows that after all the pain, the spirit will ascend. And in that cold, reflective air, she nods and understands: The pattern of her life is there, held gently in her hands.
TESSA 10 December 2025
Contact Email: aeedaoli@gmail.com
Finishing Strong: Why December is the Most Important Month Category
December is a month of duality.
However, beneath the surface, December is a powerful time for internal work. It represents the "grand finale" of our year. It serves as a natural checkpoint for introspection. Before the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, we have the opportunity to review the past year with honesty.
- What goals did we crush?
- What lessons did we learn?
Use this month not just to celebrate, but to recalibrate.
Enjoy the festivities, but also take the time to draft the blueprint for the year ahead. Use the peace of the season to find clarity, so you can enter January not just with a wish, but with a plan.
TESSA 1 December 2025
Contact Email: aeedaoli@gmail.com
