New app makes recycling a breeze in PJ

RESIDENTS in Petaling Jaya are now able to get the latest information on recycling programmes and communicate directly with waste management company KPT Recycle Sdn Bhd via the 3M Famili application.

Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) launched the application in conjunction with World Earth Day.

Residents can also make collection requests through the application, while getting notified about the collection schedule and the real-time location of the recycling trucks.

The app was launched to complement the Door-to-Door Collection and Recycling Programme.

The programme, which started as a pilot project in 2016, has reached its sixth phase.

It involves the collaborative efforts of Nestle (M) Bhd and Tetra Pak.

Since being officially rolled out in 2020, the programme has involved 85 areas in Petaling Jaya.

In 2023 alone, 4,239.2 tonnes of recyclable waste were collected, preventing them from ending up in landfills or polluting the environment.

This initiative was also in support of the government’s goal to reach a national recycling rate of 40% by 2025.

At the launch ceremony, mayor Mohamad Zahri Samingon said he was satisfied with the previous five phases.

He also expressed his wish for Petaling Jaya to continue striving to be a sustainable town.

Also present at the launch was Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Department director Zain Azly Abdul Rahman.

As a token of appreciation to the participants of the previous phases, a certificate and a cash prize ranging from RM250 to RM500 were given to the representatives.

In a bid to promote proper waste management among the community, the programme encourages participants to send their recyclables to KPT Recycle.

Among the accepted items for recycling are dry mixed recyclables (DMR), including paper, cardboard, used beverage cartons, glass bottles, plastics and metals.

Items such as used cooking oil, rubber and leather items, fabric, ceramic, porcelain, tissue paper, glass tableware and electronic waste will not be accepted.

Participants are to sort, clean and dry the DMR prior to placing them in the yellow recycling boxes provided by MBPJ and leaving them outside their doors.

KPT Recycle will collect the DMR on a weekly basis according to the collection schedule.

The collected DMR will then be deposited, weighed and sorted into recyclables and non-recyclables.

Recyclables will be re-processed or upcycled into secondary raw materials, while non-recyclables will be co-processed and converted into Refuse Derived Fuel.