Rows of students headed towards the school hall with bags of plastic bottles, old newspapers, and damaged books. In the hall, the students sat on the floor, separating solid waste and putting it in designated corners. A few moments later, a lime green truck arrived to pick up what the students had brought in exchange for cash.
SMK Dato Lela Pahlawan is one of the participating schools in Kedah under the Recycle for Life programme, with a mission to combat solid waste pollution through youths at schools.
Misbah Dato’ Abdul Hamid, Managing Director of Yayasan Sultanah Bahiyah, said, “Our garbage disposal facilities are filled to the brim. Now, imagine how much waste each Malaysian produces daily.” Malaysians are estimated to produce 38 thousand metric tonnes of solid waste per day in 2021, according to the Malaysian Investment Development Authority.
Pioneering the programme, Yayasan Sultanah Bahiyah partnered with E-Idaman, a waste management company that collects solid waste and provides participants with cash incentives. It is not only effective but sustainable—a win-win solution for the school and students.
But it was not as easy as it sounds to get the students’ buy-in initially. “Separating the different types of solid waste was a bit confusing so it was annoying because of the extra work,” said student Ali Firdaus Ismail, also Head of the Environment Club at the school.
Despite the initial barrier, Ali’s attitude towards the programme changed. Even his family is supporting him. “My parents created recycling bins for us to separate the trash, and now they are also actively recycling,” said Ali. He is not alone. Muhammad Faris Syazwan Nur Azizul is also a member of the Environment Club, and he had a change of heart too.
“I’ll get my siblings to help me recycle and they’ve been helpful,” said Faris. He added, “I feel like the habit of recycling has made me want to do more for the environment. Now, whenever I see trash by the road, I’ll do my best to pick it up.”
Faris and Ali are examples of why Yayasan Sultanah Bahiyah wanted to work with students. Misbah believes that change needs to be nurtured earlier on. “We believe that by working with the younger generations at schools, we can foster the sense of responsibility for recycling in their daily lives. Eventually, the habit will grow within their families and extend to the wider communities,” said Misbah.
Beyond keeping the environment clean, the programme provides a practical benefit to some students from B40 backgrounds. Misbah noted, “Simply by recycling, students and their families can earn extra income. We’ve observed parents willingly participating to help support their children in recycling.”
Supported under Hasanah Grant, about 90% of schools in Kedah are actively participating in the programme, and with the support from teachers, students, and parents, the results were promising. With over 5,000 students involved, the programme collected nearly 300,000 kg of recyclable solid waste, exceeding its initial target of 150,000 kg. After selling the solid waste to E-idaman, the total amount for the programme was RM56,557 in 2023.
“Yayasan Hasanah’s contribution was impactful because with their support, we managed to bring all the different partners together, including the Kedah State Education Department, to make this happen,” said Misbah.
Yayasan Sultanah Bahiyah’s initiative requires a collective effort to successfully nurture youths at schools. By involving different bodies, the results can be more promising. Zhi Lin, Special Project Analyst of Yayasan Hasanah, said, “We all must come together to address an issue, not only through youth but also through collaborative efforts of corporations, policymakers, and society. If we all come together, we might be able to achieve zero single-use plastics by 2030.”
For Misbah, targeting schools for the recycling programme is only the beginning. She shared, “I aim to reach a stage where communities within a 10km radius of the participating schools will also engage in recycling. The greater the participation, the more I am convinced that recycling will become second nature to everyone.”