The scene during the 3R Recycling Programme at Swan Square on April 21.
SIBU (May 9): The monthly 3R Recycling Programme initiated by a group of volunteers here has collected about 360,000kg of recyclable items since it started just over two years ago.
Volunteer Loh Yu Yee, who initiated the programme, said the amount was collected from Sibu town, Dalat and Daro.
“Out of the figures, we collected 49,805kg of recyclable items from Dalat and 28,000kg from Daro, while the rest were from Sibu.
“These figures come from the items we can weigh such as plastics, cooking oil, papers and so forth. It did not include items like television, computers, washing machines and refrigerators we collected,” she told The Borneo Post when contacted yesterday.
According to Loh, her group of volunteers started the programme in Sibu since March 2022 before extending it to Dalat in December the same year and Daro in March 2023.
“We do a monthly programme for Sibu but due to logistic issues, we can only run it every two months for Dalat and Daro,” she said.
Loh said unlike other organisations, their aim is to educate the people, which is why she came up with a report card for every participant.
“The report card is to encourage participants to practise recycling every month. In addition to using it to record, they can also redeem something every half year through the report card.
“Our purpose is for them to develop a habit of recycling. We believe that by engaging in these kinds of activities, we are able to educate them more effectively.”
Loh added that the programme not only encourages people to recycle but also to collaborate with different organisations.
“For example, we collaborated with a company, a church and a school during the 3R Recycling Programme on April 21 at Swan Square.
“We had a total 137 volunteers from these organisations during the last programme and had companies sponsoring some refreshments and ice cream. It was fun for everyone.
“We welcome more companies to collaborate with us to help reduce waste in Sibu. This would also be a good corporate social responsibility programme for them,” she said.
The next 3R Recycling Programme will be held in Dalat on May 12, May 19 in Sibu, and May 26 in Daro.