‘If not us, who?’: Tawau’s SMK Balung set to lead plastic-free trend among schools

TAWAU – When schools reopen in September, the teachers and students of SMK Balung not only look forward to being pandemic-free, but also aim to become a plastic-free institution.

The school, which hopes to be the first in Malaysia to achieve zero plastic bottles and bags, wants to start this trend among other schools.

SMK Balung principal Arbin Setta said despite knowing the difficulty in implementing such a habit, the school wanted to be the first to start.

“I know it is not going to happen overnight, but we have to at least start,” he told The Vibes, adding that the idea was first mooted by the non-governmental organisation (NGO) 1StopBorneo Wildlife.

“If not us, who? If not now, when? I thought that it will be a great idea to spread awareness about environmental conservation among young students.

“It is important for us to expose students to such issues, especially at their age, and, hopefully, they will grow into a generation that is aware of the importance of taking care of the environment.

“That is why, I hope other schools will follow in our footsteps.”

Arbin said the school canteen has been instructed to stop selling mineral water, adding that a water dispenser for students will be prepared by environmental group No More Plastic In Our Waters (NOW).

1StopBorneo Wildlife founder Shavez Cheema said the NGO has collaborated with NOW to create a model for schools in Malaysia by making SMK Balung the first academic institution to be plastic bottle-free.

“SMK Balung has over 1,900 students, and it was estimated from a simple survey conducted that a school of such magnitude sees more than 350,000 plastic bottles and bags in a year.”

He said the goal is to make 20 schools, 20 companies, one plantation and one village go plastic bag-free before presenting the data to the Sabah government, in the hope that it will help expand the initiative.

He told The Vibes that a petition was also created, and over 20,000 people in the state have signed it.

“This is a game changer, and we hope it will have a snowball effect.” –The Vibes, July 19, 2021