It pays to go green - The Star Metro Perak

Friday 27 April 2018 By Amanda Yeap

The team from Kohijau and Ipoh Parade at the launch of the 71st Kohijau recycling bin at the shopping centre

KOPERASI Alam Hijau Perak Bhd (Kohijau), a non-governmental organisation, has launched its 71st recycling bin.

Collaborating with a mall for the first time in conjunction with International Earth Day, Ipoh folk will now find its recognisable new green recycling bin at Ipoh Parade shopping centre.

Kohijau and Ipoh Parade aim to work hand-in-hand to raise awareness of and put an end to plastic pollution.

The mall pledges to stop irresponsible littering and encourage the public to dispose of any waste materials, especially plastic, into the Kohijau recycle bin located at B1 of its underground parking lot next to the car wash centre.

During the launch, Ipoh City Watch and Kohijau chairman Dr Richard Ng said the 2.7 million population of Perak produces an estimated 600,000 tonnes of garbage each year.

“Of this total, about 15% or 90,000 tonnes consist of plastic.

“About 10,000 tonnes are recovered through recycling and 80,000 tonnes end up in landfills, rivers, oceans and illegal dumpsites,” he said at the event.

Ng said plastic has an impact on carbon footprint as it uses non-renewable energy to produce.

“Plastic garbage from the landfills produces methane gas and carbon dioxide over the years and affects greenhouse gas, which also has an impact on global warming,” he said.

Ng urged the state government to reverse its decision on banning plastic, which was supposed to be implemented on June 1, 2017, but has been postponed indefinitely.

“States such as Selangor, Melaka and Johor have banned the use of certain plastics and polystyrene and Perak should set a good example if Ipoh were to remain as the cleanest city and Perak the second cleanest state in the country,” he said.

Ipoh Parade advertising and promotions executive Nabilah Mohammad said they hope to encourage shoppers to recycle using the Kohijau system as it is unique and benefits shoppers in return.

“Kohijau’s speciality is that recycling comes with a rewards system.

“Not only do we want the public to come here for shopping and entertainment, we also want them to protect Mother Nature,” she said.

To get started, shoppers can sign up as members of the recycling programme at www.icycle-global.com.

Once personal details are submitted, every person will receive a set of barcodes unique to their membership via postal mail.

Then, shoppers will need to place all their recyclables in a disposal bag with the bar code sticker attached and drop them into the new Kohijau bin at the mall.

The recyclables will be collected every week and members are given recycling points based on the barcodes scanned.

Members can check and redeem their recycling points online and stand a chance to get shopping vouchers.

To date, a total of 80,000kg of recyclables has been collected from 7,000 members through its bins placed throughout Perak.

The locations of other Kohijau recycling bins can be found on its website.

https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2018/04/27/it-pays-to-go-green-new-bin-at-mall-encourages-shoppers-to-recycle-and-be-rewarded/

Negeri terbersih lonjak Ipoh - Sinar Harian

30 April 2018 by Saifullah Ahmad

Kebersihan bandaraya Ipoh yang terus dipelihara hasil komitmen Zambry yang mencetuskan kempen Perak Yang Bersih.

IPOH - Kesungguhan dalam memastikan bandaraya Ipoh bersih antara faktor tarikan pelancong sehingga mendapat perhatian di peringkat antarabangsa.

Pengiktirafan daripada Lonely Planet dan terbaharu pengiktirafan daripada The New York Times dalam ruangan Travel pada 28 Februari lalu membuktikan usaha yang dilakukan kerajaan tidak sia-sia.

Pengerusi Koperasi Alam Hijau Perak Berhad (Kohijau), Dr Richard Ng berkata, semua ini sebenarnya rentetan daripada komitmen Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir yang tidak berkompromi terhadap kebersihan bandar raya ini.

Katanya, pendekatan turun padang dalam memastikan keadaan negeri ini khususnya kawasan bandar bersih sangat berkesan.

“Dr Zambry bukan sahaja beri arahan untuk jaga kebersihan, tetapi beliau turun sama-sama kutip sampah dengan pekerja Majlis Bandaraya Ipoh (MBI). Tak ada orang sanggup buat melainkan pemimpin itu serius dengan apa yang dikata.

“Impaknya inilah. Perak sudahpun menjadi negeri kedua terbersih di Malaysia hasil kerjasama semua dan komitmen menteri besar itu,” katanya kepada Sinar Harian.

