EcoKnights®

For example, a campaign to reduce the usage of polystyrene takeaway boxes might seem like a perfectly sensible idea to help Mother Earth, but yet when Universiti Malaya (UM) student Lau Chai Ming, 25, tried to implement it in his campus, he had to take some flak from some fellow students.

“We did face objections, which I guess is normal. Some of them went to the canteen saying that they’re paying for their food, so why should they have to bring their own containers and wash it themselves?” said Chai Ming.

The idea came about one day when Chai Ming and his friends were hanging out in one of the canteens at UM, and they felt something had to be done about the amount of waste that was being created there every day. This was especially worrying when the canteens started using disposable polystyrene plates and plastic utensils.

Some of them had heard of an anti-polystyrene programme that was working well in Universiti Sains Malaysia in Penang, and just like that, they decided it was time to act.

But it was not just the students’ complaints that Chai Ming had to deal with. Even though the campaign was initiated with the help of UM Cares, a lecturer-led group trying to encourage greener habits in UM, Chai Ming still had to convince canteen operators to make the change.

“We have to consider the costs involved for the operators as well. It was a gradual process of convincing everyone that it was beneficial,” he said.

So far, Chai Ming has managed to convince the management at the 12th and 10th residential colleges in UM. Students there are now given reusable containers, and the canteens no longer have to purchase polystyrene boxes – a win-win situation for everyone.

“It’s very important to think about long-term solutions. We have to think about changing policies and mindsets from the top down in order to help save the environment. We don’t want a campaign where the students just do things for the sake of doing it,” added Chai Ming.

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) medical student Yong Kuan Yew, 23, has been doing a similar work in his campus at Hospital UKM (HUKM).

Kuan Yew is the head of the UKM medical faculty branch of E=MC(sq), an inter-campus green society started by UM student environmentalist Yeong Yze Shiuan about a year ago.

E=MC(sq) stands for Malaysian Can Change for a better Environment.

Kuan Yew started the UKM branch last year after reading about E=MC(sq) in R.AGE; he then contacted Shiuan via Facebook.

Thanks to Kuan Yew and his committee, the canteens there now only use biodegradable boxes and the more environmentally-friendly wax paper for takeaways; while students who bring their own containers are given RM0.20 vouchers each time.

“Initially there were a few unhappy voices here and there, but now everyone has gotten used to the routine (of bringing their own containers). People just need time to adapt,” said Kuan Yew.

Another successful E=MC(sq) effort was the campaign to encourage recycling throughout HUKM. The Radiology and Ear, Nose and Throat departments have both instituted recycling depots, and all students and staff are encouraged to deposit all their recyclable waste.

“In the first two months alone, Radiology was able to collect 84kg of paper waste. That was a real turning point for me. That was when I knew we had done something meaningful,” said Kuan Yew.

He and his committee’s efforts caught the attention of the dean and hospital director, who wrote a letter endorsing their work, and encouraging all departments to support E=MC(sq).

Unfortunately, Kuan Yew says that Malaysian students still kind of suck at living sustainably.

“They have to drive everywhere, even if it’s on campus. My friends take their motorbikes to play football even though the field is, like, 200m away,” he said.

There are a lot more that students can do individually, apart from trying to change policies, and Kuan Yew has a few tips on where to start:

> Electricity might be free on most campuses, but that’s no reason to waste it. Don’t charge your laptops on 24/7!

> The same goes for water. Avoid using washing machines if you only have a few garments to wash.

> Carpool to class, or better still, if you live on campus, ride a bicycle.

> Avoid printing notes if you can, but if you have to, use both sides of the paper.