Kicking off Plastic Free July with a stand against single-use plastics and advocating for low waste solutions and clean recycling!
SELANGOR (21/06/2022) – Zero Waste Malaysia (ZWM) and Hara Makers will kick off Plastic Free July 2023 by launching a 10-metre-tall installation made with 3 tonnes of plastic bags at community space, Parc @Subang Ria.
Over the past year, social enterprise, Hara Makers have conducted various river clean-ups and collected over 2,000 kg of waste. Of this figure, 60% typically comprises single-use plastic bags and food wrappers. This does not exclude the common plastic bottle, which usually ends up flowing downstream. Half of those single-use plastics collected are usually unbranded such as ikat tepi, straws, or plastic bags.
To address the urgency of this and the climate crisis, ZWM is organising a launch event to showcase a 10-metre tall balloon installation called SUP.rise, made by Hara Makers entirely out of single-use plastic panels. Over 3 tonnes of plastic bags were collected to create this installation and the set up is estimated to take up to 3 days with over 60 volunteers. The plastic panels used to create this installation were pieced together over 6 months with the support from corporates, schools, and supportive volunteers.
“SUP. rise represents a call to rise up against the escalating wave of single-use plastic waste. The period within the name serves as a visual pause, inviting us to pause and reflect on our relationship with plastic. The name itself suggests that these plastics are metaphorically ‘rising up to the sky,’ serving as a stark reminder of the pressing need to address this environmental issue.” quoted Hara Makers.
SUP.rise will be held at Parc – a newly relaunched community hub in Subang Ria with sustainability at its core.
“We’re excited about this collaboration with ZWM and Hara Makers. The SUP.rise event aligns with our goal to showcase community and sustainable living. We hope this event will inspire people to adopt more sustainable practices in their daily lives” said John-Son Oei of Parc, “We hope to have more events like this. Meanwhile, I encourage the public to come and experience the event as well as enjoy our space.”
The SUP.rise Launch will also include other activities: the Trashpedia Outreach Programme, Silk Screen T-Shirt Printing, a Zero Waste exhibition and an insightful panel discussion on “Educating and Engaging communities”. The Trashpedia Outreach Programme by Zero Waste Malaysia is an immersive recycling collection activity, encouraging clean and proper waste segregation. This recycling day is also supported by Muji Malaysia in their efforts to raise awareness about zero waste living.
“Since the launch of our Trash Encyclopedia in 2022, we have received positive feedback for having an all-in-one platform which breaks down recycling in the local context paired with zero waste alternatives,” explained ZWM Director and Co-Founder, Khor Sue Yee, “In our continuous efforts on bringing the awareness about clean separation and living a more low waste lifestyle, we invite everyone to join us and bring their clean and dry recyclables to the event to learn as a community, to foster a powerful catalyst for action”.
Members of the public can register for the event via this link:
Media Exclusive:
Media friends will have the chance to speak to representatives from ZWM and Hara Makers during a private tour of the event. If you would like to attend, please use the link above to register, or email tasha@zerowastemalaysia.org / media@zerowastemalaysia.org.
For official marketing materials & photos, please click here.
About Zero Waste Malaysia
Established in 2016, Zero Waste Malaysia (“ZWM”) is a non-profit organisation and community group based in Malaysia advocating for sustainable development and aiming to increase the local community’s awareness of sustainable living. Learn more about the cause at www.zerowastemalaysia.org.