World Cleanup Day 2024 Draws Over 108,000 Volunteers Nationwide

KANGAR, Oct 6 (Bernama) -- The World Cleanup Day 2024 programme, which took place from Sept 21 to 29 and concluded today, saw the participation of 108,456 volunteers nationwide, surpassing the initial target of 40,000.

The Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation (SWCorp) stated that through this programme, volunteers, including representatives from 461 agencies, cleaned 1,280 locations, collecting a total of 7,882 tonnes of waste and 49,968 cigarette butts.

“Themed ‘We Clean the World’, this year’s programme featured various activities, including cleanup initiatives, waste audits, and the World Cleanup Day Ride with the Raja Muda of Perlis (Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra Jamalullail).

“Competitions covering various categories, including best agency, most volunteer participation, and highest waste collection, were also organised, offering a total prize of RM27,000,” said SWCorp.

The statement was released in conjunction with the launch of the national-level World Cleanup Day 2024 programme, which was officiated by Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra at Dataran Kurong Tengar, Kuala Perlis near here.

Also present were Perlis Menteri Besar Mohd Shukri Ramli and Housing and Local Government Ministry (KPKT) secretary-general Datuk Wira M Noor Azman Taib.

According to the statement, the waste audit is an essential component of World Cleanup Day, focusing on the separation of collected waste by category to identify trends and the most commonly discarded types of waste.

It also mentioned that KPKT had mobilised government agencies nationwide for the implementation of World Cleanup Day through the Malaysia Clean Day 2024: Mega Cleaning Programme, held on Sept 28 in Kuala Lumpur.

“The programme was conducted simultaneously in 153 local authorities across the country, from 8 am to 8 pm,” read the statement.

KPKT has achieved recognition in the Malaysia Book of Records by setting three new records through the programme, namely the Largest Simultaneous Participation in an event with more than 50,000 participants, the Heaviest Solid Waste Collected in a Day at 3,000 tonnes, and the Longest Continuous 'Gotong Royong' Cleanup Programme lasting 12 hours.

In this regard, SWCorp hoped that the World Cleanup Day programme would raise community awareness about the importance of cleanliness and instil recycling practices.

“This is because solid waste management is not just the government’s responsibility; it requires the involvement of all parties, including the community,” it said.

Meanwhile, Rosnani Nazri, a volunteer participating in the programme today and Coordinator of Pertubuhan Alam Sekitar Sejahtera Malaysia (GRASS Malaysia) Perlis, said that GRASS Malaysia Perlis has formed a strategic partnership with SWCorp and E-Idaman since 2019 to conduct cleanup activities in Perlis, particularly in the coastal area around Kuala Perlis.

“The condition of the coastal area in Kuala Perlis is critical due to the substantial amount of garbage washed up from the sea.

“Last week, we conducted a cleanup on Pulau Ketam (in Kuala Perlis) and collected approximately 600 kilogrammes of plastic waste,” said Rosnani, who is also a senior lecturer at the Faculty of Applied Science at UiTM Perlis.

Another volunteer, Muhammad Hakim Husaidi, an 18-year-old student from Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Polytechnic in Arau, expressed his excitement about participating in the programme today, where he learned about different types of waste during the coastal cleanup.

“I see this as a form of charity work; it feels rewarding to learn about the different types of waste and to experience firsthand what SWCorp employees do while collecting garbage. This programme can greatly improve Perlis’ image by clearing the rubbish found along the roads,” he said.

-- BERNAMA