Dow and MPMA partnership for recycling

The Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association (MPMA) and The Dow Chemical Company (Dow) joined forces for the fifth time on the challenge intended to educate students on waste separation and recycling, as an important move to reduce the amount of waste being sent to landfills and ending up in the environment as litter.

 

The challenge, which kicked off in April, is composed of 4 challenges designed to educate and inspire students on the importance of recycling and sustainability. The challenges are: Recyclables Collection whehere students collected recyclables (plastic, paper, aluminum, e-waste) and brought them to schools to be weighed and collected; Photography, where students submitteda photo that features the theme of “I Love Recycling”; Sketch Performance, where students create and perform a sketch with the theme “Litter Villain vs. Recycle Hero”; Choral Speaking Performance, where groups of students participate in a choral speakingcompetition themed around the Three R’s: “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.”

 

 

This program  continues to grow each year and help inspire and educate the next generation of students so they can be better environmental stewards, according to Dato Raymond Sng, vice president of MPMA. He added that the competition drives a great combination of curiosity and awareness for sustainability along withcreativity and expression through the various challenges.” This challenge is part of a bigger platform for social and environmental improvement through educationand outreach, ensuring that students understand and advocate for responsible management of waste.Also part of this education platform is the Eco-Ranger Camp where Dow and MPMA partnered to helpteach students about waste management, recycling and understanding plastics as a valuable material. During the camp which took place in May, students worked together with teachers to developsustainability projects that they later implement in their schools.“As a major plastic producer, Dow believes that no plastic should end up in the environment,” said Dr.Han Zhang, Asia Pacific sustainability and advocacy leader, Dow Packaging & Specialty Plastics. “This can only happen through partnering with organizations like MPMA and educating students on the valueof the materials we use every day so we can work together to advance a circular economy.

 

The MPMA-Dow School Environment Challenge has grown in participation from six schools in 2016 to17 schools this year. This program was designed by MPMA and Dow to be self-sustaining so that itcan continue its mission of educating and inspiring future generations while expanding its reachthroughout Melaka. The program will continue to run with partner E Ijau Millennium Explorer, anenvironmental NGO who is leading the development of eco-schools in Melaka, based on the coreprinciples that were established by Dow and MPMA. Besides E Ijau, the program partnered with a localrecycler, Lam Chong Group, for the Recyclables Collection competition.