(From left) McFeeters and Juliana (second from right) with Taman Tugu branding and communications head Tracey Surin at the exhibition. – Photos by MUHAMAD SHAHRIL ROSLI/The Star
A SUSTAINABILITY campaign called “Planet Us” has concluded with a three-day educational exhibition at Taman Tugu, Kuala Lumpur.
The interactive exhibition aimed to educate Malaysian youths on playing a more proactive role in tackling the climate crisis and in contributing to an environmentally sustainable future.
The campaign was a collaboration between social enterprise Biji-Biji Initiative and the US Embassy of Kuala Lumpur.
Since its launch last June, Planet Us has engaged youths in Sarawak, Kedah, Kelantan, Sabah, Penang, and Kuala Lumpur.
Workshops, panel discussions and community clean-ups in which the public could participate were held at each stop.
US Ambassador to Malaysia Brian McFeeters said the US Embassy wanted to empower youths about sustainability and climate change.
“We want to give them practical tools and steps that they could take to reduce their own ecological footprint, as well as encourage, motivate and rally their communities to go farther,” he said.
McFeeters (left) and Juliana looking at an information board at Taman Tugu.
“Thousands of young Malaysians have visited the exhibition held across six states and have taken pledges to lead more sustainable lifestyles.”
Malaysian youths have made over 15,000 environmental pledges on the Planet Us website to date, and hundreds of Malaysians have entered the “Closing the Loop” upcycling competition.
Biji-Biji chief executive officer Juliana Adam said the campaign was “to make sustainability more accessible to all Malaysians”.
Planet Us is accessible online with games for the participants to test their sustainability habits and better understand the daily steps they can take to reduce waste.
At Taman Tugu, Planet Us featured a variety of workshops on topics such as edible gardening, composting and upcycling.
The interactive exhibition imparted information on urban sustainability, wildlife protection and preservation of marine resources.
The winner of the upcycling competition was Atidya Muhammad Reza of Indonesia who devised a concept for a smart waste-segregation system using a machine-learning algorithm.
Other winning concepts were by Darren Raman for alternative soil and Venus Lo for above-ground pools.
Winners of the upcycling competition received micro grants worth RM5,000 to expand their creations under a three-month mentorship programme conducted by Biji-biji Initiative.
