Rajendran promoting the initiative during the press conference.
PENANG Island City Council (MBPP) has launched a Rice Bag Recycling Programme to encourage recycling and reduce single-use plastic waste.
MBPP councillor Benji Ang said the initiative aimed to promote recycling.
He said to kickstart the campaign and encourage public participation, free rice would be exchanged for used plastic packaging of 5kg or 10kg rice from any brand.
The public can bring the used packaging to Sunshine Central Penang on Friday at 3pm.
“Rice bags are made from durable polypropylene material that can be reused or recycled into new products, instead of ending up in landfills,” said Ang.
“By collecting these bags, we help reduce plastic waste and promote the circular economy concept.
“It is meant to create awareness and generate interest in recycling rice bags,” he said.
Ang said other supermarkets and organisations were encouraged to collaborate to devise creative ways to promote recycling.
The MBPP public education subcommittee chairman said the programme would be implemented at selected supermarkets as a pilot project.
“The response and effectiveness will be reviewed before the programme is expanded to additional locations across the city.
“The long-term goal is to make such recycling initiatives a permanent and convenient part of the public’s shopping routine.”
Ang said that while rice bags might seem small, they would collectively amount to a significant amount of plastic waste each year.
“By channelling them through proper recycling streams, we help reduce pollution, conserve resources and support local recyclers,” he pointed out.
“This initiative raises awareness of the importance of separating waste at source.
“Our goal is to build a cleaner, greener and more sustainable city by promoting responsible waste management,” he added.
Through public education and partnerships with businesses, MBPP aims to cultivate environmental consciousness and make recycling a habit among all residents, said Ang.
He said MBPP welcomed collaboration with all supermarkets and retail partners interested in supporting the effort.
“We have not considered setting up a general collection point at this stage,” he said.
“We are focused on establishing strong partnerships with participating supermarkets first.”
He said the collected bags would be recycled into reusable bags and repurposed for in-house use.
“This helps reduce the need for new plastic materials and it supports a sustainable waste management cycle,” he noted.
Speaking earlier on the rice bag programme, Penang island mayor Datuk A. Rajendran said each exchange qualified participants to receive a 1kg of jasmine rice worth RM8, limited to the first 500 participants.
He said the Friday event at Hotel Atrium, Sunshine Central in Bandar Baru Air Itam was organised in collaboration with Jasmine Food Corporation, Sunshine Central Penang and the Penang Youth Development Corporation.
Rajendran said the collected rice bags would be handed over to MBPP’s Urban Services Department for recycling.