Katanya, tindakan Zambry turun padang memastikan Perak bersih juga mencetuskan semangat baharu kepada pihak berkuasa tempatan (PBT) di negeri ini untuk memastikan bandar atau pekan mereka bersih.

Richard berkata, di sebalik pembangunan yang semakin pesat di Ipoh, kelestarian alam sekitar tidak dipandang ringan.

Malah katanya, Zambry sendiri dalam Executive Talk pada tahun 2017 dan diulang pada tahun 2018 memberi penekanan terhadap kehijauan bandar ini.

“Pembangunan dan kemajuan sesuatu kawasan itu memang diperlukan bagi membuka pelbagai ruang serta peluang kepada penduduk. Namun, sesuatu pembangunan yang dirancang perlu seimbang dengan alam.

“Itulah dasar Dr Zambry yang mahu melihat kehijauan alam tidak diganggu sebaliknya menggunakan alam semulajadi yang ada sebagai satu kelebihan dalam pembangunan dilaksanakan itu,” katanya.

Richard berkata, begitu juga dengan kebersihan tandas yang begitu dititikberatkan menteri besar dalam memastikan aspek kebersihan meliputi semua peringkat dan tempat.

Menurutnya, kempen Perak Yang Bersih cetusan idea Zambry disambut baik seluruh rakyat di negeri ini.

http://www.sinarharian.com.my/edisi/perak/negeri-terbersih-lonjak-ipoh-1.828122

Turning their backs on trash - The Star Metro Perak

5 Feb 2018 by Ivan Loh

(From left) Thinakaran, Ninderjeet and Visveswara sorting recyclable items at the Kampung Jelapang Tambahan community recycling collection centre.

KAMPUNG Jelapang Tambahan now is a far cry from what it was before 2015.

While Rubbish and illegal dumpsites could be found along many of the roads there just three years, things changed significantly after the village started its Community Recycling Project.

Jelapang Rukun Tetangga chairman S. Thinakaran said the village becoming cleaner is all thanks to the project and the caring residents.

“With the current use of the Kohijau-iCycle reward-for-recycling system, it’s getting even better.

“I am not saying there are completely no dumpsites, but they have been reduced significantly – I think by about 90%,” Thinakaran said.

“Among the areas that have seen great improvement in the village are Lorong 4, 8, 14, 16, and 22, though garden waste is still an issue here and there,” he said.

“There are also no longer any complaints about the scheduled rubbish collection by the Ipoh City Council,” he said, adding that there are about 250 households in the village.

“About 30% of the people here are participants of the recycling activities.

“Even the mentality of the younger generation here has changed,” he said.

“They realise the importance of the recycling we do. Many of them are doing their part,” he added.

Thinakaran said the RT is using its own money allocated by the National Unity and Integration Department to pay the residents for their contributions.

“Every month, we pay out between RM250 and RM300 to the contributing residents. They bring in some 400 to 500kg of recyclable items monthly,” he said, adding that Kohijau-iCycle does the record-keeping for the recycling project.

Thinakaran said he is very grateful that there is a group of core people in Jelapang Tambahan who are close-knit and work hard to ensure the recycling programme is a success.

The Kampung Jelapang Tambahan community recycling collection centre

“They always listen to advice about keeping the environment clean have built bonds that help them work together effectively.

“We have our own a Whatsapp chat group about the collection of recyclable items and activities,” he said.

“Of course, there are still some who are not cooperative, despite numerous attempts to get them to join us. Hopefully, one day, we can get through to them,” he added.

Thinakaran said he hopes that the other communities in Jelapang will join them for their recycling efforts.

“Sad to say, not many people here are interested. I really think that Jelapang would be better and cleaner if everyone took part.

Thinakaran said the village’s RT has also been selected by the National Unity and Integration Department to be a model for its community projects for this year.

Kampung Jelapang Tambahan resident R. Visveswara is proud of the clean community field

“We got the letter earlier this month. The departments want us to submit reports on how we can help generate revenue for residents in housing areas or local communities,” he said.

He also said he hopes the residents at Kampung Jelapang Tambahan will continue with the recycling programme so that the village can become the cleanest in the country.

“I also hope the mentality of the people will change to become more civic-minded about the environment and cleanliness.

“I would like to see, one day, that people here automatically pick up any rubbish found on the road,” he said.

Resident R. Visveswara said those involved with the Community Recycling Project campaigned from door to door, urging the residents to join in and take part.

