Happy Merdeka Celebration

Today marks the 52 years of Malaysia freed from colonization. On 31st August 1957, Malaysia (then called Malaya) was declared independence from the British. My generation of post Merdeka (Malay word of Independent) has not seen the struggle by our great grandparents and leaders on claiming independence via peaceful mean. So, sometime we might have not appreciated what our seniors talked about in fighting for independence. We tend to use our own assessment in evaluating what we, Malaysian should be gone through in years to come. I think our generation share universal value of good governance, transparency, justice, accountability, respectful, mutual understanding, hardworking, honest and etc. I believe these are values, if promoted and executed fairly will unite all of us.

1Malaysia as envisioned by our Prime Minister is timely reminder of us that despite with a multiculturalism and ethnic society, we can nurture a society with shared vision and direction. And I believe we can. When we go oversea, we always introduce ourselves to foreigners that we are Malaysian rather than Malay, Chinese or Indian as what we have been calling ourselves in Malaysia. All of us like nasi lemak, choy koay tiew and roti canai, the authentic Asian food we have enjoyed for the past century in Malaysia. We should further enhance the similarities we have.

We must be able to agree to disagree. Happy Merdeka...

Informal Sector's Social Responsibility

I found some food stalls at the Ueno pedestrian shopping area, Tokyo. This is a common scene even in Malaysia, but what interested me is customers either have the food taken away or having there with simple seating. Wondering why, I decided to have a drink at the opposite stall with this grill chicken stall. After a while, I realised customers prefer to have their meal there as finishing the food required rubbish bin for disposal. Since 1962, prior to the Tokyo Olympic Game, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government decided to do away with the rubbish bins on the street and public area. The change of strategy in accordance to the principle of producer responsibility has changed the behaviour of people throwing rubbish in any where. Public has to bring back the rubbish or deposit the rubbish with the businesses. That's explain why customers prefer to have their meal in front of the small stalls, under public scrutiny and sunlight. Since Malaysian is fond with street hawker foods, perhaps we should adopt the same strategy in order to apply the principle of producer responsibility. I believe the hawkers do have social responsibility as the property owners are the one who funded the construction of food courts, part subsidise the maintenance and management of these food courts as well as bearing with pollution generated, if any. Thus, perhaps take back system for hawkers can be tried out.

Civic Mindedness

It is a public toilet at the Tsukijishijo Fish Market. I thought being at the normally untidy area of wet market, the odour will be strong and unbearable, but it is not the case with this toilet. I tried hard to smell but the odour was way below the usual level we have in Malaysia. I believe this must have something to do with the culture of Japanese. Members of the community are willing to clean up the toilet, even at the public place after using it simply because they hold on to the believe that next person is entitled to have a clean area for finishing their business. They are so considerate and looking after other people for enjoying the facilities whereas back home we tend to leave everything to the cleaner. We have always thought that the cleaner is paid to do this job and we can have the privilege of not cleaning it, or even dirtying it. However, we have always forgotten about individual responsibility in which an action by an individual collectively will make an impact. For example, if everyone is willing to clean the toilet, then we might not need to employ many cleaners, and hence reduce the cost is possible. Similar concept if applied to the public area cleansing and rubbish collection at the public area should have us paying less tax, isn't it?

Bon Voyage, Tokyo

I presented the coffee table of Petaling Jaya: Truly SHE to Mr T. Yamaguchi, the programme coordinator of JICE who have been with us throughout the duration of the E-Waste Management Training Course. He is very helpful and resourceful on the field of our study. It makes the course a fruitful one. Thank you, Sir.

It also marked the last day of our training in Japan. It is not an end but a beginning on searching effective legal framework, mechanisme and governance system, collection and recycling system, publicity and communication program and of course the stakeholders partnership for Malaysia in implementing the E-Waste Management. I believe the officers from Department of Environment are eagerly looking forwards for this to realise. For me, I am burning to assist in whatever way I could, after all learning such best practices in Japan is actually an eye opener.

