Malaysian digital marketeer leaves corporate world to upcycle plastic

.bungkus aims to challenge these notions by converting discarded plastic bags and fusing them into plastic resheets, says Chua. Photos: The Star/Faihan Ghani

Two years ago, Chua Ken Jin, 29, bade farewell to his digital marketing job at a property development company to embark on a path less travelled – setting up a business that upcycles single-use plastic bags.

"After graduating with a degree in Social Science, I dabbled in different jobs like running a nasi lemak store, working in an e-sports start-up and doing digital marketing. But after a while, I got disillusioned and jaded with the jobs. I've always been interested in sustainability so I started to volunteer at a permaculture farm in Kuala Lumpur.

"There, I met my future partners Jayce Izumi and Pamela Noer who were also interested in sustainable practices. One thing led to another and we decided to form .bungkus, an innovative recycling project that breathes new life into discarded plastic bags," says Chua.

"My parents weren't too happy with my decision. Their biggest worry was if I could make ends meet," says Chua in an interview at.bungkus workshop in Sungai Buloh.

Plastics have long been associated with environmental concerns, including the misconceptions about their recyclability..bungkus aims to challenge these notions by converting discarded plastic bags and fusing them into plastic resheets. These sheets form the foundation of their daily items, ranging from bags and pouches to laptop sleeves.

Chua says.bungkus works with a waste management company and individuals who supply it with lots of plastic waste.

To hone their craft, the founders turned to social media for inspiration. "After learning about plastic fusing online and attempting to make several prototypes, it seemed like a great idea to not only give value to the common single-use plastic bags, but to serve as a platform where we could connect with others to shift our waste-producing culture," says Chua.

"During our journey, a fashion undergraduate named Mio Miyasaka interned at our company. She developed more techniques and products on how to upcycle plastic waste into valuable items. Currently, we have seven people in the team. Mio has been with us since graduating from fashion school," he shares.

Fuelling the group's initiative was the alarming state of plastic recycling in Malaysia. According to the article 'Market Study for Malaysia: Plastics Circularity Opportunities and Barriers' on www.worldbank.org, Malaysia only recycled 24% of key plastic resins in 2019 and is not on track to meet the National Solid Waste Management Department's (JPSPN) recycling target of 40% by 2025.

The report adds that factors that exacerbate market failure for plastics recycling include the lack of regulatory clarity on the use of recycled content for food-grade applications and less incentives for source separation and diversion.

"This is worrying as most soft plastic waste is rejected by large-scale recycling centres due to plastics being soiled with food waste or dirt. While waiting for newer restrictions on manufacturing to be developed and enforced, it is important to take measures to solve the problem," Chua says.

Pieces of recycled plastic are cut and fused onto plastic sheets for a burst of colour.

Waste into wonders

Nestled in Jalan Kusta,.bungkus finds its home in an industrial area where sustainability takes centre stage. Housed within a double-storey warehouse, the innovative hub breathes life into discarded plastic bags through a simple upcycling process.

On the ground floor, there are towering piles of plastic bags, sourced from manufacturing companies across the Klang Valley, awaiting their transformative journey. Inside, a dedicated team handwashes each plastic bag, ensuring they are clean before they're dried at the back of the warehouse, Chua explains.

"We work with a waste management company and individuals that provide us with a lot of plastic waste. Some sheets sourced from food processing factories are dirty and foul-smelling. We wash them immediately to prevent any lingering odour," says Chua, adding over RM20,000 was invested to kickstart.bungkus.

Plastic sheets, especially those from food manufacturing companies, are washed to prevent any lingering odour.

Once dry, these bags are carefully placed on a plastic thermoforming machine, fusing them into large compressed sheets, measuring 100cm x 80cm.

With precision and artistry, skilled hands measure, cut, and stitch these compressed sheets into an array of sustainable products.

The journey, however, hasn’t been one without bumps. Consistency of the material was a significant challenge they had to overcome.

"Since we source waste from different groups, we end up with varying types and colours of soft plastics, leading to different effects during fusing or textile-making. Ultimately, it boils down to lots of research and development and knowing how plastic waste interacts with one another during the processes," Chua shares.

Once dry, these bags are carefully placed on a plastic thermoforming machine, fusing them into large, compressed sheets.

Inspiring change

Miyasaka, a Japanese born and raised in Malaysia, plays a pivotal role in designing innovative, sustainable products.

"Only plastics labelled Type 4 (low-density polyethylene), Type 5 (polyethylene), and Type 6 (polystyrene) can be melted into new things like bags, pouches and laptop sleeves."

Embracing the challenge of creating art from unconventional materials, Miyasaka finds fascination in fusing plastics using different colour combinations. "The outcomes vary, ranging from red and green to black," she says.

Miyasaka's advocacy for the environment drives her to upcycle plastic waste to help alleviate the burden on landfills. She points out that trash contaminates soil and crops and human ingestion of harmful microplastics is dangerous.

Miyasaka finds fascination in fusing plastics together in an array of colour combinations.

The response from consumers has been positive, with retailers eagerly supporting their cause. To engage more with the public,.bungkus has organised 10 workshops, teaching participants about the art of upcycling plastic waste into usable and useful items.

"Our participants are thrilled to learn about the different types of soft plastic waste and how to create new items from it. We emphasise that all you need is a heating source like an iron, parchment paper, colorful cleaned soft plastic waste and a strong DIY spirit," Chua says.

With a commitment to create a sustainable future,.bungkus has set ambitious long-term goals. Chua and his partners aspire to put Malaysia on the global map as a producer of eco-friendly and sustainable products.

Skilled hands measure, cut and stitch compressed sheets to be made into sustainable products.

"There’s a global movement happening with producers and innovators putting the task of recycling undesirable waste in their own hands. We feel that Malaysians have a lot to contribute to this space.

In the future, the .bungkus team wants to build a research centre to recycle other items like glass, paper and metal.

"Ultimately, we want to spur more individuals and groups to take on growing waste concerns in creative, collective and bolder ways. It doesn’t take a lot to pinpoint specific waste streams that aren’t fully circular yet, but it takes larger-than-life groups to develop actual solutions to this commonplace problem we all face," explains Chua.

.bungkus sets ambitious long-term goals, aspiring to put Malaysia on the global map as a producer of eco-friendly and sustainable products.