Few recycling centres can handle e-waste, says recycler - The Star Metro Perak

June 16, 2017

Cheong (right) and a fellow worker checking on the bag of e-waste at the recyclable collection centre in Menglembu

SUN Soon Yik Sdn Bhd, in Menglembu, Ipoh, collects e-waste from various sources including shops, households, factories, schools and government departments.

Its general manager Vincent Cheong said there were only a few recyclable collection centres in Perak and none was able to do full recovery processing of electronic waste (e-waste).

He said items such as computer units, monitors, keyboards, smart phones or other peripherals gathered at his centre would be dismantled to separate plastics from metals and other materials like rubber.

“We are a partial recycling centre and we do not recycle or process the e-waste.

“There are other full recovery recycling centres in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Johor and Melaka to do so, but not in Perak,” he told StarMetro.

“They deal with the toxic e-waste, recovering precious materials like platinum or gold through chemical treatment,” he said.

“Computer motherboard, integrated circuit board or other electronic peripherals would release heavy metal that can be hazardous when it comes into contact with water,” he added.

He said some of the toxic components found in e-waste were mercury, nickel, lead, cadmium and lithium, which could be harmful to the human body.

The company will try to repair the disused computers collected first.

“If the item is beyond repair, then it will be sent for recycling.

“If it can be repaired or reused, the item will be sold to willing buyers,” Cheong said.

“Last year, we got 400 computer units from a local university and 300 of them were repaired and reused,” he added.

Cheong said the e-waste were usually sent to his centre by e-waste generators registered with the State Department of Environment (DoE).

“Sometimes, some charitable bodies will also have e-waste collection drive and they will send the items to us.

“We also collect disused items in bulk from shops, schools or governmental agencies,” he said, adding that they received an average of about two tonnes of e-waste per month.

“The state (DoE) always monitor all operations at recycling companies. They will have all the data on e-waste,” he added.

Cheong said developed countries such as Japan had a “take back” arrangement between manufacturers and consumers.

“For example, when buying a monitor for RM100, the consumer will need to pay an extra 10% for recycling or disposal purposes.

“When the monitor breaks down, the person would then send it to a collection centre to get the rebate,” he said.

“We are really lagging behind the developed countries, we lack these collection centres here in Malaysia,” he added.

Cheong also said public awareness of e-waste was sorely needed.

“The government or related authorities should create more awareness through mainstream and social media.

“They need to explain what happens to e-waste and how to dispose of them,” he said, adding that the (DoE) was doing a good job in monitoring all recycling centres to ensure no e-waste goes to the landfill.

“Education is a must. I can safely say that about 40% to 50% of the population do not know what e-waste is,” he added.

http://www.thestar.com.my/metro/community/2017/06/16/few-recycling-centres-can-handle-ewaste-says-recycler/

Plainclothes officers on lookout for litterbugs - The Star

June 14, 2017

PLAINCLOTHES enforcement officers from Ipoh City Council are now on the prowl to look out for litterbugs and to issue them with compounds.

Ipoh Datuk Bandar Datuk Zamri Man said the latest strategy by the city council to have “undercover” enforcement officers issuing compounds was aimed at deterring people from littering and creating illegal dumpsites.

“We have always been stern when it comes to litterbugs.

“This is our last resort after all other measures, which include warnings and advices, have failed,” he said in a statement.

“We hope the continued observation effort by our enforcement officers can solve the garbage and litterbug issues in the city,” he said.

Zamri said the latest incident occurred on June 8, whereby a Bangladeshi worker was issued with a RM100 compound under Section 47 (1)(a) of the Building, Street and Drainage Act.

The worker, he said, was found to be discarding rubbish at Lorong Taman Ipoh 1 in Ipoh Garden South.

“During our observation from 9am to noon, we have issued six compounds worth RM950 in fine under the Act and Garbage Disposal, Collection and Waste Disposal By-law to traders,” he said.

“This included cases whereby shopowners did not have garbage bins after being advised to do so,” he added.

Zamri said the city council issued 627 compounds worth RM86,440 in fine last year.

“As of May this year, some 1,579 compounds worth RM332,600 in fine have been issued,” he said.

http://www.thestar.com.my/metro/community/2017/06/14/plainclothes-officers-on-lookout-for-litterbugs/

Melaka not the cleanest state anymore - Star Metro

June 14, 2017

Melaka’s status as the cleanest state in Malaysia has now dropped to fourth place, said Deputy Housing, Local Government and Environment committee chairman Datuk Sazali Muhd Din.

