Story by Amanda Khong
PENANG Green Council has developed a mobile application called Trash2Treasure in efforts to move towards a zero waste society.
Since Sept 1, the federal government has implemented the mandatory waste segregation at source in six states and two Federal Territories but due to lack of publicity and information on the new policy, many people are still unaware of the mechanism.
The state government will ensure that the people are well-informed and embrace the waste segregation at source policy in June 2016.
“In our quest to make Penang the first green state of Malaysia, Penang is the first to ban free plastic bags at shopping centres, ban polystyrene food containers and achieve the highest recycling rate of 32% in 2014. Penang is hoping to achieve the international standard of 40% recycling rate by 2020.” said Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng who was at the press conference for the “Trash2Treasure Mobile Application Launching” on Sept 22.
Penang residents can find locations of recycling centres with ease through this new mobile app. They can also find new owners or buyers for used items through a core function “Trade In Your Ex”.
Penang solely relies on private initiatives to divert waste from the only landfill in the state in Pulau Burung.
The mobile app is available to download from Google Play Store and Apple App Store.}