Team Blitz proposing to replace single-use plastic with biodegradable and compostable plastic made of rambutan seeds. The team from MRSM Kubang Pasu came tops among contestants representing 77 schools from across the country at the sustainability challenge.
IN EFFORTS to move towards a sustainable future, the National Sustainability Innovation Challenge 2023 (NaSIC23) engaged students across Malaysia to find alternatives to single-use plastic.
The best-judged idea was that presented by Team Blitz from Maktab Rendah Sains Mara (MRSM) Kubang Pasu, Kedah on biodegradable and compostable plastic made of rambutan seeds.
They won cash vouchers worth RM1,200 from Lotus’s Malaysia, organiser of NaSIC23 in collaboration with Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIIT) and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM).
The idea is also set to be developed by the students alongside a research group from MJIIT-UTM and be implemented in Lotus’s stores nationwide.
Lotus’s Malaysia corporate services executive director Azliza Azmel said NaSIC23 was held to encourage youth participation in both environmental and retail fields.
“Brilliant young Malaysians get to explore their innovative ideas, to address real challenges in the industry, with the potential of becoming workable solutions not only for Lotus’s but for other retailers in Malaysia.
“When talking about what’s sustainabile to a retailer, I think it’s important for an organisation to leverage all the opportunities it has, to create an impact not just for the environment but for society as well,” she said.
Winners and officials on stage at the NaSIC23 finale. — Photos: CHAN TAK KONG/The Star
Launched in April 2023, NaSIC23 successfully garnered participation from 390 students aged 14 to 18, representing 77 schools from across Malaysia.
As part of Lotus’s targets of phasing out single-use plastic by 2030, the competition focused on replacing plastic used in the fresh produce sections of grocery stores.
Team Blitz member Abdul Murahaimi Mohd Sahabuddin, 16, hoped more retailers would consider his team’s eco-friendly alternative.
“As rambutans are local to Malaysia, I think it’s possible for the country to make use of the resources we have and to work towards a healthier ecosystem.
“Retailers can collaborate with rambutan farms to source their unwanted fruits and make use of what might otherwise have been turned into trash.
“And as the plastic made is biodegradable, the whole process does more for the environment than current plastics,” he said.
Pro-Vice-Chancellor (UTM Kuala Lumpur), Prof Dr Abdul Latif Saleh said, “As the leading technical university in Malaysia, we are committed towards innovation of new types of bioplastics, biodegradable plastics and sustainable materials for replacing conventional plastics.”
He said the competition, besides exploring sustainable innovation, was especially important to provide a platform for the young.
“Sustainable development is a collaborative effort.
“As a university, it is our responsibility to create an environment that supports growing minds and we hope that NaSIC23 will keep young inventors developing their creativity and ideas for a better future.”
Team A-Rice from SM Visi in Tawau, Sabah won the first runner-up prize and RM900 vouchers, while second runner-up was Team The Earth Warrior from Sekolah Menengah Sains Seri Puteri, Kuala Lumpur, who won RM600 vouchers.
Another four teams, Team Eco-lution from SMK Agama Putrajaya, Team ReWale from MRSM Langkawi, Team Masterminds from SMK Bandar Seri Putra, Kajang and Team Mission Impossible from SMK Bandar Putra, Kulai, were awarded consolation prizes.
Team A-Rice member Lim Cai Ni, 16, said they were extremely grateful for the opportunity to travel and learn through the competition.
Guidance from the UTM team in preparing for the presentations helped ease their nervousness about what to expect, she said.
“We had a lot of fun and the lecturers taught us so much about how to process our ideas and how to present ourselves in the best way, so we’re really thankful for this opportunity.”