Terengganu emerged top in the list compiled by the Tourism Ministry, followed by Perak and Penang. Sabah placed fifth after Melaka.

Sazali said Melaka's drop was due to lack of awareness among the public on the importance of cleanliness.

He said motorists throwing rubbish from their vehicles had also contributed to the state’s failure in maintaining its status as the nation’s cleanest state.

“In terms of the cleanliness campaign in the state, it is an ongoing effort and we did not face any problems doing it.

“The same goes for rubbish collection activities across the state,” he said after launching the Hang Tuah Jaya Municipal Council’s (MPHTJ) ‘Don’t Mess With Melaka - Don’t Throw Rubbish From Vehicle’ programme at Melaka Mall here.

Also present was MPHTJ president Datuk Murad Husin.

Sazali said the government will continue to carry out campaigns to educate the public that maintaining cleanliness is not solely the responsibility of local councils in the state but also requires the public’s cooperation.

Meanwhile, Murad said cigarette butts and food wrappers amounted to the most waste thrown out by litterbugs from their vehicles.

He said at least 1,000kg of rubbish thrown out by motorists was collected every month since MPHTJ formed its motorcycle special litter unit in December 2016.

“From January to May 2017, MPHTJ has issued 65 compounds against litterbugs,” he said.

He reminded motorists that undercover council enforcement officers will issue on-the-spot compounds against those who are caught throwing rubbish from their vehicles in areas under MPHTJ’s jurisdiction.

He said the offenders can be fined between RM150 and RM500 under the council’s by-laws.

http://www.thestar.com.my/metro/community/2017/06/14/not-the-cleanest-state-anymore-melaka-has-dropped-to-fourth-place-in-malaysia/

Plain clothes officers target litterbugs in latest NEA enforcement blitz - Straits Times

April 12, 2014

An NEA officer (centre) books an offender (right) for littering during the agency's latest enforcement blitz, conducted islandwide at more than 30 littering hotspots. -- ST PHOTO: LIM SIN THAI

To the average passer-by, the man in a striped shirt loitering in the open-air area next to Woodlands MRT station on Saturday afternoon was just one of many other people who appeared to be waiting for someone.

He was, in a way. As part of a team of six plain-clothes officers from the National Environment Agency (NEA), he was waiting to catch litterbugs in action as part of the agency's latest enforcement blitz conducted islandwide at more than 30 littering hotspots.

Plain-clothes NEA officers on the prowl for litterbugs at Woodlands during Saturday's littering enforcement blitz. --  ST PHOTO: AUDREY TAN

Working in teams of two, officers keep a lookout for offenders. Once someone is caught throwing rubbish on the floor, officers approach them and identify themselves as NEA officers before issuing a ticket.

There are about 92 littering hotspots in Singapore - mostly busy areas like MRT stations - and enforcement blitzes are conducted regularly.

Those caught littering for the first time face a $300 composition fine but will not be charged in court.

Plain-clothes NEA officers on the prowl for litterbugs at Woodlands during Saturday's littering enforcement blitz. --  ST PHOTO: AUDREY TAN

Recalcitrant litterbugs who are caught littering for the second time are slapped with a heftier fine and will be charged in court.

The latest enforcement blitz comes after NEA doubled penalties for littering on April 1 to $2000, $4000, and $10,000 respectively for the first, second as well as the third and subsequent court convictions under the Environmental Public Health Act.

The Straits Times saw at least five offenders caught between 4 and 5pm on Saturday, for littering and smoking in prohibited areas.

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/plain-clothes-officers-target-litterbugs-in-latest-nea-enforcement-blitz

Hop on a bike at KTM station - The Star

June 13, 2017

(From left) Ng and oBike (M) Sdn Bhd marketing manager Elaine Chan with KTM Bhd corporate communications head Ridhwan Arshad and Khair at the launch of the oBike at the Subang Jaya KTM station

INSTEAD of walking, hitching a ride in a car or taking a bus, you can now cycle to your next destination as you step out of the Subang Jaya KTM station.

Fifteen bicycles by oBike (M) Sdn Bhd are now available for rent at the station.

The oBike is a station-less bicycle sharing platform, which aims to change short-distance transportation through the use of technology.

