State Local Government Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow advised home owners to take a picture of the rubbish or the offenders in the act.
This will be proof in case the owners are summoned for the offence, he said.
Those who fail to separate their waste can be fined RM250. If brought to court, they can be fined RM2,000 or a year’s jail.
The law came into effect last June but the public was given a year’s grace period to get adjusted to separating their waste.
Those living in high-rises have to comply too, as the RM250 fine will be directed at the joint-management bodies or management corporations.
The Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act has so far been enforced in seven states – Penang, Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Perlis and Pahang – and the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.
Home owners are required to separate food waste and recyclable (including paper, plastic and aluminium) items in two different plastic bags before disposal.
Speaking to reporters at Macallum Street Ghaut here today, Chow said Penang was the state with the highest recycling rate in the country at 38% last year – above the national rate of 20.9%.
He said separating waste would increase the lifespan of Penang’s only landfill in Pulau Burung, Nibong Tebal, from 30 years to 45 years.
Chipping in, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said 1,700-1,800 tonnes of rubbish were collected daily in the state and dumped in Pulau Burung.
“We need to embrace this change. It takes only a minute of your time daily.”
Earlier, Lim and Chow launched a reward points system for those who separated and recycled waste at the Macallum Street Ghaut flats.
The points are collected by residents using cards similar to Touch ‘n Go. For a kilo of paper, 2.5 points are given, plastics five points and for a kilo of aluminium 30 points.
The points can later be used to redeem essential items from a special collection centre at the lobby.