Concept of Recycling

Mr Kiyoshi Ueno, Fellow for the Centre for Research and Development Strategy, Japan Science and Technology Agency lectured us on the WEEE Recycling Regime in Japan last Wednesday. One of the interesting point brought forth was the difference between Recycling Ratio and Recovery Ratio of Waste. Comparatively, if both the ratio are high, then a 3R programme is highly effective. While recycling ratio is high but the recovery ratio is very low, then the 3R programme might not have achieved the desired result. Recycling ratio means recyclable waste over total waste collected whereas Recovery ratio means recoverable waste over the waste that can be recovered. Recycling and recovery are both important elements in 3R initiative. The residual left after the process of recycling and recovery should be negligible so that the burden of land fill can be lessen. In Malaysia, we are still in the infant stage of recovery although there are 17 licensed full recovery plants and 124 partial recovery plants. Due to technology know how and capacity or perhaps financial feasibility, many items such as mobile phones and camera are not being recovered yet. I was made to understand that manufacturers of these items although having strong CSR initiative are reluctant to collect these items as many of these items are not genuinely made by them.

I realise that is not only about turning waste into wealth, it is also about economy life cycle. The informal recyclers provide competition and cost advantage is making life difficult for the licensed recyclers, the imitated goods have the manufacturers distanced themselves from recycling activities, the extended producer responsibility might create unrest amongst the consumers who are the waste producer and many other considerations.

It is not that easy, I think after spending 20 days in Japan. Having said this, we have to start some where although with a small step or else waste problem will become a big challenge to Malaysia, economically, socially and environmentally. Some have suggested that we should think of creating a crisis for the recycling becoming a norm in life to happen. However, with the current political scenario in Malaysia now, I think it is rather difficult.

Life Style Change

Japanese is known for their habit on reading. It was reported numerous time that Japanese like to hold a book or magazine while waiting for transport or even on the train. The presence of many bookstores has actually a result of their reading habit. However, people always change is inevitable and efforts to resist changes might brought in disastrous result. I think it makes sense when the changes are associated to the advancement of technology and commercialisation. Businesses tend to explore further and further methods of making more money in a shorter possible time frame. Hence, it is not surprising to notice that Japanese especially the younger generation is abandoning the habit of reading hard copies materials. I found that people are watching their mobile screen attentively whenever they are and I wonder why. Later, I was informed that mobile in Japan is featured with multi functions. Apart from the phone service, the mobile can receive multimedia, visual and pictures as well as TV programmes. Japanese is treating the mobile phone as their TV receiver, play station, radio, pda, camera and many more. No wonder the habit of reading hard copy has changed now and replaced by the digital format via mobile. The clearly shows that technology will change the world, even disciplinary people like Japanese.

I believe in the very near future Malaysian will pick up the habit of watching the mobile screen for game, sms, TV and music. But for reading the e-book might be a distance away since we do not inculcate the habit of reading book. Perhaps in future the books in the form comic or pictorial stories will have better prospect.

The World is changing and we need to revolve or else being sidelined.

Extended Producer Responsibility

When we mentioned about producer responsibility, we always refer producers to the manufacturers, the parties who produce items for sale. However, under the Extended Producer Responsibility concept, producers are referring to everyone in different stage of products life cycle. From the extracting of resources, converting resources to products, distributing and selling of products, using the products and finally disposing of the products when it comes to end of life of the products, everyone is the producer. It is calculating based on the level of responsibility by any party who is benefited from the products. The more you enjoy it, the more you should bear the responsibility of disposing it. The application of this concept in EU and Japan has actually forced industry to practice 3R thoroughly. Design for Environment or Eco Design is a continue strategy by the manufacturers to reduce their use of resources and to reduce the generation of waste. For the consumers, green purchasing and buying products with longer life span and multi functions will reduce the cost they need to pay to disposal. For example, purchasing with higher price and replacing the home appliances once in five year instead of once in a year will actually help in reducing the waste generation, a gesture that most Japanese are willing to comply. Having said this, for developing countries when it comes to affordability and green procurement, pricing factor is always supersede other considerations. It is not that people are not environmentally concerned, but the social well being will normally has a say in personal decision making.