“When the Kohijau-iCycle recycling-for-rewards system started, more and more people got interested.

“While we used to separate our garbage, it has become easier now with Kohijau-iCycle as we just throw everything in bags and these will be sorted by the recycling organisation,” said Visveswara, who is also the village’s RT secretary.

“We hold the recycling project once every fortnight,” he said.

“There are other residents who are selling their recyclable items to recycling centres in Silibin, but we don’t mind as long as they are recycling,” he added.

Another resident, housewife Ninderjeet Kaur, said since learning about composting from the Community Recycling Project, she has been actively doing so.

“It’s not hard. We just need to bury the organic waste in soil and let nature do its job.

“It will normally turn into compost within five to six weeks,” said the housewife.

“The compost can then be used as fertiliser for gardening and small-scale farming,” she said.

Ninderjeet said she gathers organic waste, like fruit peel or leftover vegetables, from some neighbours for composting.

“I always tell them not to throw the waste into the rubbish bin. I bring it back home for composting,” she said, adding that many of the villagers are now composting, all having learned from the recycling programme.

https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2018/02/05/turning-their-backs-on-trash-villagers-efforts-shine-as-an-example-of-tackling-cleanliness/

Mata ganjaran sampah kitar semula jimat RM12 juta - Sinar Harian

KHAIRIL ANWAR MOHD AMIN

7 APRIL 2018

Abdul Puhat (tengah) dan Richard (empat kiri) menunjukkan demonstrasi perlaksanaan sistem mata ganjaran kitar semula Kohijau iCycle kepada pengunjung.

KUALA KURAU - Perlaksanaan sistem mata ganjaran bagi setiap sampah dikitar semula oleh Koperasi Alam Hijau Perak Berhad (Kohijau) dijangka mampu menjimatkan kos pengurusan sisa pepejal setiap pihak berkuasa tempatan(PBT) di Perak sehingga RM12 juta setahun.

Pengerusinya, Profesor Dr Richard Ng berkata, anggaran itu berasaskan kemampuan Sistem Mata Ganjaran Kitar Semula Kohijau-iCycle diperkenalkan pihaknya, mampu menjimatkan sekurang-kurangnya 30 peratus daripada kos keseluruhan pengurusan sampah kerajaan negeri.

Menurutnya, sehingga kini, sistem itu sudah diimplementasi di 70 lokasi di seluruh negara termasuk setiap PBT di Perak.

“Di Perak, sehingga kini kita sudah memproses 60,000 kilogram sampah kitar semula dikumpul dengan lebih 200,000 mata ganjaran diberikan kepada ahli berdaftar.

“Setiap kali proses kitar semula dibuat, sekurang-kurangnya 30 peratus daripada sampah dibuang dapat dilaksanakan proses itu, sekaligus menjimatkan 30 peratus kapasiti sampah dibuang ke tapak perlupusan sampah.

“Penjimatan kapasiti jumlah sampah dibuang ke tapak perlupusan sampah diselia PBT pastinya menjimatkan kos pengurusan sampah tahunan ditanggung mereka,” katanya kepada media pada majlis gotong-royong Perak Yang Bersih dan sesi taklimat Sistem Mata Ganjaran Kohijau-iCycle di Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Seri Siakap, di sini hari ini.

Majlis dirasmikan Setiausaha Kerajaan Negeri Perak, Datuk Seri Abdul Puhat Mat Nayan dan dihadiri Pemangku Yang Dipertua (YDP) Majlis Daerah Kerian (MDK), Norhafisah Mohamad.

Richard berkata, Kohijau berjaya membantu menjimatkan perbelanjaan kerajaan negeri sebanyak RM18,000 dalam aspek pengurusan sampah sejak sistem mata ganjaran ini diperkenalkan.

Menurutnya, Kohijau kini sudah mendaftarkan 7,000 penduduk Perak menjadi ahli bagi mengimplementasi sistem itu.

“Bagi setiap kilogram sampah dikitar semula, PBT dapat menjimatkan 30 sen kos pengurusan sampah.

“Sekiranya 30 peratus daripada keseluruhan 2.8 juta penduduk Perak mengambil bahagian (dalam kempen kitar semula sampah), pastinya PBT di setiap daerah dapat menjimatkan kos berjuta-juta ringgit setahun di samping memastikan tahap kebersihan terbaik,” katanya.