The service is a collaboration between KTM Bhd (through its KTM Komuter service) and oBike to reduce travel time to or from home to the nearest bus stop, train station or short-distance destinations.

Commuters can use the service which charges RM1 for a fifteen-minute ride, by using the oBike app found in the App Store or Google Play store.

KTM Komuter is the first rail operator to support and provide the oBike ride-sharing service.

KTM Komuter service general manager Khair Johari Ishak said the bicycle service is an initiative to provide comprehensive transportation network that has continuity between one destination to another.

It is also environmentally-friendly and promotes a healthy lifestyle.

“This is a pilot project and we plan to open more oBike services in about three to five other stations in the Klang Valley,” he said, adding that they had yet to choose the stations.

Khair handing out bubur lambuk to commuters at the Subang Jaya KTM station after the launch of the oBike service

Khair said the service was new in Malaysia and would attract people to give it a try.

“Having it at the KTM Komuter station will be an added value and bring a positive impact to users.

“Indirectly, this effort will also encourage more people to use public services because there is now a wide range of public transport,” he said.

oBike (M) Sdn Bhd business launcher Ng Yong Ching said the oBike service was launched in April and began operating in Sunway City, with about 200 bicycles.

At the Subang Jaya KTM station, the company will provide 15 bicycles and will add more if there is demand.

“All our bicycles come with Bluetooth and GPS, so we will be checking the number of bicycles in the station every four to six hours.

“Once we identify the peak hours of usage, we will then add more bicycles,” he said.

Ng said based on data collected in the past two months, they had 20,000 users, of which 90% use the bicycles to travel up to 3km.

Of that, 40 to 50% of users are students and the rest are the public and tourists.

Although there are possibilities of theft or vandalism, Ng hoped the community would take care of this sharing service.

oBike bicycles are currently located at Sunway City, Subang Jaya, Petaling Jaya, Damansara and Kota Kinabalu.

Users who are 12 years old and above are covered by insurance.

oBike Sdn Bhd is offering “15 free service for 30 minutes” rides this month through the promotion code KTMB.

For details on the service and its promotions, visit the oBikeMY Facebook page.

http://www.thestar.com.my/metro/community/2017/06/13/hop-on-a-bike-at-ktm-station-collaboration-offers-commuters-option-to-rent-bicycles-in-subang-jaya/

Shopowners object to new rubbish dump - The Star Metro Perak

June 8, 2017

SEVERAL shopowners near the Tambun market are concerned by a newly erected concrete structure believed to be a rubbish collection facility next to their shoplots.

They feel that the structure, if it is to be used for rubbish, is too close to the shoplots and worse, the door of the structure is clearly visible from the walkway in front of the shops.

It is understood that the structure is part of an ongoing construction project of 10 food premises and a parking lot under the Ipoh City Council, which started in December last year and is expected to be completed on June 20.

Shopowner Francis Kwan said although the information board for the project did not specify that the particular structure is to be a rubbish collection structure, workers there told him that it would be used as such.

“When we realised this problem, we sent a letter to the city council on April 5 addressed to the mayor to voice out our concerns about the structure.

“Once people start throwing their rubbish in the structure, it will be very smelly and it wouldn’t be a comfortable experience for us who continue to operate our business here so close to the structure.

“Till date, we have not received any response from the council,” he told MetroPerak when met at the project site.

Kwan’s letter to the mayor also contained signatures from 11 other tenants who are against the structure.

Kwan, who has been operating from his shop for 11 years, also pointed out there is an existing rubbish dump near the Tambun market, which is not far from the new structure.

“It really isn’t an issue for everyone here to dispose of our trash at the existing rubbish dump, because that is what we have been doing for the past decade since we started operating our businesses here.

“I just hope that the City Council can take these concerns into consideration and move the structure further away to somewhere more suitable where it won’t face the front of our shops,” he said.

Engineering firm owner Megat Sharriffudin Ibrahim, 51, whose business operates from the floor above Kwan’s shoplot also expressed his concerns.

“The rubbish dump at the market is very messy and smelly, and now they are building another rubbish dump so close to our shoplots.

“It will be very unpleasant, to say the least.

“If someone were to occupy one of the shoplots here, especially the corner lot closest to the rubbish dump structure, it wouldn’t be good for business either,” he said.

