ALOR STAR: Over 660,000 kilogrammes of recyclable solid waste was collected by primary and secondary schools in Kedah since January this year as part of the state-level School's Recycling Competition (Perkiss).
Among the major contributors to this was 12-year-old Ku Najmi Farisya Kunizan from SK Pida 3 in Kubang Pasu. Farisya, along with her schoolmates and teachers, collected over 1,500 kg of used cooking oil, 10,000 kg of plastic, and 5,500 kg of aluminium.
In the process, SK Pida 3 clinched first place for being the primary school with the most amount of recyclable waste collected while Farisya received the Perkiss Hero Award for her contribution in raising awareness about recycling.
Farisya said she enjoyed collecting solid waste while spreading awareness about the environment with her schoolmates and teachers in Jitra during the competition.
"Alhamdulilah, winning these awards is a great achievement and we also managed to raise funds for our school through our recycling efforts.
"My friends, teachers and parents are all involved in these efforts, everyone went out to town to collect waste from local shops and cafes, it was fun.
"At the same time, we encouraged others in the local community to embrace the recycling culture and promote a cleaner environment for everyone," she said when met at the Perkiss closing ceremony at the Kedah Education Department Complex here yesterday.
Present was Kedah Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation (SWCorp) director Nordin Amat and Kedah-Perlis Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) general manager Wan Ishak Soed.
In the SWCorp-organised competition, 196 schools, which included 116 primary schools and 80 secondary schools, collected a total of 661,554.44 kg of recyclable waste.
SMK Seri Gunung Headmaster Zainab Yaman, whose school secured the top spot for the secondary school category, said she was proud of the impact the programme has had to local communities.
Zainab, who has experience teaching in urban schools, said promoting recycling culture in rural communities was challenging but possible through close engagement with the community.
"Compared to my previous experience in urban schools, raising awareness about the environment and sustainability in rural areas is a bit more challenging.
"People here tend to be concerned about being judged by others if they collect and separate their waste, this mindset needs to be changed," she added.
Meanwhile, Nordin said the competition was part of SWCorp's effort to increase public awareness about the significance of recycling in the country.
"Through this programme, we aim to instill environmental awareness in people from young, hoping they guide future generations in practicing eco-friendly habits like recycling," he added.
