Zeroing in on living sustainably

The KakiRepair team teaching people how to repair faulty electrical appliances and toys. — Photos: S.S.KANESAN/The Star

Some 2,000 people gathered for the third Zero Waste Festival held early this month at Taylor’s Lakeside Campus in Subang Jaya, Selangor.

Titled “Under the Stars”, the event saw about 30 vendors offering package-free food and items to reduce the use of single-use plastics.

For those who did not bring their own containers and bags, Trashcycle, Tapauware and Opack were on hand with sustainable storage ideas.

Members of the KakiRepair team were also there to teach people about reusing and fixing broken items instead of throwing them away.

The venue was also abuzz with vendors selling handmade and recycled items.

Zero Waste Malaysia (ZWM) director Khor Sue Yee said this festival aimed to prove to the community that it was possible to live a sustainable lifestyle and address misconceptions that it was difficult, expensive and time-consuming.

Participants learning about waste generation and reduction through mini games.

“Also, this festival is special as it is ZWM’s first outdoor event after the pandemic.

“One should have a stable and healthy mind in a mission to protect the environment, and we all know the lockdown has mentally and emotionally affected many.

“As such, ZWM has come up with fun concepts and exciting activities for people to learn about the value of zero waste through this event,” she added.

Apart from the vendors, there were mini games, workshops, picnic sessions, Zumba and an open mic night.

The festival’s main sponsors were IHH Healthcare Malaysia and Taylor’s University.

IHH Healthcare Malaysia sustainability head Puteri Sarah Karina Abdul Aziz said the collaboration with ZWM helped to introduce the right habits to the public to reduce waste in line with sustainability aspirations.

ZWM also kicked off its Mission 30: Zero Waste Challenge to encourage participants to see what it was like to live with low waste for an entire month.

Participants who successfully complete the 30-day challenge this month stand a chance to win exclusive prizes.

There was also a special guest appearance by Zee Avi at the festival and among those present at the event was Bukit Gasing assemblyman Rajiv Rishyakaran.