Volunteers collect 166kg of waste, mostly foreign plastic bottles, from Pantai Kekabu in a two-hour cleanup drive during the monsoon season
MARANG: A total of 166 kilograms of waste, mostly plastic bottles, was collected within two hours at Pantai Kekabu.
Marang’s Geng Plastik Ija (GPI) chief Rahim Embong said 25 volunteers took part in the Plogging Santai Pulau Kekabu programme.
The volunteers included GPI members, Marang District Council garbage collectors, and local residents.
Rahim said the Northeast Monsoon brought large amounts of waste from overseas, polluting Terengganu’s beaches.
“Most of the waste consists of bottles from other countries, identifiable by brands not sold in Malaysia,” he said.
He added the cleanup was organised to maintain a good image for tourists, in line with the slogan Terengganu Negeri Cantik, Budaya Menarik.
Some of the collected waste will be sent to disposal centres, while plastic bottles will go to a recycling centre in Kampung Undang.
Rahim said the programme also aims to educate the public on keeping beaches clean, as they are important for tourism and people’s lives.
The Plogging Santai programme has been held regularly since Marang GPI was established in 2019.
It focuses on cleaning beaches, including Pantai Rhu Rendang, Pantai Rhu Renggeh, Pantai Jambu Bongkok, Pantai Rhu Dua, Pantai Rusila, and Pantai Angin Berbisik.
