KUCHING: Sarawakians are urged to come together to jointly tackle climate change and make Sarawak part of the global solution for world environmental sustainability.
Director of ZHA Environmental Sdn Bhd Bernard Yong made the call during World Environment Day celebration at Mydin Tunku Vista yesterday.
ZHA is the largest used tyre waste management company in Sarawak and is licensed by the Sarawak government to undertake used tyre waste management programme throughout the state.
“So far, we have collected and recycled 8 million pieces of used tyres in Sarawak to date, roughly more than 1 million pieces a year, to prevent them from polluting the environment.
“Studies have shown that a slight drop of one psi (pound per square inch) in tyre pressure will not only wear out our tyres but also causing fuel inefficiency resulting in an extra 37kg of carbon dioxide (CO2) emission per vehicle every year.
“With nearly two million vehicles in Sarawak, that would mean an extra emission of 74,000 metric tons of CO2 per year which will require more than 3 million trees to absorb,” he explained.
He said their message for World Environment Day 2022 is that a simple act by everyone to ensure proper tyre pressure can help to greatly reduce CO2 emission and at the same time prolong the lifespan of their tyres.
“I am pretty sure that everyone is able to feel that the weather is getting warmer and warmer every year to the point that it is getting more and more unbearable but when it rains, flash floods happen straight after which show that we are experiencing extreme climate change.
“This is why we should all come together to play our roles in safeguarding our environment by just checking the air pressure of our tyres from time to time, prolonging the lifespan of our tyres and cut down carbon dioxide emission,” he added.
He said ZHA was conducting research and development on innovative technology whereby recycled rubbers and tyres could be used to construct longer lasting roads.
“It is more sustainable, needs less frequency and less consumption of resources to repair the roads,” he said.