Richard berkata, melalui sistem ini, masyarakat boleh mengamalkan budaya kitar semula dengan cara sistematik memandangkan mereka tidak perlu melaksanakan pengasingan sampah.

Menurutnya, mereka hanya perlu masukkan dalam beg plastik khas dan buang ke dalam tong sampah Kohijau yang disediakan.

“Mereka yang berdaftar dengan program Kohijau juga berpeluang menukar sampah kitar semula menjadi duit apabila setiap mata ganjaran bernilai 5 sen

“Selain mata ganjaran boleh ditebus dengan wang tunai, penyumbang juga boleh menukar mata ganjaran dengan kupon beli barang oleh beberapa pasaraya terkemuka atau mendermakannya kepada badan-badan amal.

“Dengan cara ini, masyarakat boleh mengamalkan budaya kitar semula sambil membuat kebajikan,” katanya.

Sementara itu, Norhafisah ketika ditemui menegaskan MDK bakal menempatkan lima tong sampah permulaan di lima lokasi dikenal pasti bagi tujuan itu.

“Pada masa hadapan, kita berharap lebih ramai penduduk yang menyertai program Kohijau sekaligus membantu mengurangkan masalah pembuangan sampah di tempat tidak sepatutnya,” katanya.

http://www.sinarharian.com.my/edisi/perak/mata-ganjaran-sampah-kitar-semula-jimat-rm12-juta-1.819359

Cultivating Recycling at FINISAR in conjunction with Earth Hour

23 March 2018

Launching of Earth Hour and Recycling at Finisar by Mr. CL Siew, 12th from left together with Dr. Richard Ng on his left.

FINISAR Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., based in Klebang, Ipoh became the second corporate company that has embarked on Recycling as a means to help reduce carbon footprint. It was held on 23 March 2018 in conjunction with Earth Hour which falls on 24 March 2018.

KOHIJAU-ICYCLE system has been selected to help their 5,200 staff to embrace a recycling culture as they found the high technology system less hassle and attractive as it provides incentive in the form of recycling points to contributors of recyclables.

These recycling points can be accumulated and redeemed with cash, TESCO/AEON coupons or donate to charity.

The programme kicked off with a video on Earth Hour and followed by a talk on carbon footprint and 3R by Associate Prof. Dr. Richard Ng, Chairman of KOHIJAU. The recycling bin for KOHIJAU-ICYCLE Recycling Reward Point System sponsored by FINISAR was launched by its Executive Director, Mr. CL Siew.

According to Mr. Siew, FINISAR is committed to Sustainable Environment. The recycling programme launched today will help our staff to participate in helping to reduce carbon footprint which contribute to climate change and global warming..

KOHIJAU Chairman Dr. Richard Ng congratulated FINISAR for their commitment towards reducing carbon footprint. He hope more corporate companies will come forward to emulate FINISAR by helping us to sponsor recycling bins to encourage more people to do recycling.
  

Ipoh City Watch New Team all for Making Ipoh the Most Liveable City in Malaysia

25 March 2018

ICW New office Bearers 2018 - 2019. Seated from left: Halida Ali (Assistant Secretary), Tina Leong (Secretary), Dr. Richard Ng (President), Dr. Kamaruddin Yaakob (Deputy President), S. Thinakaran (Treasurer). Standing from left: Assokan Kandiah, Toh Kam Yuan, Francis Wong, Shereen Wong and Shirley Foong

Ipoh City Watch (ICW), the watch dog for Ipohites, elected a 1Malaysia team as new office bearers for the period 2018 – 2019 during its 4th Annual General Meeting held in Ipoh recently. The new team has wowed to ensure that its vision of making Ipoh the most liveable city in Malaysia is achieved.

The 25 members who attended the AGM has re-elected Prof. Dr. Richard Ng from Open University Malaysia as the President and Dr. Kamaruddin Yaakob from University Sultan Azlan Shah as Deputy President. The members have also re-elected Tina Leong as the Honorary Secretary and Thinakaran as the Treasurer.

Three resolutions were raised and debated.

In the first resolution, members have agreed that ICW maintain its stand to remain apolitical where members are free to decide who they wish to vote during GE14. However, ICW will openly support candidates especially in the Kinta Valley who are committed to help make Ipoh liveable in particular on 5 areas; Safety, Cleanliness, Wellness, Affordable Cost of Living and Efficient Transportation system. So we want to wait and see the manifesto of the candidates vying to become the people’s representatives.

