By Ashley Sim
KUCHING, Sept 11: Kuching South City Council (MBKS) mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng urges everyone to play their part in protecting the planet and refraining from producing additional waste, including electrical and electronic waste (e-waste).
“There is so much that the government can do, but the public must cooperate fully. So coincidentally, while we’re doing all of these buybacks, recycling, etc. initiatives, I believe we should also be able to reduce the amount of waste we produce.
“Because the accumulation of waste is also a cause for concern, as I believe protecting this planet is everyone’s responsibility, for this generation and the next,” Wee said today when met by reporters at the Mayor Song Swee Guan Park (formerly Tabuan Jaya Recreational Park) following the launch of the MBKS Electrical and Electronic Waste Collection (BEE) campaign in Tabuan Jaya here.
To protect the Earth, he advised against indulging in technology to reduce e-waste.
In addition, he stated that the campaign served as a reminder to the community of their responsibility to protect the environment.
“This is not only a campaign but also an effort to inform the public that the government has been doing its part.
“We hope that the people play their part as well. Because, as I previously stated, this city is not just the council’s, but also your city, our city, and everyone’s city. Therefore, everyone has a responsibility to protect the planet,” he added.
Meanwhile, Wee asserted in his speech today that e-waste management is a concern not only because of the tremendous increase in quantity but also because of its increasing complexity.
“E-waste contains many toxic ingredients such as lead, beryllium, mercury, cadmium, and brominated flame retardants.
“These are highly hazardous substances that pose occupational and environmental health threats.
“E-waste can also be another source of raw material if it can be efficiently recovered through environmentally sound manners,” he explained.
Furthermore, the MBKS mayor highlighted that recycling e-waste reduces greenhouse gases because less energy is used than primary mining.
“In this regard, there is a need to develop the capacity to manage recovery efforts sustainably.
“Technologies are evolving rapidly regarding products, waste streams, and recovery processes.
“We also need to develop schemes on the collection and segregation of e-waste, including take-back schemes, the initiation of pilot repair, refurbishment, and recycling schemes,” he pointed out.
Wee was pleased that the Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB), Department of Environment (DOE), and local authorities such as MBKS have implemented the BEE campaign in Sarawak.
“Such programmes encourage the public to dispose of electrical and electronic waste at home and motivate the community to be involved in waste recycling programmes.
“The community must ensure that the recycling programs have been carried out at their homes, workplaces, and surroundings.
“I urge the private sectors, community associations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and all Kuchingites to seize this opportunity to promote urgent and lasting action,” he remarked.
He continued that the world cannot wait another ten or twenty years for theoretical debates and political negotiations.
“Wherever else divides us, humanity shares a single planet. So let us work together to truly make Kuching ‘Green’ with an ecological footprint that is sustainable for all our future generations.
“I would like to once again express my gratitude and congratulations to the Ministry of Public Health, Housing, and Local Government (MPHLG), NREB, DOE, Trienekens, as well as DBKU and MBKS for the untiring efforts in promoting environmental stewardship in Kuching,” the MBKS mayor added. — DayakDaily
