MPMA-DOW-SCIENTEX SEES INCREASED WASTE MANAGEMENT AWARENESS IN MELAKA YOUTH
Photo 1: At the Closing Ceremony for the MPMA-DOW-Scientex School Environment Programme 2019.(front row 3rd from left) Dow representative, Mr Yeoh Lian Kuan, Sales Manager, South East Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Infrastructure, Consumer and Transportation, Packaging and Specialty Plastics; (front row 7th from left) Mr. Yau Kuan Yee, Executive Director, Scientex Berhad; (front row 8th from left) MPMA Vice President, Dato’ Raymond Sng
Photo 2: Champion for Primary School SK Bukit Beringin receiving their award from Mr. Yau Kuan Yee, Executive Director, Scientex Berhad . Looking on are from left Dow representative, Mr Yeoh Lian Kuan, Sales Manager, South East Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Infrastructure, Consumer and Transportation, Packaging and Specialty Plastics and MPMA Vice President, Dato’ Raymond Sng.
Photo 3: Champion for Secondary Schools, SMK Naning.
MELAKA, 5 November 2019: The collaborative School Environmental Challenge, organized by The Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association (MPMA) with support from Dow Chemical Company and Scientex Berhad, increased the number of participating schools by more than five times since its launch in 2016, signifying a major shift in awareness on the issue of waste management amongst its participating youth.
The programme came to a close with today’s awards ceremony to celebrate the fourth consecutive School Environmental Challenge, awarding 34 schools in Alor Gajah, Melaka Tengah and Jasin, Melaka.
The Zero Waste Challenge, which is part of the overall programme, is designed to encourage students to re-think their relationship with waste.
The Zero Waste Challenge has three elements – an education and awareness component; a #PullingOurWeight clean-up component; and a recyclables collection component. The elements are intended to guide students to understand the benefits of plastics, to address environmental issues related to plastics, and to take actions to manage plastics – through waste separation for recycling.
MPMA Vice President, Dato’ Raymond Sng said, “The underlying principle behind the elements of the Zero Waste Challenge is that only by understanding and practising these elements, can we help reduce waste going to landfills and reduce littering to help prevent plastics from ending up in the environment.”
Dr. Zhang Han, APAC Sustainability Director, Packaging & Specialty Plastics, The Dow Chemical Company said, “We participated in the programme with MPMA in Melaka in 2016 with six schools and just over 500 students. Today, we have five times more schools and a 100-fold increase in the students’ participation rate. We can truly see the impact of students making a conscious effort to clean the environment and practice the 3Rs – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.”
Mr Yau Kuan Yee, Executive Director, Scientex Berhad added, ‘MPMA and Scientex has a history of school environmental collaborations in Johor, Melaka and Klang Valley. We are proud to return to Melaka with Dow this year. Protecting the environment is everybody’s responsibility and we hope that students continue to practise what they have learnt from the Zero Waste Challenge.’
The MPMA-DOW-Scientex programme kicked-off with a briefing on 24 July 2019 entitled “Why Plastics” that hosted 219 teachers from 217 school in Melaka. The briefing provided science-based information on waste management, focusing primarily on plastics and its impact on the environment. The Zero Waste Challenge was promoted at the briefing, and selected schools signed up to participate in the competition.
The competition required students to undertake; i. An education and awareness talk on plastics waste management; ii. Organise a dedicated day for #PullingOurWeight cleanup activity; and iii. Undertake a campaign on plastics waste management by collecting recyclables.
This year, MPMA expanded the programme module to be more forward-looking which emphasised plastics recycling as a core component of an effective waste management and circular economy. This is in line with its recent white paper titled “An Advanced Plastics Recycling Industry for Malaysia.”
“The basic concepts of circular economy, including the importance of plastics waste management and how recycling plays a key role in our economy are key values that will help preserve the environment for future generations,” Sng added.
SK Bukit Beringin from Alor Gajah won the “Zero Waste Challenge in the Primary School Category” and took home RM5,000. SK Air Baru from Jasin won RM4,000 for second place, while SJKC Notre Dame from Melaka Tengah won RM3,000 for third place.
SMK Naning from Alor Gajah won the “Zero Waste Challenge in the Secondary School Category” and took home RM5,000, SMK Tun Tuah from Melaka Tengah won RM4,000 for second place, while SMK Seri Mahkota from Jasin won RM3,000 for third place.