Bintulu picked for Petronas pilot project on plastic waste
BINTULU: Bintulu has been selected by Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) for a pilot project that focuses on the management and recycling of waste, as well as value creation from it, with a focus on those deriving from plastics.
According to Asean Bintulu Fertiliser (ABF) managing director and chief executive officer Lawai Jok, Bintulu is one of three locations chosen for the project: the others are Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, and Kemaman in Terengganu.
“For Bintulu, the focus is on plastic waste. Several other programmes are also being run, including those on environmental awareness in selected secondary schools, installation of plastic product manufacturing machines and recycling bins for the production of plastic products.
“A total of 100 participants from the selected communities will also undergo a series of workshops where they will be taught about the segregation of used waste and the creation of products from it.
“Such activities will, hopefully, help generate additional income for the local community,” he said when met during the Petronas’ ‘Gotong-Royong with Community’ programme at Kampung Baru multipurpose hall here yesterday.
Also joining the ‘gotongroyong’ were Jepak assemblyman Iskandar Turkee, Petronas Sarawak senior manager Norazibah M Rabu, as well as representatives from Bintulu Resident’s office, Bintulu district office and Bintulu Development Authority.
Lawai said under Petronas Chemical Group (PCG), Asean Bintulu Fertiliser was also involved in the ‘PCG Be Green’ recycling programme conducted in selected schools across this division.
“It aims to educate students and the local community, for them to become plastic consumers who are more responsible.”
On the ‘gotong-royong’ (work party), Lawai said it reflected the community’s commitment in supporting the conservation efforts, as could be seen by the involvement of 200 volunteers comprising local individuals and also Petronas staff members.
Run under the ‘Petronas Social Impact Pilot Project to Inculcate the Future’, he described it as an active social impact programme with three main thrusts: empowering knowledge under the core of education; driving life under the core of well-being and community development; and inculcating the future under the core of environment.
Adding on, Lawai said the social impact pilot project and strategic joint venture between Petronas and Yayasan Hijau Malaysia – an agency under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Nature Sustainability – meant to promote the efforts and practices of the cyclical economic model in waste management.
He said this project also involved Bintulu Development Authority (BDA) and Impactlution Sdn Bhd, and took the opportunity to thank them for their support and commitment.
He pointed out that last year, the programme recorded collections of 5,550kg of recycled items, signifying the efforts by all parties of sending waste to the collection centres.
“This will help the community to continuously obtain plastic resources and continue to generate income from recycled goods.
“I hope that volunteers will also actively participate in promoting and enhancing understanding of the elements of recycling and systematic management of solid waste,” he said.