Extended Producer Responsibility, although a concept friendly towards environment is not easy to implement if people are not ready to share the public environmental cost for keeping a good living environment. For Malaysia, the day perhaps is not that soon.

Fuji Museum

I visited the Fuji Film Museum at Robbonji, Tokyo last Sunday. The 2 floors Museum showcased history of camera and photos film industry, type of camera, photos with nice scenery and people. More importantly they have a photos gallery promoting the coming International Bio-Diversity Year of 2010 and the Convention to be held in Japan next year. It is a museum sticking to its original purpose without forgetting about the environmental education. The multi-functional and purposes showing the social responsibility by Fuji Group. Sometime i wonder if everyone on their own cocoon and field does a little bit more about environment, the Earth might be better and those in the environment circle might not feel burned out. For instance, if the hawkers can promote using plastic bag wisely, the restaurant operators can provide incentive to customers bringing their container for take away food, the drivers can stop their engine for waiting long and many other small daily routines. When can we have that level of awareness for creating a sustainable community? I have no answer...

Sustainable Life

A sustainable life cannot be realized until consumers support companies that think of the future seriously by engaging the companies and buying their products or services. According to Ms K. Tatsumi, the Executive Director of the Nippon Association of Consumer Specialists, people have a choice in deciding the sustainable society they are envisioned and wanted to. While we are kept complaining about unscrupulous of businesses of polluting the environment, producing unhealthy food and charging excessive price, the consumers have actually neglected their responsibility and rights. Having the purchasing power means the consumers have a choice of selecting goods or services of their preference. Consumers might consider the factor of price, quality, accessibility, safety, health, hygiene and also environmental carbon footprint. If we, the consumers collectively prioritise the environmental carbon footprint as main concern, then I believe the market forces will tell the businesses what to do and how to do, fast. The businesses will change and embrace good environmental practice, design for environment, strive for Eco design and other environmental friendly production to fulfil the need expressed by the consumers. By doing so, then people will be guaranteed of having a sustainable life.

In summary, the consumers' choices can change the global environment and our Mother Nature. In order for the consumers to make an informed choice, availability of information on the useful life of products or the life cycle assessment of products should be there. Having information readily is not sufficient still, consumers have to be sensitive to the information and keep updating ourselves on the availability of green products or services. With that, action is ready.

Urban Mines

Virgin metals such as iron, copper and gold are extracted from the mines. A country with abundant of mines is rich as natural resources are getting scarce now. While every nation looks elsewhere beyond their boundaries to search for metals, the Japanese is talking about exploring the urban mines in their cities. To them, the rubbish we generated daily has variety of metals. It is matter of extracting them. If this is true, then the urban with its daily generation of waste is becoming a mining area. For example, gold, copper, platinum can be extracted from the mobile phone and similarly from most of the home appliances. I think this concept of attaching economical value onto recycling initiative has larger impact. As money is uncovered there in the dump site, the possibility of getting businesses toward the solution of waste management will be higher. So, for those pioneer and skillful enough to extract the metals and valuable items from the waste, it is as good as owning a mine, in the urban area.

No Rubbish Bin City of Tokyo

After spending two weeks here in Japan, I noticed that such a big city like Tokyo has no rubbish bin at all on the street. When I visited the Asasuka Temple area, a tourist spot I thought i might found some bins, but I was wrong. According to Prof. Yoshifumi Fujii of Bunkyo University, this is part of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government strategy to curb the solid waste problem. It is done according to the polluters pay principle in which the waste generator has to take responsibility of disposing the rubbish. Since no bin is provided on the street, the generator has no choice, but brought back to their house or work place. This school of thought believes that by creating troublesome to the waste generators, they will be very careful on using resources and generating the waste. They will try their very best to optimise the resources. However, another school of thought believes that in order to raise awareness and inculcate good habit on solid waste disposal, placing of bins at strategic point is very critical. They say instead of asking people to climb the mountain, bringing the mountain to the target group will be more effective. For the former to be successful, awareness and commitment of the people must be very high. Everybody is willing to do a little bit extra. For Malaysian, I do not think we are ready for the first approach. Even with the other approach, the result is not that encouraging simply because the majority have no compassion of doing that.

