RESIDENTS at Taman Bunga Raya and its nearby areas in Butterworth can now recycle their rubbish easily with the setup of a recycling centre (segregation station) in the area.
The centre is located at Dewan MPKK Thamby Kecik at Taman Bunga Raya in Butterworth.
State Welfare and Environment Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh said the recycling station is an initiative under the Penang government through the Penang Green Council (PGC).
“The objective is to educate and raise awareness among the local community to protect the environment through recycling.
“Among the materials that can be sent here are paper, aluminium and plastic.
“Thus, I hope the local community can bring their selected waste to the recycling centre here instead of disposing all of it,” said Phee during the launching ceremony at Dewan MPKK Thamby Kecik at Taman Bunga Raya in Butterworth today.
Also present was PGC general manager Josephine Tan.
According to Phee, Penang has many recycling stations but not many people know the locations.
“Some are under the state government and some are under the non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
“So, I have instructed PGC to come out with an app to list down all the recycling stations in the state.
“With this, it will be easier for the public to search and know the nearest recycling station to their house and thus, encourage them to recycle their waste.
“At the same time, I also would like to encourage each elected representative to set up more recycling centres at their constituencies,” he added.
Tan said the recycling station not only served as a hub for local communities to drop off their recyclable items but it is also served as a platform for people to meet, enjoy and share experiences, ideas and knowledge about a greener environment.
She added that PGC also plans to organise workshops and training programmes to educate the local community about waste management.
“PGC and other stakeholders will provide support to the MPKK (Village Community Management Council) in the form of education and awareness, publicity materials, and advice to scale and improve on the ground operations.
“Through such programme, the local communities will also be encouraged to give inputs and participate in decision-making processes.
“This method presents a great opportunity that allows communication between government agencies and the general public and closes the reality gaps on expectation clarity with continued engagements.
“Apart from reducing environmental impacts, such programme would also embed community volunteerism in driving inclusive community participation,” she said.
Story by Riadz Akmal
Pix by Noor Siti Nabilah Noorazis