KUCHING, Oct 26: The community solid waste segregation and recycling pilot project, launched by the Commission of the City of Kuching North (DBKU) and Trienekens Sarawak Sdn Bhd in Kampung Tunku and Kampung Malaysia Jaya, will be extended for another year after yielding encouraging results as it nears the end of its first phase implementation.
According to a press release issued by DBKU, the one-year project is part of DBKU’s long-term plan to introduce a dedicated single-stream recycling collection system in areas under its jurisdiction while promoting waste minimisation and sustainable living among city folks, further boosting the recycling rate in Kuching City.
“Since its introduction, residents from the two areas have been consistently separating their waste at home and putting them into recycling bins,” DBKU mayor Datu Junaidi Reduan said.
Junaidi went on to say that approximately 12,500kg of recyclables have been collected to date, with a current participation rate of approximately 33 per cent.
He added that it is a good indication, and the residents’ commitment has been exemplary.
“I must commend them for being active and supportive of the project. We would like to encourage them to keep up the good practices.
“Given the encouraging results and positive feedback from the residents, we have decided to extend the project for another year starting November,” he noted.
Aside from the twice-a-month collection, the pilot project also included community engagement activities that helped promote environmental awareness, best recycling practices, and sustainable living among the residents.
The past year witnessed regular discussions and reviews on the project’s progress that were jointly conducted between the Council, Trienekens, and the residents’ representatives to ensure successful operation of the project.
Trienekens group chief executive officer (CEO) Stephen Chin, agreed that community participation is crucial in ensuring the successful implementation of such projects.
“This project has been well-received by the target community, leading to smooth operations of the collection services.
“The residents wheeled out their bins on the scheduled collection days and complied with the recycling guide prepared by our team,” Chin stated.
The recycling collection is an additional but separate service from the normal household waste collection, which is still done twice-weekly following the areas’ normal schedule.
At the start of the project, residents were provided with a second bin for the collection of used plastic, paper, aluminium, cardboard, and other recyclables.
An awareness video and leaflets on recycling guides were also distributed to help the residents identify and separate their waste properly. — DayakDaily
