Students Turn Recycled Items into Art

As part of its commitment to encourage schoolchildren nationwide to play more active roles in protecting the environment, Fraser & Neave Holdings Bhd (F&NHB) co-organised the first ever F&N “Recycle For A Life Cycle” poster design competition with the Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP), in conjunction with the fourth edition of Kempen Kitar Semula F&N & MBSP earlier this year.

Supported by Tetra Pak (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., the Penang State Education Department, KPT Recycle Sdn. Bhd. and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the F&N “Recycle For A Life Cycle” poster design competition inspired primary and secondary school students across the Seberang Perai district to go green and be more environmentally aware in a more imaginative and fun way, based on the 5R philosophy of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rethink and Reinvent.

A prize giving ceremony was recently held at the winning schools in the primary and secondary school categories to award and acknowledge the students for their hard work, effort and commitment in making the F&N “Recycle For A Life Cycle” poster design competition a success.

According to Cariessa Goh, Corporate Affairs Manager of F&NHB, the Group managed to bring out the fun in recycling and made the students realise that protecting the environment can also be an exciting and creative activity that they can do with their friends and families.

“We are extremely thankful and proud of the hard-earned effort the schools have put into winning the poster design competition. We are always trying to find new ways to make recycling more appealing to the children, and each time we are greatly surprised by how enthusiastic and eager they are to participate in the activities. This proves that the students are already eco-warriors at heart who are passionate about conserving the environment.

She said that the F&N “Recycle For A Life Cycle” poster design competition demonstrated how F&NHB and MBSP can work well together in their efforts to reach the common goal of creating a more sustainable world for the future generation.

“We would like to express our sincere appreciation to MBSP for their cooperation and dedication in ensuring that the initiative ran smoothly and efficiently. We look forward to many future collaborations together to transform this world into a greener and healthier place to live in for all,” Goh added.

SJK(C) Pai Teik was crowned the champion of the primary school category in the poster design competition and won a unique set of recycling bins made from recycled beverage cartons which will be placed at the school grounds for the students and school staffs to utilise.

“The kids thoroughly enjoyed the entire process of designing and creating the poster. Although they already had a draft in mind, they faced a few obstacles during the competition. They did not have enough time to complete their poster, so they improvised and changed the design. I believe the competition challenged the students to push themselves beyond their limits and they finally succeeded in overcoming the difficulties to come out on top,” said Ooi Chai Shia, an Arts and Mathematics teacher at SJK(C) Pai Teik.

Meanwhile, SMK Valdor clinched first place in the secondary school category and also took home the exclusive set of recycling bins created from recycled beverage cartons.

“The students were beyond ecstatic when they were announced the winners of the secondary school category. We did not expect the win at all and as their teacher, I am truly proud of them. Prior to the competition, the students would gather after school with their Arts teacher to discuss ideas to design their poster and figure out the most efficient way to complete it within the allocated time,” said Tay Shieh Lee, a science teacher and head of the recycling club at SMK Valdor.

“The students’ teamwork was flawless and they were fully focused on their own work that they were unfazed by what the other teams were doing. I hope the win will motivate them to further explore their creativity to create beautiful art projects using recycled materials,” she added.

Due to COVID-19 and the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO) this year, the winning prize of a trip to Petaling Jaya for a study tour of the PJ Eco Recycling Plaza was cancelled. Hence, F&NHB and Tetra Pak (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. partnered with MBSP to reward the winning schools each with a set of beautiful recycling bins made from recycled beverage cartons. The prize inspires the children to get excited about recycling and to feel proud of their achievements in contributing to their schools’ recycling effort through their win in the Recycle For A Life Cycle poster competition.

The Recycle For A Life Cycle poster design competition has received positive feedback from MBSP and participating schools as its unique concept has brought a breath of fresh air to all the children who had been working hard at designing posters to communicate their efforts. Following the overwhelming response, F&NHB hopes to continue organising the competition with its partners in hopes of motivating the schools to work harder and vie for the National Title.