WHAT started off as recycling project to “Save Mother Earth” among 3,800 students in five schools in the Melawati area is expected to be extended to other schools in the Hulu Kelang and Ampang area.
Initiated by the Rotary Club of Melawati, the recycling project will reach out to about 20,000 in more than 20 schools in both the districts before the end of this year.
The coordinator for the project and president elect of the Rotary Club of Melawati Sudhaharan Nair said the objective was to encourage schoolchildren to make a positive contribution to life at school, community and the environment.
“By actively participating in the recycling project in their respective schools, it creates an opportunity for the students to get a real life learning experience on how to get the project started, be fully involved and make it their lifestyle.
“By collecting and selling recyclable items like plastic bottles, newspaper, aluminium cans, glass bottles and cardboards, the schools can generate income for their activities. Save Mother Earth literature was also distributed to the pupils and teachers.
“The club has arranged for the recyclable items collected by the schools to be purchased by Alam Flora and the funds collected can be utilised by the schools to fund students’ activities.
“The environmental benefits are that we are able to conserve valuable resources and save energy by converting used materials into new products, reducing the need to consume natural resources and protect the natural habitat,” he added.
The schools involved in the project initially were SK Taman Melawati 2, SMK Wangsa Melawati, SK Wangsa Melawati, SRK (Tamil) Taman Melawati and SK Klang Gates.
Sudhaharan said the students in these schools were shown how recycling helped in protecting the environment by reducing the need for extraction and refining and processing raw materials, all of which created substantial air and water pollution.
“What’s more important is that recycling reduced the amount of rubbish sent to landfills, thus reducing the need for more land to be converted into landfill sites.
“We also gave talks on how recycling helped in resolving climate change by cutting down methane emitted by the rotting of biodegradable materials under pressure in landfill sites and also reduced carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.”
Each school was provided with recycling bins and bunting carrying the recycling message, the cost of which was borne by the Rotary Club of Melawati and CIMB Foundation grant.
He added that the project had raised awareness on recycling among schoolchildren, teachers and staff.
“As a community based Rotary Club, our service projects are aimed at benefitting the people in our neighbourhood.”
From research, Sudhaharan said Malaysia produced about 19,000 tonnes of waste every day, and a majority of it was sent to landfills.
“The production of waste is expected to increase to 30,000 tonnes by 2020. Currently only 5% of the waste are being recycled.
“Malaysia has 230 landfills and 80% of them will reach capacity within the next two years and there is soon going to be big problem securing land for landfills,” he said.he said.
As a result, Sudhaharan said there was a serious need to raise awareness among the community on the importance of keeping the environment clean and the benefits of recycling things around the house, at work and at school.
A representative from Alam Flora also gave a talk on the importance of recycling to the students and teachers of the participating schools during the school assembly.
The club intends to progressively implement the project in all the other schools in the Ulu Klang area. The Rotary Club’s project partner is Alam Flora Sdn Bhd.
March 14, 2011