Going green: Students of Sekolah Raja Perempuan Taayah using their own containers to store the food bought in the school canteen. — RONNIE CHIN/The Star
IPOH: One year since it banned single-use plastic, a school here has reported fewer plastic containers and food waste being thrown into rubbish bins.
The compound of Sekolah Raja Perempuan Taayah, a major religious boarding school in Perak with 567 students, is cleaner too.
Under the ban which began in June last year, its “Say No To Single-Use Plastic” programme head Mohd Fikri Fadzil said it was compulsory for the students to bring their own water tumblers and food containers.
“The food they buy at the canteen will be put into their containers.
“If there are any leftovers, they will bring it back to their classrooms or dormitory to be eaten later.
“With less waste, there are also fewer pests,” he said.
He added that even the teachers would bring their own tumblers and containers.
Furthermore, he said the canteen operator had been told to use recyclable packaging.
In February, Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah told the state assembly that the Perak Islamic Affairs and Malay Customs Council and the Perak Islamic Religious Department (JAIPk) had initiated an effort to minimise the use of single-use plastics at religious boarding schools in the state.
Mohd Fikri said in an interview that the school had placed just a few rubbish bins in the premises, notably one in the canteen and another behind it.
“We also have a recycling terminal where recyclable items can be placed to be collected by a recycling company.
“This is in line with our school’s aim to inculcate a culture of going green,” he said, adding that the school was the winner of the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation recycling competition for urban schools in 2014 and 2015.
The programme’s food health section head, Amira Izzati Abu Bakar, said JAIPk would come to the school regularly to check on their progress.
“We also need to report to them every month,” she said.
Amira Izzati said it took some time for everyone at the school to adapt to the move when it was enforced last year, but they had since embraced it.
“We’ve also informed parents who visit their children at the dormitory to bring home any food leftovers or plastic packages,” she said.
Form Five student Auni Nur Iman Jamil, 17, said the programme is a great move to reduce the usage of single-use plastics.
“Before the programme was initiated, the rubbish bins were often filled with plastic bottles and packaging.
“There are not so many now and the changes are quite major,” she said, adding that the programme is good for the environment.
“I must admit that it was quite a hassle in the beginning as it was convenient to use plastic bags, but I have adapted to not using them now,” she added.
Sarah Hana Zafrullah, also 17, said the programme has encouraged her and her schoolmates to normalise the usage of tumblers and other non-single-use plastics.
“I have also encouraged my family members to do the same thing.
“We would also bring our own shopping bags whenever we go shopping for groceries,” she added.
Form Five student Nurasmaiyana Hairunizam said she is proud that the school had taken such steps to protect the environment.
“I hope that more schools can do the same,” she added.
When contacted, Perak environment committee chairman Teh Kok Lim lauded the programme, saying that schools, as part of the community, play an important role in shaping the nation.
“The state will look into creating initiatives or policies to further facilitate such campaigns not only in other schools but also to promote a whole community approach towards achieving a circular economy in the country,” he added.
