Avoidance in 3R

To many, 3R means reduce, reuse and recycle. While many are struggling of put forth the awareness about recycling to the public, there are attempts to further explore the meaning of 3R. Nowadays, some are talking about 4R or even 5R by incorporating the steps of repair, refurnish, replenish or even refuse to buy.When I attended the 3R-Hanoi Seminar recently, I was told about avoidance in the 3R concept. Avoidance means avoiding of using a resource or product or service, if unnecessary. For example, if we can disseminate information in the department through digital means, then it is not necessary to issue memo. Like wise, saving a telephone number in the mobile immediately instead of writing it in a paper before keying it in the phone is a mean of avoiding using the paper. Avoiding the use of new paper or stationary, the purchase of new appliances or phone, multiple travelling to the same destination for the same services and etc.

While many people intend to be thrifty when it comes to spending money, many have not done so as the money spent might be in small amount. We tend to take for granted using something as the value of procuring it is within our means. We are so poor in calculating the value and cost, especially if we need to accumulate the total spending.

Avoidance is a good concept at the beginning of 3R concept. We should try first to avoid over spending or even spending unnecessary, and then try to reduce if not possible to avoid. Of course, this might have affected the economic sector, but for the sake of resources optimisation and environmental conservation, we should try.

3R in Vietnam

For effective promotion of 3R campaign, the pilot project team of 3R-Hanoi produces a song and dance on the 3R. It is performed every where and by the youth with fun and excitement. Looking at the expression of the youth, I believe this generation is the hope for 3R success in Vietnam. I presume the chances of success is brighter by targeting the youth. Having said this, the approach must have interested them and allow space for them to emulate with ease and creativeness. Imposing on the youth with other generation's perception and value is right some time, but might not be effective as they do not share the same thinking.

Mottainai Fair

These are the pictures showing young volunteers at the Mottainai Fair at Hanoi, Vietnam. Mottainai means do not waste in Japanese. The fun-filled Fair featuring stalls managed by the youth is an environmental and education awareness campaign to promote 3R practice. It is an exchange and meeting place for used goods. It is interesting as public is bringing in their unwanted, but usable items such as clothes, hand bags and household ware for exchange. The collected items will then display in different stalls. Coupon equivalent with the value of the items is given instead of cash enabling the public to search for other wanted items at the stalls. Apart from that, various activities such as talent contest, singing, dancing, art competition and workshops are conducted. The programme is held as part of the 3R-Hanoi Pilot Project initiated by JICA and URENCO.

The Fair is a success due to its location nearby community centre with children activities, active participation of the stakeholders especially the youth, strong support from the resource person, variety of entertainment programmes and, of course innovation. Personally, i think the involvement of youth with much energy and enthusiasm makes the 3R Fair a highly success venture.

Social Marketing

I was impressed by the Vietnamese in promoting 3R initiative in Hanoi during my visit there recently. Instead of normal propaganda campaign by the Government agencies, they engaged the upcoming and popular young artist to be the spokesperson for the campaign. The 3R song with easy to understand and sing melody attracted many young followers. The artist becomes idol for many teenagers and they tried to follow what have been envisioned for, to recycle.

While disseminating civic messages is always the main task of Government, many have been carried out without considering the attractiveness and appearance to the target groups. Youngsters with their ideas and thinking is no more interested to listen patiently to the boring civic message. They like to see multimedia effect, to follow what their idols are doing and etc. Hence, effective social marketing is becoming important if one hopes to engage the mass.

Social marketing is effective if it is fulfilling the social need of the people and closely related to their needs and desires. For example, launching a campaign urging people to walk on the street instead of driving is heading to failure whereas the community is very much concerned about safety and crime prevention. Priority has to be set first, and right.

Secondly, to provide sufficient infrastructure in meeting the social needs. For example, urging people to recycle without providing sufficient infrastructure and incentive is tantamount of doing nothing and leading to failure.

Thirdly, social marketing must have a sustaining plan in which follow through actions and constant monitoring is critical in ensuring that the success of a campaign is not for a short period only. More than often, numbers of campaign with very good start ended up with failure due to sustainability issue.

Having said these, social marketing is critical at the beginning and gearing for a good start is important for project implementation. Therefore, engaging artist or popular figures as the programmes promoter or ambassador might be a good idea.

Social Sustainability

The term of social sustainability was brought up during a chit chat with friends last night. While having a cup of tea at a food court, we saw the behaviour of customers and some common characters. There are people paying full attention to what happen at their surrounding and even a petty thing cannot escape from their eye. There are people talking with loud voice without considering the disturbance to others. There are people walking around scouting for opportunities, either they are selling or trying to snatch. There are people sitting quietly at a corner and seem like losing themselves in this concrete jungle. There are people making an effort to catch attention from opposite gender. We are wondering how to melt these diverse cultural background and, perhaps individual agenda and priority together, if we are talking about social sustainability. In this respect, we are talking about sustaining the friendship. The argument is simple, if we cannot manage friendship with a small group of people, it is perhaps more difficult a task to manage a much more larger social fabric.

Friendship sustainability is achievable if both the parties are sharing the same vision and caring for each others as well as willing to scarify individual egoism for the betterment of the friendship. Having said this, the starting point must always be knowing each other well first. Sometime when starting a conversation, we tend to forget to introduce our strengths and weaknesses, or even ourselves first and most of the time it end up with more confusing rather than understanding.

So, perhaps next time and first thing to do in meeting a new friend is trying to introduce yourselves briefly, friendly and of course with enthusiasm.

Malaysia Day

Today is Malaysia Day, the day in 1963 when Sarawak and Sabah of East Malaysia merged with Malaya for a bigger country. While it is a day worth to recognise and celebrate, we in the Peninsular Malaysia tend to focus more on the National Day, the day Malaya claimed independent from the colonial. This is not helping in uniting both the East and West, at least to have everyone to share the Day. While National Day is declared a public holiday, the Malaysia Day is only a holiday for Sabah. I presume, Sabahan and Sarawakian will like to have us to celebrate the Day with them.

Until then, 1Malaysia is still a long way to achieve.

Bag Too Small For Washable Food Container

I chaired a review meeting for the SMART RANGER pilot project last Friday. The project involving 5 schools in PJ is to educate the students and teachers on recycling and sustainability. Many interesting programmes were implemented. These include the campaign for recycling, composting, planting, minimising the use of plastic bag. But, one of the campaign that generated some interest and debate is the Bringing Your Own Container Campaign. The campaign urge students to bring their own container for food. Instead of buying the food with plastic wrapping or even the polystyrene, the students will have them with their container. The Campaign is getting well progressively with the pupils at primary level. Similar campaign is thought to have not achieved the same result at the secondary level. A teacher was cautious about the dull looking container that might not welcome by the teenagers and also the size is too large for the school bag which is having extra size at the moment. Presently, students have too many reference books and stationary to carry with them and to ask them to bring extra item is definitely unwelcome.

All the while, we have only talked about promoting good environmental practices amongst the student, never realising that they are, too burdened with other things. The project has provided some good insight about practicality.