Megat Sharriffudin said it should be common sense for the people responsible for planning the project to place the rubbish dump structure somewhere further away from a public area.

“I’m sure there are other better spots to build a rubbish collection facility.

“The road is also too small. Let’s say if the rubbish collection truck to stops there to collect the rubbish, traffic flow will be disrupted,” he said.

Electrical shop owner Mok Choo Lam, 59, said even if the rubbish dump structure cannot be removed, they should change the direction of the door to face another direction.

“With the door directly facing our shops here, the stench will be stronger.

“I have seen people who would pass by on motorcycles and toss their rubbish bags haphazardly into the rubbish dump site at the Tambun market.

“Who’s to say that the same thing will not happen with this new facility?” he said.

Environment engineer Anuar Hamzah, 45, who occupies a shoplot, is also worried about the new rubbish dump structure being overloaded if the council workers do not clear away all the trash on a regular schedule.

“I don’t think they should have built the structure in the first place.

“What they should have done is to upgrade the current rubbish dump to make sure that it is no longer messy like it is now,” he said.

Caterer Ahmad Ismail, 59, who was seen dropping off his clothes to wash at a self-service laundromat that operates along the same row of shoplots was concerned about the new structure.

“I come here once a week to do my laundry, and I found out that a rubbish dump structure is going to be built facing this row of shoplots. I have to wash my catering uniforms and table cloths, I imagine it would be awful if my newly washed laundry gets exposed to the bad odours in the future,” he said.

After visiting the site last Friday, Ipoh city Councillor Mazlan Abd Rahman gave his reassurance that the new rubbish dump structure built will not pose a problem to the shopowners as it is not open to the public.

“The structure is built specifically for the 10 stalls that will be operating from the new premises here, and the doors will be locked.

“It is not a place for anyone to simply throw their rubbish because the public already have another one near the Tambun market,” he said, adding that the new rubbish dump structure will be managed by the City Council.

Mazlan also said the City Council Health Department had studied the area and the current location where the new rubbish dump structure is located is the most suitable spot.

“I trust their recommendations”, he added.

http://www.thestar.com.my/metro/community/2017/06/08/shopowners-object-to-new-rubbish-dump-they-claim-the-new-structure-on-jalan-pasar-tambun-is-too-clos/

Good platform to air public’s views and issues - The Star Metro Perak

June 8, 2017

P. Muruga listening to one of the department heads during the Ipoh City Councils Customers Day at the Urban Transformation Centre (UTC)

CALLING it a blessing in disguise, P. Muruga, 47, was a happy man when his neighbourhood’s need for a community hall received the attention from Ipoh City Council officers at the council’s Customer Day event on Tuesday.

Last year, the barber met some council officials at the council’s headquarters to talk about the need for a community hall in Taman Mas Jaya in Buntong but they did not entertain his request.

This year, he decided to try again.

“I just needed someone from the council to listen to my request and I’m glad that the head of departments here spoke to me at length about the request.

“Customers Day is a good initiative by the council, it makes our lives easier as it acts as a one-stop centre. You can put in many requests at one go,” he said.

He added that many people in his area would like to conduct functions and it would be conducive for them if a community hall were to be built.

Organised every month on the first Tuesday, the event allows customers to forward their queries directly to the departments concerned.

Ipoh City Council Public Relations Officer Mohd Syahrizal Azmi said the council usually gathers most of the council’s department heads to attend Customer Day.

“There were 10 department heads present this week and they entertained the queries of the customers.

“The council is also offering a 75% discount on traffic compounds in conjunction with the 29th Ipoh City Day celebrations, and Ramadan from June 1 to 14 and customers can settle them at the Ipoh Urban Transformation Centre,” he said.

Former policeman Md Lazim Osman, 59, went to event to lodge a complaint about a nursery putting plants in front of a bus stop in Tambun, making harder for buses or taxis to see the stop because of the nursery plants.

“I’m 59 and this kind of event is very helpful since I don’t have direct access to the proper personnel. The officers were very obliging and they are going to take action on the matter. It has been happening for three years and it is time for the nursery to take away those plants. If it is resolved, it will be easier for buses or taxis to locate customers,” he said.

http://www.thestar.com.my/metro/community/2017/06/08/good-platform-to-air-publics-views-and-issues-ipoh-city-councils-customers-day-makes-it-easier-for-p/