Used cooking oil collected by SMK Seri Manjung going into a drum to be transformed later into clean fuel like biodiesel.
ABOUT 1,756kg of used cooking oil (UCO) was collected during a competition for schools in Manjung, Perak.
The effort by 21 schools was for the Used Cooking Oil Collection Competition organised by Green Energy Asia (GEA) with support from Manjung Municipal Council (MPM) and the district Education Department.
SMK Seri Manjung, which collected 360kg of UCO, was named overall champion, winning RM500 and a certificate.
In second place was SJK (C) Chung Cheng with 252kg of UCO, taking the RM300 prize, while in third place was SK Kampung Dato Seri Kamaruddin, whose 142kg collection netted the school RM200.
The prizes were presented by MPM secretary Mohd Helmi Arifin during a ceremony held at Kampung Dato Seri Kamaruddin.
In the individual category, SK Kampung Kota pupil Nur Amni Nafisah Norhisham won first place having collected 52.86kg of used cooking oil, followed by Morni Sapuan of SK Kampung Dato Seri Kamaruddin (35kg) and Normala Moktar of SK Setiawan (22.8kg).
The prizes were RM150, RM100 and RM50 respectively, with accompanying certificates.
During the ceremony, residents from Kampung Dato Seri Kamaruddin contributed a further 294kg of UCO, demonstrating the willingness of local communities to participate in sustainability initiatives when provided the right avenue.
GEA is a licensed and certified UCO collector appointed as the official strategic partner for MPM, Ipoh City Council, Kampar District Council and Batu Gajah District Council.
Since 2022, they have diverted more than 1,000 tonnes of UCO from improper disposal towards the production of renewable fuels.
GEA managing director Mervyn Cheng said proper disposal of UCO prevented water pollution, protected drainage systems and ensured waste was transformed into cleaner fuels like biodiesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
“The competition proves that real environmental impact begins at home and in our schools,” he said in his speech during the ceremony.
“We are proud of the students, teachers and parents who embraced this effort, and we hope this marks the beginning of a long-term culture of environmental responsibility across Manjung.”
Mohd Helmi said, “We hope to continue expanding this initiative in future years, reinforcing Manjung’s progress towards becoming a district that champions circular economy practices.”