In the second resolution, ICW urge the State Government and Ipoh City Council to ensure that they walk the talk in terms of promoting Social Business concept. Since Ipoh was declared a Social Business City on in September 2016, very few businesses run under the social business city concept has emerged especially that involved NGOs in Perak. ICW would like to urge the Ipoh City Council who has been tasked to handle Social Business in Perak to actively engage and provide startup funds and other aids to NGOs to help them set up Social Business which can help the government to solve many of the social problems while reducing NGO dependency on government funding.

ICW also urge the Ipoh City Council and the Perak State Government to focus on Sustainable Development Goals especially on Poverty Eradication, Zero Hunger, Wellness, Sustainable Cities and Communities and Commitment towards the use of Clean Energy and Carbon Emission Reduction.  ICW also want all future development plans to be gender sensitive and disable friendly and adhere to green technology.

According to Dr. Ng, ICW will continue to play a pro-active role together with KOHIJAU to promote cleanliness through the KOHIJAU-ICYCLE Recycling Reward Point System. Todate, 68 bins have been installed throughout Perak where 20 of them are located within Kinta District. Over 60,000 kg of recyclables have been collected since it started in September 2016 contributed by more than 6,000 members in Perak. This effort has saved the state government of RM18,000 which will otherwise use to pay to contractors to transport the garbage to the landfill. While ICW and KOHIJAU continue to educate the public, we urge Ipoh City Council to step up enforcement to catch those responsible in throwing their garbage indiscriminately and caused illegal dumping. We also urge the City Council to improve its services by having routine pick up of any garbage irrespective of its types. They must also deploy more workers to sweep the streets in the city and gardens. Only by doing so, we could keep maintaining Ipoh as one of the cleanest cities in Malaysia and attract tourists and investments into the state. 

ICW and KOHIJAU are proud to have played significant role in helping educate Perakians to embrace a recycling culture through its recycling reward point system in collaboration with ICycle Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. We played a role in making Ipoh the cleanest city and Perak second cleanest state in Malaysia in 2017. Kpg Slim in Slim River has emerged as the third best village using our recycling system. And recently, KOHIJAU-ICYCLE system has helped IPD Selama to emerge as the best Police Quarters 2017 in Malaysia in category B.

KOHIJAU-ICYCLE Recycling Reward Point System helps IPD Selama won the Best Police Quarters in Malaysia

25 March 2018

Dr. Ng receives the Letter of Commendation from DSP Loo Lian Lay, Selama District Poilice Chief for KOHIJAU-ICYCLE Recycling Reward Point System that helps them emerged National Champion

KOHIJAU-ICYCLE recycling system which offers recycling points as incentives for the community in Perak has finally bore fruits. KOHIJAU or Koperasi Alam Hijau Perak Berhad, is a cooperative society set up to help promote sustainable environment has teamed up with ICycle Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. in Perak since September 2016 to offer a high technology and innovative way to participate in recycling where recycling points earned can be redeemed with cash, TESCO/AEON coupon or donate to charity organisations.

Besides providing recycling points, KOHIJAU also provides bins for every community with about 250 households to assist members to drop their recyclables anytime at their convenience. As we are an NGO, we rely on sponsorship for our bins which cost RM2,000 each. Todate we have installed 68 bins through Perak, which were sponsored by the Perak State government and corporate companies. Since the launch of our system, we have managed to register close to 7,000 members and collected about 60,000 kg of recyclables.

Thus our efforts have helped reduced 60,000 kg of garbage from going to the landfills or illegal dumpsite. We have also helped the local authority to reduce cost of about RM18,000 paid to contractors to transport garbage to landfills.

According to KOHIJAU Chairman, Dr. Richard Ng, “Our recycling campaigns have played a significant role in helping to Ipoh the cleanest city and Perak second cleanest state in Malaysia in 2017.” We have also helped Kpg Slim in Slim River emerged as the third best village using our recycling system.

Most recently, KOHIJAU-ICYCLE system has helped IPD Selama to emerge as the best Police Quarters 2017 in Malaysia in category B.

“Finally our efforts have been recognised where the Royal Police of Malaysia of Selama District awarded the letter of appreciation to KOHIJAU during the 211^th Police Day celebration.”

“The recognition helps to motivate us to strive harder to help Perak become the cleanest state in Malaysia and help reduce carbon footprint to create a sustainable environment for our future generation”.