An environmental programme encouraging the public to dispose of unwanted electrical items responsibly, yielded over 130kg of electronic waste
Waste to Value 2.0, held in conjunction with the Green-Preneur Festival 2026 at a mall in Iskandar Puteri, Johor, also promoted the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) concept.
The festival was organised by non-profit youth leadership and community development organisation JCI South Key based in Johor Baru.
JCI South Key president Evan Tan Wei Wen said the initiative was an extension of the organisation’s Last Straw Johor programme, carried out for five years, which initially focused on reducing the use and improper disposal of plastic straws.
The organisation had collected about 100kg of discarded straws from the programme.
“Now, we have expanded it beyond straws to include plastic and e-waste, while encouraging people to turn waste into something of value,” he said, adding that they had collected nearly 1,000kg of plastic and paper waste since last year.
Tan said Waste to Value, now in its second year, also incorporated games and educational activities to teach children about environmental protection.
“Through the games, children can learn about the condition of our environment and how they can play a role in protecting Mother Nature,” he said.
Tan said organisers had initially expected old mobile phones to make up a large portion of the haul this year.
“Instead, we received many household electrical items such as ovens, air conditioners and cooking appliances,” he said, adding that the items would be handed over to a non-governmental organisation for further processing.
Tan said proper e-waste disposal had become increasingly important as people owned and replaced more electronic devices.
“People may change their phones every two years, but the old ones still have to go somewhere,” he said.
Sustainability requirements were imposed on the participating booths at the event, including use of recyclable packaging and encouraging visitors to bring their own bags.
Business owner Leong Yin Teng, 41, who sold crystals and handmade accessories, said sustainability was something she tried to incorporate into her business practices.
“I use paper bags instead of plastic to package the jewellery to reduce pollution,” she said.
She said more than 50 people made purchases at her stall throughout the three-day event.
Student R. Emmanuel Lourdes, 21, said young people should make sustainability and 3Rs part of their everyday lives.
“I believe all teenagers should practise sustainability and uphold the 3Rs as their main principle if they want to play a part in protecting the environment,” he said, adding that he separated plastic and paper waste for recycling at home.
Another student, Emir Aqif Jaihar Jailani, 20, said the event taught him that e-waste should be disposed of separately from ordinary household rubbish.
“Before this, if I had an old phone or something similar, I would have discarded it together with the other rubbish at home.
“Many people know about the 3Rs, plastic, paper and metal recycling bins, but not many know about e-waste management, so events like this are a good place to learn,” he said.
