No time wasted getting more markets to go green

Tuesday, 14 February 2012 06:49

THE organic waste recycling programme organised by Seberang Prai Municipal Council (MPSP) at the Bagan Ajam market has proven to be so successful that MPPP is extending it to other wet markets.

MPSP councilor Soon Lip Chee said they were expanding the organic waste collection project to 19 other wet markets in Seberang Prai by the end of the year.

“There is a strong support from the hawkers and consumers. We have decided to expand the programme to other markets,” he said.

He was speaking after handing over 150 recycling bins and 50 bamboo baskets at the Apollo market on Jalan Raja Uda recently.

Soon said the Bukit Mertajam market on Jalan Pasar was next on the list.

Recycling bins are placed at the markets for hawkers to throw their vegetable and meat waste.

The recycling programme was launched at the Bagan Ajam market in Butterworth last year.

Shence Greentech Sdn Bhd, which is appointed by MPSP, collects the organic waste daily.

They collected 4,606kg of waste in April last year, but in December, the waste had increased to 13,532kg.

“This shows more awareness among the public,” Soon said.

Soon said the organic waste collection would reduce the council’s yearly expenditure on waste collection.

Shen Greentech chief executive officer Shen Set Ho said last month that the company collected 16,710kg from the Bagan Ajam market and they also collected 560kg of organic waste from the Agilent manufacturing plant in Bayan Lepas, Penang, and 1,882kg from Ixora Hotel in Prai.

He said the company had a capacity to collect four metric tons of organic waste a day and what they collected was only about 10% of their capacity.

From The Star