Waste Management Practices for Mushroom Cultivation in Malaysia

Nurulaini Abu Shamsi; Suzana Ariff  Azizan; Neena Yusreena Abdul  Rahman

doi:10.37698/eastj.v2i1.196

Nurulaini Abu Shamsi University of Malaya, Malaysia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3773-9813
Suzana Ariff Azizan Universiti Malaya, Malaysia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7781-7284
Neena Yusreena Abdul Rahman Universiti Malaya, Malaysia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.37698/eastj.v2i1.196

Keywords: Spent Mushroom Substrate, Sustainable Agriculture Practice, Circular Economy, SMEs, Plastic Waste

Abstract

Mushroom cultivation can be considered one of the best presentations of sustainable and circular economy activities. The growth substrate used for mushroom cultivation consists of other agricultural waste and its post-harvested waste. The waste product, Spent Mushroom Substrate (SMS), could also be used for animal feeding, plant fertilizer, and feedstock for biogas. It is then essential to determine whether the SMS produced is being used for other purposes to ensure that mushroom agriculture activity is a sustainable and circular economy activity. Therefore, this study explores the mushroom industry's waste management practices in the Malaysian context. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 89 mushroom farmers. The results found that 60.7% of them manage SMS eco-friendly while only 16.9% handle plastic waste eco-friendly. This finding indicates that not all mushroom cultivation in Malaysia can be considered a sustainable and circular economic activity. Therefore, strategies should be formulated to increase the sustainable approach to managing SMS, such as workshops or providing comprehensive infrastructure and networks.