Boot camp participants looking for microplastics in Pulau Besar, Mersing.
A SUSTAINABILITY programme is spurring decision-makers at primary schools in Johor to introduce plastic-free policies to teach pupils the importance of taking care of the environment.
SJK (C) Bin Chong sustainability coordinator and teacher Lim Qiao Ying said she participated in the “Unravel the plastic catastrophe” boot camp in Pulau Besar, Mersing, and learned tips on how to eliminate waste at school.
During the three-day event organised in conjunction with this year’s Iskandar Malaysia Ecolife Challenge (IMELC), she said they gained knowledge about improving sustainability in schools.
Lim says a new in-school policy called to reduce plastic waste is being drafted.
“We also looked at the various aspects of plastic use and its effects on the environment.”
Lim said her school in Pontian had also received support from its canteen operator, who has stopped using single-use plastic cups and straws.
“We are in the process of drafting a policy to reduce plastic waste in school and encourage pupils and staff to switch to reusable bottles, food containers and bags.”
Another school, SK Penyabong in Mersing, is using its coastal location as a teaching tool to remind students about the negative effects of plastic waste on the environment.
Its sustainability coordinator Suhaifi Saad said the school was actively participating in activities such as beach cleaning to pick up litter, especially single-use plastic bottles found along the shore, with non-governmental organisations.
“Since our school is located near the sea, the pupils could see for themselves how waste affects the environment.
“SK Penyabong has also successfully introduced policies such as ‘No Plastic Day’ and ‘No Plastic Straws’.”
Suhaifi said the IMELC boot camp also gave his school an opportunity to network with other schools and pupils to improve sustainability at their respective localities.
The boot camp was part of the IMELC, a high-impact sustainability programme organised by Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Johor Education Department and Iskandar Regional Development Authority (Irda), involving 907 primary schools in Johor.
UTM’s senior lecturer Dr Nina Diana Nawi said the IMELC was in its 11th edition and this year’s theme was combating plastic pollution.
She added that the boot camp, involving 120 participants including 60 teachers from Johor primary schools, was also aimed at training them as advocates of zero single-use plastic use.
“Ahead of the boot camp, participants were given the task of assessing their schools’ abilities to achieve the IMELC targets including roping in pupils, parents and canteen operators as well as convincing nearby schools to join the effort,” she said.
“This year, we have set a target of 40 schools which will draft their own plastic-free policies to be implemented within their institutions.”
