Recycle Your Old Dry Cells and Hand-Phone Batteries

This post is in response to the subject brought up by Jo Be, the Go Green Ambassador under UNDP. She asked me where to dispose the normal battery, you know, your dry cell for your remote control and other electronic gadgets. Well, to tell you the truth, I have no idea...!!! Hey I am new to this recycling thing. That's why I writing this blog. But not to worry Jo. I will try my best to find out!

Come to think of it, we are always reminded to be eco-friendly and environmental. Having read the Star article by Joseph Loh, I am now more aware of the household waste that we throw out to the rubbish bin. But I am frustrated that the article did not mention on how to dispose of those HHW. So I will try my best to investigate the best way.

According to Alam Flora, we should recycle used batteries because they contain toxic materials such as lithium, cadmium, nickel, lead and hydrate metals that are harmful to the soil and water if not disposed of properly. The chemicals can seep into the soil and eventually into our rivers and oceans. Throwing those harmful chemicals together with your household rubbish, would mean that you just poisoned your own drinking water and polluted your ocean full of food.

For dry-cell like you AAA batteries, we could send it to the recycling centre. I asked one recycling centre at Sri Kembangan, and the person- in-charge mentioned that he would send the batteries to be disposed at Balakong.

There are a few companies in Malaysia that are helping to promote the recycling of phone batteries by placing special transparent bins on their premises. Alam Flora Sdn. Bhd. and Kualiti Alam Sdn. Bhd. would collect these batteries to be sent to Korea, Taiwan and France.

So if you walk around the shopping malls, keep an eye on special transparent bins to dump your old phone and batteries for recycling. I noticed the special bin at the customer service in Jusco I0I just the other day. And I saw some dry-cells in the bin as well.

If you would like to upgrade your Nokia phones, it is best to go to their care center so that they can advise you for a new upgrade and recycle the old one.

If you are using Samsung products like I do, you can request a pre-paid envelope to recycle your Samsung mobile phone and genuine Samsung accessories by providing your details and email it to : samsungrecycle@sta.samsung.com. For more info visit the Samsung website

But before thinking of recycling, you should make sure that the phone is already useless. If it still can be used, you might want to donate it to someone close to you, or a relative. Other alternative is to resell it to the phone dealer. You might want to read Sony Ericsson take-back and recycle program and the research report on recycling.

There is one other alternative that I found on the web. Check out this website and you could recycle your electronics and get paid!

Wow! I have learnt a lot by writing this post. I would like to thank Jo Be for bringing up this subject. I hope this post would be helpful for you guys. If you can help me build this blog with suggestion, opinion and information, feel free to leave a comment. Thanks.

Polystyrene Tree to save Planet Earth!

Take a look at this picture. See that tree behind the three figures.(Joanna Bessey is center) That's made out of Styrofoam. Did you know that polystyrene have no expiry date? These are the very things that we should eliminate from our lives because they are considered as instant waste.

I wrote to Joanna Bessey about it and I'm waiting for her reply.

"I watched the official launched on the Breakfast Show NTV7. I am not pleased with the tree prop that is made from the Styrofoam. What a way to say "we care for the environment!". When later after all the commotion and campaign is over, we will see this tree, at the nearby landfill, trying to decompose itself throughout eternity.
I think that the organizer should planned thoroughly or should I say "greenly" about the event and campaign. The bloop just indicated that they are not serious...what do you think jo?"

Jo Be replied the next day, here's what she said:

"... In response to your comment about the styrofoam, you have a very good point! Actually, in person, I'm pretty sure the trees were not styrofoam, they were a bit more solid but I was only on stage for a short while, so I could be wrong. I think the ball of the earth MUST have been though! I shall try and confirm! We need more artists like you to come up with more "green" designs and alternatives."

I believe it was made of polystyrene. The reporter from NTV7 even had mentioned it. I think a wiser alternative would be to use paper mache, or just plywood, so that I would last longer. Wood is still natural and it will deteriorate sooner and later. The only problem with the wood issue is that reserved forest are being exploited and while conservation of timber trees are in slow progress.

Eco-friendly Shopping

Top: Biodegradable Plastic Bag. Bottom: Reusable Shopping Bag.

The next time you go shopping, don't just go and bring your purse. Sling your reusable shopping bag. While your at it, stuff up some of plastic bags that you shopped last week and reuse them to buy this weeks groceries. Trust me, you will make a difference. And I don't know if you have noticed, there are now biodegradable shopping bags available. This eco-friendly plastic bag deteriorates and breaks into small pieces you will have guilt free when you send them to the landfills.




Here in these pictures are the plastics and bags that I obtain from Jusco. I don't want to praise them big, but their initiative is okay. I to have biodegradable plastic bags is a way to go and I suggest that all hypermarkets do the same. The reusable shopping bag is okay, but I think Jusco should diversify the design. Not everything can fit into the RM4.90 nylon bag! I think to be more eco-friendly, use bags that are made from canvas or cloth.

Pledge to conserve energy!

