Garbage on wheels for TSM

Thursday December 24, 2009

Garbage on wheels

By HAMDAN RAJA ABDULLAH, The Star

MUAR: Taman Sri Maharani here has been picked by Southern Waste Management (SWM) as a model housing estate to introduce the use of wheeled garbage bins in Muar.

This residential area of about 170 houses in Jalan Daud here received free bins from the company recently.

SWM group general manager Adnan Ibrahim said the company picked Sri Maharani as it had several excellent community-related programmes for residents.

 
User-friendly: Taman Sri Maharani Residents Association assistant secretary Tee Seng Chai (third from left) and Muar municipal councillor Helen Wong (second from left) looking at one of the bins.

“It is not very big and has a close-knit community where all residents regardless of race join hands in looking after the housing estate,” he said.

The area was also the first in Muar to launch a community policing programme, he said during a presentation of bins by Muar Municipal Council president Wahab Ridwan.

Adnan said Taman Sri Maharani was only the third housing area in the state to receive the bins in over a decade, after Taman Melodies and Taman Putri Wangsa, both in Johor Baru.

He said the two areas in Johor Baru started using the bins 11 years ago and the company felt it was time to introduce the system in Muar.

 

Works well: Residents Association chairman Koon Chew Fatt (left), Adnan (third from left and Muar Municipal Council president Wahab Ridwan giving the thumbs-up during a demonstration of waste collection by a truck

The new bin had the capacity to hold 120 litres of garbage compared to the regular 80-litre bin, he said, adding that the bigger size could reduce the number of collections.

“With normal bins, we have to collect at least three times a week, but with the new bins, we can cut the frequency to twice weekly,” he said.

Wahab said Muar residents threw out 250,000kg of garbage every day and more than 5% of the waste could be recycled or reused.

He said it was important for people to have a strong awareness about recycling and reusing items.

People should adopt recycling and reusing waste materials to reduce waste collection by 40% in the next five years.

Earlier, Taman Sri Maharani Residents Association secretary Chua Teck Boon commended SWM and the council for making the housing estate a model residential area in Muar.

He said the residents were happy to receive the bins and pledged to co-operate fully with the council and SWM in utilising the system.

“We will ensure that all the residents use the bins as instructed by SWM and will recycle and reuse waste materials,” he added.