F&N School Recycling Campaign Spreads Its Wings In Kuching
Kuching, Sarawak – Buoyed by the success of its maiden school recycling campaign in Kuching in 2017, Fraser & Neave Holdings Bhd (F&NHB) has expanded the existing initiative to reach out to primary and secondary schools in the whole of Kuching in ‘Pertandingan Kitar Semula Peringkat Sekolah di Bandaraya Kuching dan Kota Samarahan Tahun 2019’.
Aimed at educating schoolchildren as well as their teachers and parents on the importance of disposing waste properly through the 3R philosophy of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, the campaign will see F&NHB collaborate with the Ministry of Local Government & Housing Sarawak (MLGH) and the Natural Resources and Environment Board Sarawak (NREB) for the first time in the hopes of bolstering recycling efforts in Kuching.
The campaign is held from March 1 to August 30, 2019 in collaboration with four municipal councils, namely the Kuching North City Hall (DBKU), the Council of the City of Kuching South (MBKS), the Kota Samarahan Municipal Council (MPKS) and the Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) which will offer opportunities to more schools across Kuching and Kota Samarahan to participate in the initiative and learn about good recycling habits.
Speaking at the launch of ‘Pertandingan Kitar Semula Peringkat Sekolah di Bandaraya Kuching dan Kota Samarahan Tahun 2019’, Cariessa Goh, Corporate Affairs Manager of F&NHB expressed her utmost appreciation for the chance to work together with MLGH and NREB in bringing the idea of expanding the campaign to fruition which will enable the Group to engage with more schools and spread the recycling message to a wider audience.
“We are pleased and humbled by the support and cooperation given by MLGH and NREB as well as the four municipal councils in contributing each other’s knowledge and resources in making the campaign a success which will significantly help in fostering children’s love for the environment since an early age.
“We are all responsible for the state of the world that we live in. Hence, everyone should be well aware of measures that we can take to protect the environment. That is why it is extremely important to instil a sense of appreciation and respect for the environment in our children at a tender age so that they will grow up with the ability to recognise environmental issues and develop ideas to address them effectively,” she added.
Supported by the Sarawak State Education Department and Tetra Pak (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.. the six-month campaign has attracted 51 schools to-date and challenges them to collect the largest haul of recyclable items per student such as aluminium, plastics, paper, beverage cartons and e-waste to win cash prizes worth RM20,200.
In ‘Pertandingan Kitar Semula Peringkat Sekolah di Bandaraya Kuching dan Kota Samarahan Tahun 2019’, primary and secondary schools stand a chance to win the grand prize of RM1,400 each. Second-place winners in both categories will win RM1,300 each while schools that take third spot will receive RM1,200 each. Schools that take the fourth and fifth positions will each go home with RM1,100 and RM1,000 respectively. Meanwhile, sixth to 10th placements for both categories will walk away with a consolation prize of RM300 each.
The campaign also offers special awards for the most aluminium, plastics, beverage cartons and e-waste accumulated. Primary and secondary schools that collect the highest amount of aluminium, plastics and beverage cartons will each receive RM700. Schools in both categories that win the special award for the most e-waste collected will take home RM500 each.
“Children are the future leaders of tomorrow and have a crucial role to play in the decision-making process when they grow up. Good recycling habits that we try to embed in these kids for them to carry for the rest of their lives will empower them to become future stewards of our planet with the passion and dedication to make a difference in creating a healthier and more sustainable environment,” Goh added.
In 2017, F&NHB’s school recycling campaign made its foray into East Malaysia for the first time by collaborating with DBKU in ‘Kempen Kitar Semula F&N & DBKU’. The campaign was a success, attracting 21 schools (12 primary and nine secondary) under the jurisdiction of DBKU that managed to collect 20,291.2kg of recyclable materials. F&NHB will continue to explore collaborations with other municipal councils in Malaysia in line with its goal of educating the younger generation on the importance of environmental conservation and developing eco-warriors of the future.
For the total list of prizes, please refer to Appendix A.