Chee (left) and Hoo displaying some of the items that will be made available at the bazaar to be held at the Hin Bus Depot in George Town. — CHAN BOON KAI/The Star
SPEND a fun Saturday learning ways to conserve the environment at “Fuyoh! Once Upon a Time” — an environmental-themed bazaar filled with activities at the Hin Bus Depot, George Town in Penang, on June 4.
The one-day event will be held from 10am to 6pm in conjunction with World Environment Day which is observed on June 5.
There will be a slew of activities such as storytelling sessions for children, workshops, arts and crafts, traditional games, plant adoption, a community market, live band and lots of food.
The activities will focus on how we can use the time we have now to make wise, long-term decisions when it comes to the environment.
The event, co-organised by Penang Green Council (PGC) and Grow Community Market, will also feature local and organic produce, traditional games, upcycle workshops and exciting performances.
PGC assistant general manager Hoo Huey Ching said this would be their first physical event since the Covid-19 pandemic.
“So much has changed since Covid, including common practices and even waste we generate now.
“One thing that has not changed, however, is the state’s determination to reduce waste.
“Penang has the nation’s highest recycling rate of 51.18%, soaring high above the national rate of 31.5%,” she said during a recent press conference at Hin Bus Depot.
Hoo said she was confident that Penang, which first took proactive steps to ban polystyrene in 2012, could do it again with single-use plastics.
“I understand that during these times, it is difficult to eliminate single-use plastics completely but we can find alternatives,” she said.
Grow Community Market founder Chee Hoyyee encouraged visitors to bring tiffin carriers and reusable containers to the event.
“The market will offer reusable crockery that can be borrowed, used and returned to them.
“This is to encourage people to be environmentally conscious and not create waste,” she said.
Penang Green Council director Lee Khai Loon, who is also the Machang Bubuk assemblyman, hoped everyone would take this opportunity to have fun and learn about the environment.
“Fuyoh! which means ‘wow’, is a friendly way for us to engage with the public, especially concerning environmental issues.
“This is a platform for local communities, businesses and organisations to introduce and promote sustainable living practices.
“Through interactive activities and various showcases, we aim to connect our local communities and instil the reuse, reduce and recycle practice in our working partners and alliances, such as organisers, exhibitors, suppliers, vendors and visitors.
“The three main elements in ‘Fuyoh!’ are the past, present and future.
“Let us go back to the past where we had minimum trash and wastage without single-use plastic.
“We will highlight and acknowledge our present as the most important generation where the earth shows us environmental signals like global warming and pollution, which means it is a crucial decade for us to make changes.
“Finally, we strongly believe that embracing the future with resilience is the key to a better environment. That is why we should act now,” said Lee.
For further details and to register for the workshops, visit the Penang Green Council Facebook page or call 04-250 3322/016-5177382.
