Clutter begone: Workers from the solid waste concessionaire Alam Flora collecting discarded furniture from a house at Taman OUG in Kuala Lumpur. — AZHAR MAHFOF/The Star
PETALING JAYA: Recycling service providers and waste collectors are seeing a bump in demand as households look to part with clutter to usher in the Chinese New Year.
Spring cleaning, a centuries-old tradition for the lunar new year, involves getting rid of unwanted household items such as old furniture, mattresses, clothes and appliances in favour of new ones.
These unwanted items are either sold, donated or recycled, depending on the company involved in the collection.
Salvation Army Family Thrift Stores senior operation manager Teh Chong Meng said the Salvation Army usually receives more enquiries from donors between December to February, when most people are doing their spring cleaning.
“We accept anything in good and usable condition including clothing, books, children’s toys, furniture, electrical goods, household goods, as well as vintage items such as CDs and radio cassette players,” he said.
Donated items are collected from its drop-off points in the Klang Valley, Penang, Ipoh, Melaka and Kuching, or from the homes of those who request for door-to-door collection, said Teh.
Usable items will be sold at The Salvation Army Family Thrift Stores in UEP Subang Jaya, Penang, Ipoh, Melaka and Kuching, he said, adding that its prices are kept affordable to enable underserved communities to have the dignity to choose what they want for themselves.
“At The Salvation Army Family Thrift Stores, they can purchase items that would otherwise be out of their salary range, such as an oven that a single mother would need for her home-based catering business, or clothing for children, especially if they have large families,” said Teh, adding that all the money from the sales go towards managing its charitable homes and centres.
He added that due to manpower and transportation reasons, door-to-door services are only available for large and heavy items such as furniture.
Bookings can be made through an online form at www.salvationarmy.org.my or via sending a WhatsApp message with photographs of the items to be donated to 011-6292 1078.
Karun Hijau, a paid recycling service provider, said that it usually receives double or more the number of enquiries for their services during the Chinese New Year period compared to other times.
“Normally, 45 days before Chinese New Year will be our peak season. The highest peaks are during the last 15 days before Chinese New Year,” said its customer service team.
Karun Hijau said the collected items would be separated into reusable, repurposable, repairable or recyclable categories.
Karun Hijau is reachable via www.karunhijau.com, its Facebook page and WhatsApp at 011-7000 1555.
Klang Valley folk will also be able to enjoy free bulk waste collection prior to Chinese New Year.
Federal Territory Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp) director Ummi Kalthum Shuib said all bulk waste in the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya will be collected on or before Feb 5.
“Bulk waste collection will be halted from Feb 6 to 11 to ensure cleanliness and orderliness during the festivities,” she said when contacted.
In Selangor, the state government’s subsidiary KDEB Waste Management Sdn Bhd is carrying out bulk waste collection for landed properties in Sepang and Subang Jaya from Jan 29 to Feb 9.
Its corporate communication assistant general manager Mahfuzah Muhammad Tarmidi said there is usually an increase in demand for bulk waste collection just before this festive season.
“We can receive stuff such as old furniture and mattresses but not construction waste,” said Mahfuzah when contacted, adding that appointments can be made via the i-Clean Selangor app.
For Sepang residents, appointments for collection can also be made by calling 1-800-88-2824 or via WhatsApp at 019-274 2824, while Subang Jaya residents can contact 03-8081 4437 or send a WhatsApp message to 011-3558 4437.
Appointments for collection can be made from Jan 22 to Jan 31.
Meanwhile, the Petaling Jaya City Council’s spring cleaning programme will go on until Feb 3 for the Chinese New Year festivities.
Upcoming collections in Petaling Jaya will be on Jan 27, Jan 28 and Feb 3.
