Wednesday, May 28, 2008

WEDNESDAY-28TH MAY 2008- BANKS TO RECYCLE AND COLLECT WASTE MATERIALS

Banks to recycle and collect waste materials

KOTA KINABALU:

The Junior Chamber International (JCI) Intan in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Culture and Tourism through the Environment Action Committee (EAC) will be organising an environmental project in conjunction with the World Environment Day. Miss Zyee F. Dullie, the Organizing Chairperson, said the environmental project is involving 10 major banks along the City’s main street of Jalan Gaya. According to her, this project came about as she was formerly working in one of the international foreign banks and found out that the big piles of papers shredded everyday by the bank employees were just being thrown away at the main garbage bin, pending collection by the local authority. “There was no proper way of dispensing the paper wastage. There is no denying that every company is going for electronic processing and storage. However, some things still require documentation and will thus lead to their eventual disposal,” she said. According to Zyee in this project, all the participating banks will be given reusable gunny sacks provided by Bernas Corporation as well as garbage bins funded by the EAC for them to gather their shredded papers. The duration of the project is for one year and proceeds will be given to EAC for future environmental projects. “Apart from that, they are also encouraged to collect other recyclable wastes such as old newspapers, cardboards and even outdated pamphlets, brochures and forms. These wastes will be collected weekly by Madam Foong & Sons Trading, a recycling collection company,” she said. Zyee, who is also the JCI Intan Honorary Secretary, disclosed that from a survey that she conducted among the banks, there is an average of three to four kilograms per week of shredded paper produced by each bank. “Thus by encouraging this recycling it is hoped that less recycable waste will end up at the main garbage site in Kayu Madang, Telipok which is quickly filling up,” she said. She also stated that among the other objectives of the project are to create awareness in the community on the importance of recycling, to reduce the wastage of shredded paper and instead to encourage the recycling of it, giving another meaning of “sustainable banking”. “Based on the views from many people whom I have come in contact with throughout this project, they find that it is normally easier for people to recycle when it is done collectively rather than individually,” she said. Zyee hoped that this project will be extended beyond the intended one-year period and the same project or similiar ones may be organised to reach out to other sectors such as the hotels. The local banks which have stated their interest in participating in the project are Agro Bank, Eon Bank, Hong Leong Bank, Affiance Bank, CIMB Bank, Affin Bank and AM Bank, while the international foreign banks are HSBC Bank, United Overseas Bank and OCBC Bank.