Council wants residents to recycle

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WE live in “throw-away” communities and one will be astonished at what households discard, with everything from old roof tiles to books that are still useful found in the landfills around the country.

Klang Municipal Council (MPK) Environment Department assistant environment coordinator Omar Semaat said every day, people would throw out tonnes of material that ended up in the landfills.

Starting young: Omar (left) encouraging children to used the recycling bins.

“Only a fraction of the waste that comes to the landfills is legitimate waste. Sometimes, the discarded household items end up in the Klang River, which is choked with old mattresses, broken furniture and even garden refuse that costs a lot to clear,” he said.

Omar, who gave a talk on recycling at the Klang North Bus terminal, said the MPK was urging Klang residents to sell the items that could still be used to earn some extra cash.

“Our slogan is Go Green AND Cash In. It may sound a little ridiculous but the idea is to put cash in people’s pockets through recycling.

“We want people to sell the items that many are accustomed to throwing away and to stop replacing an item just because there is a newer model,” he said.

Omar added that the MPK wanted residents to become “misers” with a mind to reusing, reselling and recycling to earn cash from items that would normally be tossed away.

“We are also getting the help of the language faculties in various universities to help speak to foreign workers in Klang to encourage them to recycle. Some 60 recycling sites will be provided with special bins for residents wanting to drop off the recyclable items,” he said.