(From second left) Fahmi and Maimunah with the new smart bin for glass recycling given to businesses in Bangsar. — YAP CHEE HONG/The Star
HUNDREDS of Bangsar Baru residents gathered outside the Saidina Abu Bakar As-Siddiq Mosque for a gotong-royong event in conjunction with National Day celebrations.
The event organised by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) also involved 10 other Kuala Lumpur electoral districts.
These were Dataran Ayer Panas in Setiawangsa, Section 1 in Wangsa Maju, Kuchai Maju in Seputeh, Pekan Sungai Besi in Bandar Tun Razak, Batu Metropolitan Park in Batu, Taman Sri Kuching in Segambut, Taman Pudu Ulu in Cheras, Jinjang Utama in Kepong, Taman Maluri in Titiwangsa and Jalan Tiong Nam in Bukit Bintang.
The event also saw the distribution of new 120l mobile rubbish bins by Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation and Alam Flora.
The new bins were to replace old ones at rubbish collection sites in residential and commercial areas.
To encourage glass recycling, business premises received new bins for glass waste from Lasaju Consulting Sdn Bhd and Glass Loop Sdn Bhd.
Smart sensors fitted inside these bins are able to detect high trash levels and notify waste management authorities to collect full bins.
According to information provided, 2,120kg of glass have been collected and recycled in the first six months of 2024.
The gotong-royong also saw a cooking oil recycling event organised by FatHopes Energy Sdn Bhd and DBKL under the 1 Community 1 Recycling (1C1R) programme.
Previously, the programme collected 15,313.5kg of used cooking oil for recycling.
Present at the event were Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil and Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Seri Maimunah Mohd Sharif.
Emphasising the importance of recycling, Maimunah said in her speech: “We should not litter, as this is one of the factors of flash floods in the city.
“By recycling, we can reduce waste and thus extend the lifespan of our landfills.
“In turn, this would help reduce costs for waste management which would then free up funds for helping communities in other ways.”
The mayor said piles of rubbish also contributed to the rise of pests.
“I think this event sets a good example for future generations to preserve our nation’s beauty,” said event participant Kalvindra Chandramohan.
Maimunah later said at a press conference that DBKL’s waste management took up 7% of the city’s budget.
She compared this to Japan where only 0.4% of the country’s budget was used for waste management.
