Bakrie (fifth left), Goh (second right) and officials from JPS and the local authorities PBTs doing a symbolic gesture on recycling. — Photo by Chimon Upon
KUCHING: Last year, about 170,475 tonnes of solid wastes from Kuching areas (DBKU, MBKS and MPP) were disposed of at the Kuching Integrated Waste Management Park, in Mambong, said Ministry of Local Government and Housing permanent secretary Bakrie Zaini.
Bakrie said the level 4 sanitary landfill is one of the best because it is a facility that is complete with a leachate treatment plant and incinerator.
“The level 4 sanitary landfill will give a minimal impact on the environment compared to level 1, 2 and 3.
“For your kind information, with Sarawak’s population at around 2.8 million, the waste disposal per capita is about 0.75 and 0.14 kg/capita/daily,” he said.
Therefore, Bakrie said, the ministry is very committed to encouraging every local authority, Kuching South City Council (MBKS), Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) and Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) to carry out activities related to the reduction of solid wastes.
“Among the methods suggested to lessen solid wastes in the community development programme is composting. Composting is an organic material decaying process for food leftovers and waste from the home to be processed into humus.
“The composting process is through a natural way to recycle organic waste to become soil which can be used to plant vegetables, fruits and other food items.
“The composting methods that are being used are Takakura, Kitchen Waste Enzyme and Bokashi methods,” he said at the launch of the school-level recycling competition for Kuching City and Kota Samarahan
at the State Library here yesterday.
A total of 51 schools from Kuching and Kota Samarahan are participating in the competition under the F&N Recycling Campaign for a period of six months, which started yesterday, to foster good recycling habits and love for the environment.
To increase the recycling rate, he said the ministry is encouraging the organising of recycling activities for all communities.
Meanwhile, the recycling competition is one of the ministry’s efforts to create awareness of the importance of recycling among the people.
“Recycling activities can lessen waste, save the usage of raw material, lessen the usage of energy, lessen air and water pollution and avoid greenhouse gas emissions,” he said.
The first-time ever initiative by Fraser & Neave Holdings Bhd (F&NHB) to reach out to primary and secondary schools in these two places is undertaken in collaboration with the Sarawak Ministry of Local Government and Housing, Sarawak Natural Resources and Environment Board, Education Department as well as four municipal councils.
Buoyed by the success of its maiden school recycling campaign here in 2017, F&NHB has expanded the initiative to reach out to primary and secondary schools in Kuching and Kota Samarahan this year.