Centre to create sustainable KK community

Kota Kinabalu: City Hall (DBKK) is setting up the Lestari Centre Kota Kinabalu to create public awareness on waste reduction.

DBKK Solid Waste Management Department Director Leong Tze Fui said the programme will kick-start this weekend at the Kota Kinabalu Community Hall here.

“There are two components to this programme - first is to encourage people not to throw away their items but reuse them, either by repairing the items or by donating it to our centre here.

“The second part is on having monthly education activities where the public would be taught how to reduce their waste, for example through composting and recycling,” he told the New Straits Times.

The centre also provides employment to at least eight people as they will be opening counters for skilled people to mend broken items.

Leong added that the public could come to the community hall everyday between 8am and 5pm either to get their shoes, clothes, or other electrical items repaired at the centre.

He also encouraged people to donate items such as old clothes, kitchen appliances and other things that they do not want anymore to the centre.

“Bring those things that no longer have any value to you to the centre. What is of no value to you might be useful for others.

“Items such as e-waste, unused electrical appliances, plastic bottles, aluminium cans and others that have value can also be sold here.

“During the monthly educational awareness activities, the centre will also give out those donated items to the public for free.”

Every day, between 550 and 700 tonnes of solid waste from the city alone is being dumped at the landfill.

Leong added that such a programme would only help to reduce the daily wastage by 0.01 per cent.

“The most important thing from this programme is to create public awareness.”