My electricity bill

My water bill

This month I pledge to conserve energy as much as I can. My family don't use much. But I know I waste a lot of electricity by leaving the lights on when I'm not in the room. I have four electric fan and all in different rooms and they are not turned off till I wake up the next morning. So this time, I will try to watch out for any lights that are not in use and also the fan. I dunno about the water consumption. But, nevertheless I will try to save. I will announce the result next month, when I get my water and electric bills. Wish me luck...!!!

WAKE UP AND SMELL THE ROSES!

One fine morning, I woke up and went out to take some fresh air. It was too late to jog. I saw this rose and it bloomed so perfectly.

The sight of it just made my day....

Go Green Campaign

Did you know how much we throw!

Did you know that solid waste is a big problem in our country? In an article I read from the Denmark Embassy, the danish are working on supplying technology and equipment and know-how about solid waste management. Here are some importants points I have highlighted.

1. In Peninsular Malaysia, the amount of solid waste generated went up from 16,200 tons per day in 2001 to 19,100 tons in 2005, an average of 0.8 kilogram per capita per day.

2. In KL only, the waste accumulates to 3000 tons a day! And it's not getting any smaller...

3. Our modern lifestyle is to blame for. We buy, we consume, we throw away the packaging easily....we don't think of what would happen to the waste. When it's gone from your sight, problem solve....not!

4. Almost half our waste consists of food waste, a quarter of waste generated are plastic. The rest are paper and iron. Approximately 95-97% of waste collected is taken to landfill for disposals. The remaining waste is sent to small incineration plants, diverted to recyclers/re-processors or is dumped illegally.

5. The government aims to have 22% of the waste recycled by 2020. The Solid Waste Management Bill, adopted by parliament in June 2007, is to drastically change the structure of solid waste management in Malaysia and to open up for the development of a completely new business sector.

6. New concessions on domestic waste management will be introduced, as well as recycling, and handling of specific types of solid waste like plastic, paper etc. is highlighted. A number of Malaysian investors are looking into this area, and many are looking for foreign partners with the necessary expertise.

But still I don't know how to really dispose our waste correctly. Should we separate food waste from the other waste....does it matter. You tell me...

Check out this site:
Solid Waste Management – growing opportunities in Malaysia

My Recycling Progress

On earlier posts, I said that I need a recycle bin at home. I bought the bin a few weeks ago at Jusco. I thought that the department store would have a wider choice of recycle bins since they promote themselves as being green, but they only have the normal stepping bin for kitchen use. Alas, I only manage to get a large bin with a flipping top. Yeah, I bought only one. This is because there's not enough room under my kitchen sink or anywhere else in the small apartment of mine. I put all the recyclables in the bin and sort them later when it is full. Sounds like a plan...well we'll see.


And these are the stuff that I acummulated for many years. Plastics! Plastics! Plastics! Yes, I know they can be reused...but how long? If they get dirty or stained... and off to the garbage bin!
So we must opt for reusable shopping bags. preferably made from canvas or cloth.

My Little Apartment Garden

Back in my small apartment garden, there are no flowers, just greens. Want to see my little container garden?

Front: Japanese Sweet Potato Plant.

This plant grew from the basket in my pantry without any help. So I planted it in a good pot mix and some organic compost fertilizers. Every now and then, when the leaves are heavy, I pinch the shoots and boil them.
Usually I will get not more than a rice bowl. Good enough to eat for two with warm rice and sambal telur....delicious!

"My Baby Pandan Plant"
The reason why I started my little container garden. Good for sweet aroma for rice and hot teh 'O'.

Reusable stuff I used for gardening.

" My pride and JoY"
Little Tamarind Seedling is 5 months Old.

Take a break...enjoy nature's gift

Flowers in May

I notice flowers bloom during this time of year in Malaysia. April and May. This picture is taken at my inlaws in Kuantan. Its a red amyrillis. My mother in law didn't even know that the plant has flowers when she bought it last year. Hey, I know this picture is not about recycling but sometimes we must be reminded on how beautiful nature is and we should appreciate them anyway we can.

Happy World Environment Day!

How appropriate...the price hike for petrol in Malaysia falls on the World Environment Day. The UNEP website has come up with a list of 80 ways to celebrate the Environment Day and every other day as well. How did you celebrate the day? With petrol getting expensive, we might experience inflation. And what are our strategy to control our financial situation? I think this is the time for us to conserve energy, not only fuel but electricity and water as well. I'm thinking of lessening my car rides and jog to work instead.....kind of a healthy idea isn't it...but we'll see. I wonder what Malaysia would be in the next 5 years with all the inflation and price hike. Maybe people will start riding bicycles to work. Maybe more efficient and systematic public transportations for commuters. Maybe hybrid electric cars will be introduced to the country...for the ones that can afford them. Maybe people would eat-at-home rather than dine-out. Maybe people would start recycling, and composting, make handmade reusable materials to earn extra money and income. Maybe a whole new greener world. Right now I am vision of many positive outcomes from this situation. If we adopt this positive thinking we might achieve them altogether...