Ani (back row, in blue headscarf) with SJK(T) Taman Melawati students who collected 2,087kg of e-waste, earning the top spot in the E-waste Collection Competition, winning RM1,000.
AMPANG Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) is aiming to cut landfill costs by encouraging greater public participation in recycling and waste separation.
Its president Dr Ani Ahmad said the council was focusing on school-based and community programmes to instil recycling habits from a young age.
“In the long-run, this can help reduce our cost of paying contractors to send waste to landfills,” she said at the 2024 Environment Day celebration at Menara MPAJ in Pandan Indah, Ampang, Selangor.
“This is achievable if we can increase participation in separation at source.
“Programmes targeting schoolchildren are among ways to achieve this.”
To strengthen its efforts, MPAJ has merged its waste collection and environmental departments.
“With the merger, MPAJ can have better synergy and run better community programmes,” Ani said.
The council also intends to increase corporate partnerships for better public engagement on recycling and separation at source initiatives.
The environment day event recognised participants of MPAJ’s recycling competitions including those to collect used cooking oil and e-waste.
The used cooking oil competition received 12 entries from primary schools, eight from secondary schools and 16 from community groups, and a total collection of 11,667.45kg of cooking oil.
The e-waste competition saw participation from 11 primary schools, five secondary schools and 11 community groups and a haul of 13,377.5kg of electronic waste.
The Short Video Competition on Dengue Prevention and Control Activities received 11 entries from primary schools and five from secondary schools showcasing creative videos on ways to combat dengue.
Among the winners were SK Klang Gate and SMK Lembah Keramat in the used cooking oil competition.
SJK(T) Taman Melawati and SMK Seri Keramat secured top prizes in the e-waste competition.
Special awards were presented to Jeragan Mustafah Muhammad Ali as the Environmental Sustainability Icon (Community) and M. Gunasegaran as the Environmental Sustainability Icon (School).
A total of RM15,500 in prize money was distributed to the winners.
