The initiative was called the MPMA-SCIENTEX Sustainability Project in Pulau Ketam and focused on a designated area in the village. The result was a massive 9,860 kg of waste cleared, comprising:
- 800 kg of recyclable waste (100 kg glass and 700 kg plastics waste)
- 2,300 kg driftwood
- 1,200 kg small branches and twigs
- 5,560 kg of other general waste including old fishing gear
MPMA is also helping to build longer-term solutions for the residents, by installing more cage-bins to hold recyclable waste and making customised four-wheel trolleys to transport the collected waste to the island’s recycling center.
The MPMA-Scientex project was focused on a designated area in one of Pulau Ketam’s small water villages. What brought the Sungai Satu water village to MPMA’s attention was the cleanup efforts of Chua Hock Boon, a former fisherman turned air-con technician, after he was featured in a short film entitled “Mr Garbage”.
Funding needed to support cleanup activities was provided by Scientex Berhad. The residents of Pulau Ketam themselves came out in droves to participate in the cleanup together with volunteers and hired workers.
Waste that could be recycled were sorted, cleaned and sent to a Recycling Centre on the island. Non-recyclable waste were transported out of Pulau Ketam to Port Klang by an appointed waste concessionaire to the Jeram Sanitary Landfill.
The Malaysian Nature Society will conduct ongoing education to maintain awareness on how to clean up and recycle on a consistent basis.
This year, MPMA has initiated beach cleanup activities in several locations across the country as part of The International Coastal Cleanup movement, a programme initiated by Ocean Conservancy, a non profit environmental advocacy group based in the United States.