Former Landfill Site

I have this picture in front of a monument in commemorated with the visit of Japan Emperor to this site. This is a trees replanting site at the Kosaka Town. This is a brown field site, a former landfill. The landfill was used for depositing the ash from incinerator operated by the Dowa Waste Management Group of Companies, the largest waste company in Japan. After a year, the grass starts growing and trees are planted now. They have no plan for making this site for any purpose except as a green area although no methane gas was noticed to discharge. According to them, this is precautionary principle they applied. Perhaps, this is lesson learned for some of the former land fill sites in Malaysia. Instead of making the sites for human settlement and commercial use, the sites should be treated properly and with cautious or else the danger to people is unavoidable.

SDA Recycling

Small Domestic Appliance or in short SDA Recycling is the latest trial project for Japanese to include the small appliances such as mobile phones, fax machine, camera, video recorder, play station, vcd players, radio, notebook and etc in their fleet of recycling initiative. This is an effort to inculcate the material resource recycling society. By moving into these appliances recycling, it reinforces the commitment of the Government towards total resource recycling and recovery. Having the intention for doing this is not enough, the initiative has to be supported by sufficient and well planned infrastructure, mechanism and structure of management. This was conveyed to us by Professor Toshikazu Shiratori of Tohoku University who is also the research team leader based in Odate City on Tuesday. We were told that the 4 years pilot project is not without any problems. They are looking at the technology, collection system and legal aspect as presently no legislation framework has been formulated for the SDA recycling. Unlike 6 types of home appliances which covered by law, the SDA recycling is done based on voluntary instrument. The success of it is very much related to the partnership and participation of the Odate City Council, Dowa Eco-System Group, University research and more importantly the people and consumers. In term of technology, we were invited to witness a specially made machine for clashing and separating, then sorting of the various components of the mobile phone.

The initiative impresses me the most with the partnership spirit and continual improvement for total and holistic approach on recycling. I think the lesson learned is to talk and promote if only the infrastructure is ready, more importantly people are ready.

Eco House

I visited the Environmental Museum of Kita-Kyushu City on last Saturday. One of the section attracted my attention is a model of Eco-House in Japan. The model with a scale of 1:10 displaying different features for making our house an environmental friendly one. The features include orientation of building, exterior material, interior material and wallpaper, insulation material and sashes, rooftop greenery, energy efficiency, solar energy, heat reflection, composite woods, biotope, recyclable materials and items, water harvesting and conservation, waste water recycling, garbage processor, eco transport and many others. It is a real educational material for general public especially the children.

Later, i visited an electrical shop close by and I noticed that many home appliances are energy efficiency and some have even produced with recycled materials. I also found the waste processor for household. With that, I think low waste emission at household level is achievable.

Sustainable Lifestyle in Practice

I am not sure whether it is environmental consciousness or not. I took a day bus trip for city tour of Kita-Kyushu yesterday. While exploring the places of interest is my main objective, I accidentally discovered that bus drivers have the tendency of switch off the engine while waiting for passengers or in front of the traffic light. It was done by almost all of the bus drivers. Later, I was made to understand that it is for the sake of protecting environment. It is to cut down the carbon emission even for a few seconds.

Some experts claimed the consumption for fuel is higher every time we start an engine and to switch on and off of an engine will shorten the life span of the engine, of course the passengers might also complain for discomfort. Economically, perhaps it is not feasible of doing so. Socially, if the passengers are not concerned much about CO2, it will create a lot of dissatifaction in which I believe it will definitely happen in Malaysia.

However, the people of KitaKyushu are supportive of this small but important gesture. It is a practical way of doing little individually, but collectively bring in bigger impact to the climate change problem. The City Council does not mind to folk out higher operation cost, the drivers do not see it a trouble of switching on the engine so often, and more importantly the public does not complain about discomfort. I think this is partnership and participation in practice as well.

