Students Gain An Early Start To Recycling

Posted on 21st December 2018 Print

Ampang Jaya – Students from 16 primary and secondary schools in Ampang Jaya learned the ins and outs of recycling, and how they have the power to enact change by becoming more environmentally conscious and responsible when they participated in Kempen Kitar Semula F&N & MPAJ 2018 from April to October 2018.

Co-organised for the first time by Fraser & Neave Holdings Bhd (F&NHB) and the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ), the seven-month campaign successfully collected 29,357.1kg of recyclables, thanks to the hard work and dedication of the students from the participating schools under the guidance of their teachers.

Supported by Tetra Pak (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd, Kempen Kitar Semula F&N & MPAJ 2018 saw the participation of 10 primary schools and six secondary schools under the purview of MPAJ, battling it out to collect the biggest haul of recyclable items per student as they vied for RM10,200 in prize money.

Through the campaign, students gained the relevant knowledge and skills on what makes certain wastes recyclable while some items need to be thrown into the rubbish bin, based on the 4R philosophy (Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle). The organisers took the opportunity to brief the schools on the correct way of sorting through their rubbish during the campaign period which enabled the students to incorporate good recycling habits in their daily lives and share the knowledge with their parents when they go home.

Cariessa Goh, Corporate Affairs Manager of F&NHB said that the school recycling campaign provided a platform for the students to learn about playing an important role in contributing to a clean and green environment while raising awareness about the importance of recycling and encouraging their family and friends to apply the habit into their daily routine.

“We are extremely proud and pleased with the students’ achievements in our first ever initiative with the schools in Ampang Jaya. We are also thankful to the teachers for their effort and commitment in guiding and enthusing the students to be actively involved in recycling at school and at home.

“The impressive collection shows the students’ great interest in recycling which can help reduce the amount of rubbish in Ampang Jaya and ensure a greener and more sustainable environment for the future generation. We strongly believe in giving children an early start to recycling so that they will continue to practise the good habit as they grow older and hopefully, they will strive to become the next generation of eco-warriors who are passionate about creating positive contributions towards environmental preservation,” Goh added.

Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Dato’ Ahmad Razali won first place for the secondary school category with the highest average collection of recyclables per student and took home a cash prize of RM1,000. Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tasik Permai took second spot and received a cash prize of RM800 while Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Taman Melawati placed third, bringing home a cash prize of RM600.

Puan Nazihah Idris who is an advisor of ‘Squad 3R’ from Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Dato’ Ahmad Razali was very proud of her students’ accomplishment as they were willing to sacrifice their time and energy to ensure the school’s success in the campaign.

“These students were the backbone of our participation in the recycling campaign. They were the ones who would ensure that the recyclable items were separated accordingly and were proactive in reminding their friends to bring recyclables from home. Their hard work and commitment set a really good example to other students and I hope their peers will be inspired to continue incorporating good recycling habits on a daily basis,” she said.

Meanwhile, Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil Taman Melawati was crowned champion of the primary school category, taking home a cash prize of RM1,000. Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan Tasik Permai clinched second place and won RM800 while third spot went to Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan Cheras Indah, receiving a cash prize of RM600.

Mr. Yaesodan Chettty s/o Subramaniam who is a Bahasa Melayu teacher from Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil Taman Melawati said that his students’ determination and perseverance contributed to the school’s triumph in the campaign.

“Although the recycling campaign has ended, my students are still excited and driven to keep the recycling momentum going. They still continue with the routine as if they were still competing in the campaign. I am really happy and proud of their discipline and positive attitude. The students are now enthusiastic about participating in next year’s campaign,” he added.

Besides that, three special awards were rewarded to the schools with the highest accumulated aluminium, plastics and beverage cartons. Winners of the special awards went home with a cash prize of RM700 each. Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Taman Melawati clinched a personal treble after winning all of the three special awards in the secondary school category and became RM2,100 richer.

Meanwhile, Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina Kg Baru Ampang won two special awards in Kempen Kitar Semula F&N & MPAJ 2018 after collecting the highest collection of aluminium and plastic materials in the primary school category. Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan Taman Melawati won the final special award in the primary school category after accumulating the largest amount of beverage cartons.

Deputy Yang DiPertua of MPAJ, Tuan Haji Hasrolnizam bin Shaari who was present at the closing and prize giving ceremony of Kempen Kitar Semula F&N & MPAJ 2018, commended the maiden school recycling campaign between F&NHB and the Council as it encouraged the students to turn recycling into a lifestyle instead of an assignment or a chore.

“Approximately 40 per cent of the residents under the jurisdiction of MPAJ are students which is equivalent to about 800,000 people. Making these students take responsibility of their daily habits at a young age teaches them to value the environment in the long run and not just merely recycle to win competitions and prizes. The younger generation’s small acts can go a long way and help MPAJ achieves its ‘Low Carbon City 2017-2030’ goal which contributes to the city’s overall sustainable development objective,” said Tuan Haji Hasrolnizam.

For the complete list of winners, please refer to Appendix A.