Encouraging Recycling

http://www.thestar.com.my/Metro/Community/2015/10/12/Encouraging-recycling-Better-education-is-key-to-changing-the-publics-mindset-on-separating-their-ga/

Since childhood we have been disclosed about the concept of Reuse, Reduce and Recycle by telivision and schoolteachers.

But for the most part, the cause and effects of indiscriminate waste dumping seems largely unheeded in our day-to-day practices, leading to a rise in dengue cases and pests.

Statistics provided by Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association (MPMA) show that in Malaysia, approximately 90% of waste were going to landfills while recycling rate is less than 10%.Compared to Singapore’s 1% landfill, 51% incineration and a total solid waste (excluding construction waste) recycling rate of 48%.Many other Asian countries, including Taiwan and Hong Kong, have recycling rates that either touch or far exceed the 50% mark.

In fact of that, IPC Shopping Centre has been diligently carrying out its own recycling efforts since June 2009, involving all 180 of its tenants in the process and encouraging visitors to do the same through the Recycling and Buy-Back Centre.The centre acts as a collection and waste segregation point, offering buy-back prices at a minimum of 1kg for six commonly found household and retail business recyclable items.These include cardboards, newspapers, magazines, plastic, aluminium as well as metal, and at the same time providing proper handling in the disposal of used batteries, light bulbs and compact fluorescent lights.

The top three buy-back items sent in by the public are magazines, with an average monthly volume of 1,800kg, newspapers (1,500kg) and plastics (250kg).Centre marketing manager Karyn Lim said everything began with IPC’s thought on how to better incorporate sustainable operations at the mall in managing the waste generated by the many tenants.“The buy-back centre operates at its own cost with any revenue received, reinvested into the centre to improve our recycling services and other sustainability efforts.

“We also use it for handling fees of certified specialist subcontractors who know how to recycle specific materials using bulb-eater machine, which crushes the bulbs, coated with neutralising chemicals then sealed in cement.

“These are then passed over to Kualiti Alam Sdn Bhd to be placed in a certified landfill,” she said.Centre manager Joakim Hogsander revealed that tenants generated 76 tonnes of wet or organic waste and 38 tonnes dry waste monthly.

“There is a machine to segregate metal and chemical waste but our people have to manually separate paper, plastic and glass.

“We are appealing to the tenants’ green side and their economic sensibility so we have to show people the benefits.

“I believe that it’s not just in Malaysia now, but the world has to see how we can start to recycle everything, and it is the producers and consumers who decide that,” he said.With 176 bright yellow collection bins scattered around the Klang Valley, Community Recycle for Charity (CRC) compiles then separates anywhere from 100 to 150 tonnes of recyclables a month.

As volunteers scour cities and towns daily to collect from at least 30 to 40 bins, their job is but halfway done.

The centre separates waste according to the traditional paper, plastic and glass, as well as electronic items.

The electronics are sent to specialists to disassemble for their profitable parts, with any revenue received from the specialists used to benefit homes for the underprivileged.

CRC founder Datuk Joe Chong, 31, started the organisation in April 2009 with a primary focus on educating the public about recycling, besides charity work.

“About 15% of the items we collect are bulk waste, with a disposal rate of about 30% of waste that cannot be reused.

“Items that can be reused such as furniture are given to charity homes upon request but a lot of things collected are not reusable.

“We are working with local authorities for a special dumpsite to properly dispose of unsalvageable rubbish.

“I think the trouble is that a lot of people have the heart to donate, but don’t know what items are recyclable or what charities need and can use.

“About 60 to 70 tonnes of the recyclables we collect are clothes, way too much for welfare homes to use so we can only give these away to be reused as cloth for cleaning,” Chong noted.

To-date, CRC has assisted approximately 100 or more homes in this way on a rotational basis.

“We also have a pick-up service for bulk items that still work, so they can be sent to homes in need,” he said.To Chong, goodwill is paramount, believing in the generosity of people and cultivating a willing nature rather than enforcement in the separation of waste.

He also urged the Government to involve NGOs more in their efforts to instill greater practice of recycling.But an issue that constantly crops up – one that all three organisations agree upon – is the need for education in terms of waste segregation for our society to evolve a First World mindset.While there are many campaigns highlighting dengue, pest problem and littering in cities, it takes individuals moving in a conscientious direction, one little step at a time, for a successful outcome.