Environmental Museum of Kita-Kyushu

I visited the Environmental Museum of Kita-Kyushu City on Saturday morning. The museum was established to record chronology events of the city combating the problems of environment, to display the many innovations of their Recycling Economy and environmental conservation initiatives and also to provide intermediate platform to educate the general public and children. The whole building was built with environmental friendly in mind. These include the use of building materials, the energy, the water harvesting and recycling, the rooftop green, the optimisation of space and others. The Museum is divided to 5 sections, namely the History about environmental problems of the City, Environmental Conservation, Recycling Economy, Eco House and demonstration/library/lecture area. I think it is well organised and a miniature of the environmental challenges and solutions.

I saw the staff and volunteers conducted classes on making nature craft by using recyclable items, lecturing and also organised the quiz for children. To my surprise, many people turned up for the activities although entrance fee is 100 yen per person. Perhaps this shows the high level of environmental awareness amongst the citizenry.

I wish PJ to have the similar place for similar purpose. Perhaps to have a LA21 Gallery.

Responsible Recycling Player

I presented the souvenir to Mr Kunaka, Plant Manager for the Corporation Recycle Tech, a company specialising in office automation recycling and witnessed by Mr Yamaguchi, our program coordinator at the KitaKyushu Eco Town last Friday. The Company established in year 1998 is owned majority by Ricoh Company Ltd, the copier company. While copier recycling is not that urgent in Malaysia as many copier companies is offering the renting scheme, the recycling of printers and fax machines is important as prices for these equipments are getting cheaper now and with that the tendency of replacement is getting higher. The recycling process is manually done and my observation is it is not that complicated. I think Malaysian companies can handle that process with ease.

Although small in size and simple in process, what amazing me the most about this company is its efficiency and social responsibility. With a staffing of 41 people in which 26 of them are disabled people, the plant output is 500 tonnes a month. A total of 50 copiers, 50 fax machine or printers and 150 computers are dismantled everyday. It showed trustworthiness of disabled people to deliver with efficient. Apart from that, the company also organised summer environmental education training class and factory visits for the children. I wish to have similar company in Malaysia for displaying high responsibility not only towards environmental conservation, but with social care in creating an inclusive society. Can we? Yes, but Sooner? Hope not that long...

Recycling Economy

Our delegation visited the NKRC plant in the KitaKyushu Eco Town on last Friday. The Managing Director, who happened to work in Malaysia few years ago greeted us in Malay. That particular moment has everyone the feel at home, i think.

NKRC is a recycling plant for home appliances, focusing onto the fridge, TV, air-con, washing machines and also the plasma TV and wash drier after April this year. There are all together 49 such plants in Japan. A total of 724,000 set of appliances was recycled each year and NKRC accounted for 7% from the total. Home Appliances recycling is made possible with the Government introduced the Home Appliances Recycling Law in year 2001. The Law requires every user to pay for a fee during disposal of the appliances. The fee is varied according to type of appliances with refrigerator being charged the most. Users are required to deposit with the retailers or to send it to the designated centres. The fee will then collected by a specially established association formed by the manufacturer. Fees collected will be paid to the recycling factories. The fee collected is accounted for 60% of the total income of the plant with the balance generated from the sale of recycled items such as copper, iron, aluminium, plastic etc.

One of the interesting terminology mentioned during the briefing was Recycling Economy. Japanese is exploring new businesses, and thus new type of resources for their economic activities. Since the country is export-oriented and resources are needed for manufacturing, sourcing of appropriate resources and optimising the life cycle of resources is always a challenge. Acknowledging their constraint on getting new source of resources and the escalating high price, the Japanese is exploring the Recycling Economy - that is to extract the resources from the waste, to reuse the recyclable items for new material and to manufacture new products with recycling materials. The supply chain of resources and manufacturing has opened up employment in the new sector, the green business. The recycling economy has also provided more opportunities for research and development by the institutions. The Recycling Economy has even brought in visitors, a boost for tourism sector in KitaKyushu City. This has opened up chances for Japanese to export their expertise and skills on this sector.

