Volunteers invited for International Coastal Clean-up Day
Reef Check Malaysia, together with Yinson Holdings Bhd as the main sponsor, and Coca-Cola as our strategic partner, is organizing a nationwide beach clean-up on September 21 in conjunction with the International Coastal Clean-up (ICC) Day. Several partners and friends, from individuals to companies, have already agreed to lead beach cleanups in their own area. This effort is part of our long battle against marine debris and plastic waste in Malaysia.
In previous years, RCM has conducted clean-ups and programmes in conjunction with ICC on Tioman and Mantanani Islands, but on a much smaller scale. Then in 2018, it organised two beach clean-up events, also in conjunction with the International Year of the Reef 2018. It conducted a small-scale beach clean-up in March, and a bigger one in September for the ICC 2018.
The clean-up in September involved numerous partners across all of Malaysia's states, and saw a huge volunteer turnout of 4,018 people in 84 locations. Some of our star-studded cast included Tengku Zatashah from Selangor, Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister Yeo Bee Yin, British High Commissioner Victoria Treadell, Reef Check Malaysia Ambassadors Baki Zainal and Wayne Thong Wai Yean and celebrities.
More than 7,500 kg of trash was removed during the clean-up, with the most common items being plastic bottles (30,248), cigarette butts (20,299) and plastic grocery bags (12,055).
These clean-up efforts are intended to raise awareness and bring attention to the problem of marine debris, specifically plastic waste, which represents a serious threat to marine ecosystems and human health.
RCM has been working and collaborating with several partners from industry, such as Coco-Cola, and government to find solutions to reduce trash on our beaches.
As part of its plastic waste campaign, RCM has held workshops with plastic manufacturers and suppliers, government, waste management companies and recycling companies, as well as plastic specialists Plasticity.
To continue its efforts this year, RCM will be initiating a recycling collection project in a pilot housing area to investigate the challenges to domestic separation at source in Kuala Lumpur and increase the rate of recycling.
On Pulau Mantanani in Sabah it has installed a machine to reprocess waste plastic, turning a waste stream into products for sale to tourists. And in Pulau Tioman it hopes to extend the successful recycling programme to new areas.
RCM is currently recruiting partners and volunteers across the country for the nationwide beach clean-up on September 21 (updated locations to be posted on our Facebook group).
If you want to commit to organizing a team of volunteers (friends, family, colleagues) for a few hours on that day, please email to cleanup@reefcheck.org.my.
Join RCM's Facebook group for this event (https://www.facebook. com/groups/msiamarinedebris/) to receive the latest updates regarding this event.