MIRI: The Miri City Council (MCC) is looking at various potential recycling activities, says Mayor Adam Yii.
“MCC is now planning to build a new integrated waste management complex or facility with recycling activities being designed and provided for,” he said on Monday (Oct 4) during a webinar on green Sarawak, waste management and insights into recycling processes.
Yii added that at the pyrolysis incinerator sites, if and when MCC installed them, recycling activities would also be designed and provided for.
“It is universally recognised that plastics are the worst possible waste generated these days.
“And they are increasing exponentially, the reason being that they are cheap and versatile to use.
“So much so that the modernity of a society can be indexed by the usage of plastics by the society.”
He said it was imperative to manage plastic waste else “it will destroy our Earth and pollute our ecosystem”.
“Now, one of the initiatives by MCC is recycling plastics as a road surfacing material in the form of polymer modified asphalt. This technology has been used in many places like India, and in Malaysia as well,” he explained.
Yii disclosed that MCC was working with two Sarawak companies in research and development on this polymer modified asphalt.
“….and MCC will put on trial the polymer modified asphalt once it is ready. It is hoped that through this commercial application, plastics can then be collected and recycled commercially.
“Within MCC, environmental protection, including recycling, is handled by the LA21, and now upgraded to SDG Unit under Green Community and Environment Standing Committee.
“SDG Unit has been organising Say No To Plastics Campaign on a regular basis in supermarkets and shopping malls.
“To encourage the supermarkets and shopping malls to use more environmentally friendly biodegradable plastic bags or the customers to use their own eco-friendly shopping bags.
“In addition, SDG has also been organising workshops and conducting talks in schools to educate our school children on environmental protection values.
“Apart from that, MCC is working closely with other private entities on recycling.
“Most prominent among them is the Tze Chi Foundation.”
Yii said MCC was working to provide the Tze Chi Foundation with a piece of land for its new administrative and recycling centre.
“We are also working with Miri Second Hand Dealers Association and other NGOs like Lions Club, JCI, in cleaning up the environment and recycling.”
Among those who attended the webinar were representatives from Central Malaya Paper Sdn Bhd; Bryant Hwong of Tzu Chi Foundation and Station Master of Tze Chi Lutong Recycling Centre; Student Advisor Moderator Dr Bridgid of Curtin University Student Moderator Stansfield, President of Institute of Chemical Engineering Student Chapter Curtin Malaysia.
