A city-wide recycling initiative in Johor, lasting four months, resulted in the gathering of over 107,200kg of glass bottles from 60 primary schools.
The corporate general manager of SWM Environment, Mohd Norlisam Mohd Nordin, stated that the collection initiative, implemented via its Kitarecycle reward system, exceeded the initial target by more than three times.
He mentioned the “Cabaran Kaca Pun Boleh” initiative, conducted in partnership with Yayasan Johor Corporation (JCorp), has been ongoing since July.
“The original goal was 30,000kg of bottles, but the schools succeeded in gathering a total of 107,202kg,” he stated in a release.
Mohd Norlisam mentioned that the impressive outcomes demonstrated the dedication of students, educators, parents, and local communities.
“Due to this joint initiative, the gathered glass bottles remained within the economic system rather than being sent to waste locations,” he stated.
By redirecting thousands of bottles away from landfills, this contributed to cutting down approximately 306,592kg of carbon dioxide emissions from glass manufacturing plants.
Mohd Norlisam mentioned that SJK(C) Chung Hwa in Pontian once again took the lead in the glass bottle recycling collection category, collecting over 26,000kg and winning a reward of RM2,000.
SJK(C) Ping Ming located in Kluang and SJK(C) Foon Yew 5 in Johor Baru secured the second and third positions, respectively, with prize money of RM1,500 and RM1,300.
“SK Parit Kudus in Pontian and SK Seri Mendapat in Batu Pahat were also among the top contributors,” he added.
SK Seri Bulan located in Batu Pahat secured the top position in the Best Glass Bottle Recycling Corner category, earning a cash prize of RM1,000.
SJK(C) Foon Yew 5 located in Pasir Gudang secured the Creative Glass Bottle Video category and was awarded RM1,000.
Mohd Norlisam mentioned that additional prizes were also introduced to honor exceptional efforts from educational institutions like SK Parit Kudus in Pontian.
It was called the Sustainable Aspirations School and was awarded RM2,000 for its comprehensive approach that included students and the local community.
Teacher Mohamad Azizi Ilias, from SK Datuk Usman Awang in Kota Tinggi, received the ‘Sustainability Champion Teacher’ special award from Dr Aslinda Salikin, director of the Health Department of Johor Baru City Council (MBPJ), during the conclusion of the campaign.
Also in attendance at the event were Mohd Dom Dui, senior assistant director (Science and Mathematics) from the Johor Education Department, Datuk Yahya Jaafar, focal person of the National and Johor Parent, Community and Private Sector Engagement Group, and Zaidatul Zurita Abdul Rahman, chief executive officer of Yayasan JCorp.
Mohd Norlisam mentioned that the event, which provided over RM30,000 in rewards, was also backed by business partners as part of their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) programs.
He mentioned that the initiative supported initiatives like the Iskandar Malaysia Ecolife Challenge by enhancing students’ comprehension of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics via practical environmental projects.
“This corresponds with Johor’s objective of cultivating a generation that is conscious of sustainability, well-informed about the environment, and able to support the state’s long-term development targets,” he stated.