Young influencers on waste disposal

Parimala Nesamany (left) and nephews Eshwar (right) and Sydhart sorting out recycling items they have gathered over the week. — LOW LAY PHON/The Star

A lot of emphasis has been placed on making behaviour changes in terms of waste management in recent years.

The “no plastic bag” and “no plastic straw” policies in some states have been among measures taken to encourage the public to be more aware of their waste generation and disposal behaviour.

In Petaling Jaya, a group of 17 children aged between seven and 17 are taking part in a “No Plastic Project,” which began last month and ends early next month.

The participants comprise child councillors for Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) and hand-picked children from various communities in the city.

The pilot project is a 10-week online series on waste management conducted by experts from environmental social enterprise Ecocentric Transitions and other environmentalists.

Initiated as a collaboration between MBPJ, Ecocentric Transitions and Toy Libraries Malaysia, the project aims to elevate children as influencers in good waste management practices.

They would champion matters related to waste, said MBPJ Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Department director Lee Lih Shyan.

“These children are from different localities and they will become waste management ambassadors in their neighbourhood.

“This will not only have a greater impact on children but also their families and communities,” he said.Learning as a family

Among the project participants are brothers Eshwar Evan Dmitry Klokol, 12, and Sydhart Sean Dmitry Klokol, 10, who have roped in their family in their attempt to “green” their home.

“We were taught to clean our own surroundings and the importance of waste management through waste separation.

“We had lessons on how the use of plastics could harm the environment, especially animals.

“Items such as non-biodegradable plastics and straws are harmful to nature,” said Eshwar.

The older brother also shared that he learnt that compost was when biodegradable things such as food decomposed and could be used as fertilisers.

He said plastic utensils must be banned from eateries.

“Before taking part in the online project, we used to throw plastics into the rubbish bin.

“Now, we wash them and try to recycle the plastic items.

“Limited resources such as treated water must not be misused too,” said Eshwar.

Sydhart, meanwhile, said littering must stop.

“We must protect nature. Animals and plants give us the good things we need such as oxygen and food.

“None of the animals and plants take anything away from us so in return, we must protect their environment by not littering,” he reasoned.

The brothers are prepared to make changes when they go on holiday.

For instance, they want to pick up rubbish and dispose of them properly when they are at the beach.

Their mother Bawani Nesamany Klokol said she had seen some changes in her children since they took part in the project.

Through the project’s activities, the children realised that one man’s trash could be another person’s treasure, she noted.

She said her sons now looked at waste differently since joining the project.

“They learned about their household waste trail, right up to the point it is sent for disposal at the main rubbish room in our condo.

“Some of the separated waste by residents such as clothes and shoes were taken home by the cleaners.

“The children have the opportunity to expand their emotional intelligence, especially when nature is linked to the harm posed by humans, through these activities,” she added.

Despite living in a condominium unit, the two boys have been caring for plants such as roses indoors since the project began.

Child councillors and twins Ainul Wafiyah Abdul Wahab and Aiman Wazif Abdul Wahab, 11, were now more helpful in tidying up the house, said their mother Naavizah Naina Mohd.

She is thrilled that the duo have taken to decluttering the home.

They have also embarked on completing their unfinished arts and crafts projects.

“I found the Marie Kondo video in organising the home inspiring,” said Ainul.

“We have donated a lot of the unwanted clothes after watching how Kondo did it.

“We learned to complete outstanding tasks too.”

Their mother is happy that the “No Plastic Project” has brought the family together.

“Before this, I had to ask them to clean up the house but now they do it before I ask.

“They want to separate the waste and I have learned along with them about reusing items such as egg and milk cartons,” said Naavizah.

Meanwhile, Jadid Akhbar, 12, is excited to have learned about the different types of plastic through the online series.

He also learned about “plogging” and was eager to try it at the open areas at his flats.

“I feel basic information such as plastic codes should be taught in schools.

“Not all plastics are recycled in our country.

“Some are unpopular and when it is not cleaned and separated at source, it is rarely picked up for recycling.

“I now have the habit of turning over bottles to look for the plastic code. I want to know if I can recycle it after use,” he said.

His mother Roslinda Saalan said she too was not aware of the various types of plastics and how to treat them.

“I am enjoying his lessons as well because they are insightful.

“We did not have the opportunity to learn these things growing up, but I am glad my children are now more aware of how they can be environmentally conscious,” she said.

Local waste champions

Ecocentric Transitions coordinator Nurfatin Hamzah, 24, said the project was called “No Plastic Project” as it was based on waste management in general.

The ultimate objective is to see behavioural change among participants.

“Banning plastic alone will not solve all environment-related problems.

“And that is why we cover topics such as waste separation at source and plogging.

“The outdoor projects consist of visits to the main waste dumping location in their flats or condominiums.

“Children learn that some have the privilege of discarding waste daily if they live in a condominium while a waste collection schedule applies for those in landed properties and they must discard waste properly as it remains outside their house until it gets picked up,” she said.

The children also had assignments that involved their families to ensure they would have a long-term support system.

Nurfatin said that through the project, Eshwa and Sydhart also learned that their aunt actively carried out recycling in her neighbourhood.

She said that at the end of the series, the children would be tasked with making posters or coming up with a way to convey their knowledge to their peers.

Toy Libraries Malaysia chief play advocate Datin PH Wong said these children would become mini waste champions in their neighbourhood.

“There is little knowledge about waste even among the adults.

“When children are knowledgeable, they will pass on their knowledge to their family members.

“More importantly, we want them to become trainers to train other children on the aspect of waste management,” she said.

Environment and waste management expert Dr Theng Lee Chong said including children in hands-on projects on waste management was a commendable effort.

He said that during his talks at school, he focused on four points.

“I call it the four seeds as I want them to be planted in the children’s minds.

“It consists of know-how to separate waste, not littering, not allowing any waste of natural resources and consuming less meat,” said Dr Theng.

He believes that a well-taught child would not grow up to become a polluter.

“If they become the manager or founder of a factory, they will never practise illegal dumping of waste.

“We have a pollution problem today because those in charge of these businesses do not have strong values.

“You won’t have problems like the Sungai Kim Kim pollution if the culprits had a strong sense of responsibility towards the environment,” he opined.