It is not surprising to note that Japanese Government, Central and Local are actively promoting Recycling Economy. They have taken on the right move, a niece market for exploration. Since waste is unwanted resources by many, securing it with minimum cost will eventually increase the profit margin, and competitiveness. Well, waste dump is a real hidden gold mine, at least to the Japanese. For Malaysian to have an effective 3R program, perhaps we should change our underlying objective for recycling campaign, that's moving away from the environmental protection to business sense, the Recycling Economy.

3R in Japan

Recycling is not about jargon and gimmick, it is a way of life and a norm or value of the society. Some might go ahead with the recycling for saving the environment and to reduce the pollution. In Japan, however, the purpose of having recycling is to reduce consumption of resources and to optimise the use of natural resources. I was made to understand this during my lecture last Wednesday. According to the officer from Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, resources are limited in Japan, and therefore the limitless innovation and creativity has to be explored all time. They are working seriously and committed in making the recycling works. Recycling is for all types of products and produce. While Malaysia is still trying to implant the practice of recycling of normal items amongst its inhabitants, Japanese are talking about recycling the new electrical and communication appliances such as mobile phone, computers, plasma TV etc.

Recycling is about turning the waste into wealth. That explains why the recycling of E-Waste is under the purview of Ministry administering the economy affair. Perhaps we should think along this similar line so that people are more interested and businesses are attracted to venture into this green business.

I saw the recycling bins, big or small, round or square in everywhere, be it in the office, streets or shops. I believe publicity for reminding people to recycle is not enough, placing of bins with practical function at the strategic locations is critical. Since people is using all sort of excuses of not doing recycling, such as cannot find the place or too far, then perhaps placing it in front of their door step is an option. Of course, knowing the attitude of Malaysia, this might create a rubbish dump for them to throw all sort of rubbish if no proper monitoring mechanism is created.

Eco Town of KitaKyushu

When we talk about Eco Town, our mind will automatically shift to a scenario of having a low carbon emission, low waste generation, more greenery, cohesiveness in neighbourliness and social just city. I believe this is common understanding amongst many of us. But, i am proven wrong after listening to Mr Takayuki Yamashita of the Environmental Bureau, Kitakyushu City Council. Currently, there are about 26 Eco-Town in Japan with the pioneer and leading example one in Kitakyushu.

According to him, Eco-Town Project is a national initiative of Japanese Government to develop industries related to waste recycling in order to inculcate a material resource recycling society. The Eco-Town is an industrial area comprising the research, practical research and industrial development component. It is an area to continue researching on turning the waste onto raw material and to commercialise research. The Government is subsidising heavily for the research and commercialisation to materialise. This sector is to become new business for Japan. Perhaps this is called green technology.

The World is worried about scarcity of natural resources and the government is urging the people to be thrifty in using resources. However, the non-renewable resources will be dried up one day if the population growth and consumption rate is kept increasing. While it is logical to ask people to conserve natural resources, not many have actually looked into the waste we generated. We all talk about turning the waste into wealth, but nothing concrete has been done.

The Eco-town project in Japan is realising the believe. And they are turning unwanted waste into raw material. This will not only prolong the life span of the natural resources, but to make the price of goods more competitive as sourcing natural resources is getting difficult now. As the pioneer in this field, the Japanese are also able to export their expertise and skills to other countries.

If Malaysia is not doing the same, and do it fast, perhaps one day we will become a country to export waste with payment. Countries like Japan will import the waste as source of resources and along the process to charge the exporter. This scenario is similar to what happened in early 1960s in which we have to export our tin and rubber to the developed countries and in return paid higher premium for importing the products made from these resources from them due to our capacity problem. This economic model is now recurring again, I believe will be very significant in years to come. For not having the same experience, we have to learn and to start the Eco-Town alike project in Malaysia.

