KOTA KINABALU – There is nothing new when it comes to upcycling plastic waste into more useful or even profitable items.
However, in Sabah, where its seas have been practically inundated with the waste material, its first mobile upcycling centre could be the solution to the long-time problem and reduce plastic pollution.
Helmed by property developer Gaya Belian Sdn Bhd who is sponsoring the project (with the aid of innovative waste upcycling firm Upcycled Shack, plastic solution provider EZplast Solutions Sdn Bhd, Oona, and the Kapayan assemblyman’s office), the joint venture will see the group set up a Mobile Recycling Centre in Kg Kapazan.
The initiative is backed by Kota Kinabalu City Hall and Penampang District Council.
The one-stop centre, which is being run in a shipping container, was officially launched yesterday and will only take #2 HDPE plastic or #4 LDPE items.
Those who dispose of their plastic waste here will be compensated with cash or food.
Once received, the plastics would be cleaned, shredded, melted and baked before they are upcycled into useful products such as table-tops, key chains, home decorations and others.
Testing if upcycled plastics can be used as turbine blades for micro-hydro dams
Former senator Adrian Lasimbang who runs the Tonibung (Friends of Village Development) project said that 40% of the discards will head to Kayu Madang.
He hoped the communities around the centre will send their unwanted plastics for processing instead of just chucking them away.
“Past efforts done by the local government and the NGOS to encourage waste segregation and offer payments to have the discards recycled have been futile.
“It is a mindset problem. With this centre, we want to turn the plastic into something of value, not just for recycling as a single-use plastic, but also up-cycling and turn it into some object of value,” he said.
Adrian has been running his Tonibung community project, which is an indigenous-lead non-profit group developing sustainable alternatives for rural electrification, which has constructed micro-hydro dams in rural areas without electricity in Sabah and Sarawak.
At the moment, he is running tests to see whether turbines made out of upcycled plastics are as efficient as the blades made out of aluminium cans pull-tabs that he is currently using.
Still some teething problems with upcycling as it is in its infancy stage
Meanwhile, Upcycled Shack founder Tressie Yap said the effort had started in February and pointed out that it was not smooth sailing in its early stages.
“At first, we did not have enough plastic collection to start the upcycling (process). Then, there was a lot of trial and error in getting the right mix of melted plastic to form into objects.
“Even at this point, I must admit we are still at an infant stage and there’s still a lot to learn,” she told The Vibes.
At the same time, Kapayan assemblyman Jannie Lasimbang of DAP added that the plastic waste problem is a huge environmental issue that requires “big picture thinking” to resolve it.
Upcycling, which is a process that turns discarded plastic into items of higher value or usefulness, is better than throwing them away.
“Plastic pollution is slowly eating up our Mother Earth and there is still a lot of ignorance about the harms coming from plastic.
“I am happy that many NGOS are dedicated to organising this environmental activity to attract the interest of the public and to develop ideas on the management and benefits of upcycling plastics,” she said. – The Vibes, May 15, 2022
