(From fourth right) Phoon, Prof Mohd Wira and other guests with hand gestures signifying 5R (Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Reinforce) during the launch of the ‘no single-use plastic’ campaign at SMK St Michael Ipoh.
THE canteen at SMK St Michael Ipoh, Perak, is now free of single-use plastics.
Its principal Phoon Kean Loon said all eight stalls at the canteen no longer use plastic plates, cups and utensils, as part of the school’s 5R (Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Reinforce) awareness campaign.
He said the programme to reduce usage of single-use plastic was enforced from Aug 1.
“The campaign was started in June 2023 to increase awareness to lessen the use of single-use plastic in the school.
“On Aug 1, we enforced the no-plastic policy at the canteen, which also includes polystyrene packaging,” he said, highlighting that the campaign was part of the larger state-level Sekolah Tunas Hijau Fasa III programme.
“Canteen operators have been told to switch to using 100% recyclable packaging for food,” he added.
The Sekolah Tunas Hijau programme is a joint initiative between Centre for Global Sustainability Studies (CGSS), Malaysia Green Foundation, Centre for Education and Training in Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency and Green Technology (Cetree) and Education Ministry to promote and educate children on adopting a green lifestyle and green technology by opting for sustainable resources.
Phoon said SMK St Michael’s no-single use plastic campaign was launched by CGSS director Prof Dr Mohd Wira Mohd Shafiei.
He said the campaign had enhanced awareness and knowledge regarding green practices, through activities to manage usage of single-use plastic.
Prof Mohd Wira chatting with a canteen stall operator about the switch to using recyclable packaging for food at SMK St Michael Ipoh.
“Through the school’s Kelab Tunas Hijau dan Teknologi Hijau, we hope to make our community more alert on plastic waste management and use,” he added.
In his speech, Prof Mohd Wira said single-use plastic was a huge challenge concerning environmental protection and its impact on humans and wildlife.
“Single-use plastic not only pollutes the environment but contributes to carbon footprint.
“The process of making plastic requires a large amount of fossil fuel, which releases a huge amount of greenhouse gas into the atmosphere,” he said.
“This directly speeds up global warming, making efforts to combat climate change challenging.
“By lessening the use of plastic, we not only lessen pollution but contribute to lowering of carbon footprint and global warming,” he added.
Following the launch, Prof Mohd Wira, who is also Cetree coordinator, visited the school’s canteen and Tunas Hijau garden which has a self-watering system.