Payment for 3R

Mr H. Tani of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industries gave a lecture on the home appliances recycling system in Japan last Wednesday. Starting from year 2001, 4 types of home electrical appliances, namely the TV, washing machines, air-con and refrigerators are becoming the responsibility of the end-users to send back to the manufacturers for recycling. The end-users can either send it through the retailers or to the designated centres by making payment according to type of appliances. From early this year, another 2 types have been included, namely the plasma TV and washing dryers. The manufacturers will then determine either to reuse or to recycle the appliances. The components detached will use again for assembly or to convert into raw material for other uses.

The consumers have no choice, but to pay up. The disposal rate is 99% in which only 0.7% have gone to illegal dumping. I am thinking if similar scheme of consumers are charged disposal fee in Malaysia, we might end up of having more illegal dumping site with these bulky items. I do not think Malaysia are prepared to contribute for proper recycling and hence safeguarding our environment.

The concept of users paid during disposal stage is different from the EU initiated WEEE system. That system in build the disposal fee into the selling price at the initial stage. As consumers are normally forced to buy the items for household use, they have no choice but to pay up. Perhaps with our low level of awareness on recycling, this method is workable in Malaysia. Having said this, the chances of educating general public and hence inculcating a recycling society will be diminished. And, of course, the tax structure system has to revamp first and the possibility of malpractice cannot be discarded.

As Malaysian families is getting better quality of life now in which these appliances are becoming necessity rather than luxury items, the problem of treating these bulky waste is becoming urgent. Perhaps, it is necessary for us to look at having similar Act to tackle these.

Producer Responsibility for Waste Recycling

I attended a lecture on Waste Management in Japan yesterday. The lecturer talked about producer responsibility in which the producer will have to take responsibility for disposing the waste after the life span of the product expired. The responsibility is shared by all parties involved in the production and consumption of the products. For example in the case of packaging box, the logger, the sawmill operator, the paper maker, the cardboard manufacturer, the label printer, the manufacturer who uses the box, the whole seller and dealer of product and finally the consumer. The responsibility should be share in pro-rate.

For reducing their contribution for the cost of disposal, some producers come out the plan for collecting the waste. I saw the placing of a recycling bin next to the vending machine selling Coca-Cola line of products. I believe this is corporate social responsibility in practice. If businesses practice the producer responsibility, the chances of having an effective 3R program will be there for us in Malaysia, I believe.

Knowledge Society

Many people say Japanese like to read. It is normal to see many of them holding a book or magazine on the street or in the train. I wonder why until I walked on the street of a small neighbourhood of Nishihara, the JICA International Centre located. I saw numbers of bookstores along the street. If we are complaining too many 7-11 convenient shops in PJ of Malaysia, then we might be saying the same about bookstores in Japan. While bookstores in Malaysia are only busy during certain time slot, the bookstores in Japan do not lack of customers all time. I noticed people, young and old standing in front of the book shelve for reading and buying after running through it briefly.

I personally think for having a knowledge society or for that matter the knowledge city, people have to develop a hobby of reading first as pre-requisite or else the vision of achieving a knowledge city will remain a dream, or the worst becoming city full of ICT infrastructure, as some claim what the knowledge city is all about.

Organic Day 2009 PJ

The inaugural Hari Organik or Organic Day was held yesterday at the Jalan 19/22 field. The event was opened by YB Elizabeth Wong, Selangor State Exco for Environment. Approximately 40 stalls displaying different types of produce and products were set up. The turnout was amazing and leading me to believe that eating organic is the way forward. People are more concerned about their health and hence do not mind to pay little bit extra for staying healthier.

I think it is a great success considering that many even those from outstation as far as Melaka was presence. The demonstration on making compost and eco enzyme attracted many people. I would believe that more such demonstration sessions and talks should be held as an environmental education effort.

The guests were served with organic refreshment. Something we might have not tried, or even think about. Well, although it is difficult to tell the different, the feel good sentiment was there.

I am convinced that next Organic Day will have bigger crowd and exhibitors. Having said this, traffic control should also be given proper and thoughtful planning.