Miri’s EcoBrick Project gains entry into Malaysia Book of Records

THE EcoBrick Project, which started in Miri two years ago, made it to the Malaysia Book of Records (MBOR) after the Miri Secondhand Dealer and Recycler Association, which initiated the movement, successfully collected a total of 10,000 ecobricks earlier this year.

Ecobrick refers to a single-use plastic bottle being densely packed with single-use plastic packages with the purpose of creating a reusable building block just like a regular brick.

The MBOR certificate was officially presented to the association during the Miri City Day celebration in May.

Up to October this year, the project has collected up to 20,000 ecobricks, thanks to the support of the people of Miri. The 20,000th ecobrick was part of the 500 ecobricks contributed by Curtin University Malaysia.

“Now, we are in the midst of getting recognition for Guinness World Records, and after that, we will proceed to build the ecobrick wall,” said Chia, adding that all the collected ecobricks will be used to construct the ‘Green Wall of Miri’.

The ‘Green Wall of Miri – Cintai Bumi Kenyalang’ (Love the Land of the Hornbills) will be constructed at a location that will be announced later.

In the plan, Chia said the Green Wall of Miri would comprise 37 alphabets, each consisting of approximately 500 ecobricks.

He pointed out that the main objective of the project was not only to create a world record but also to show the world that Mirians were serious about sustainable development.

According to Chia, he started the movement two years ago with an idea and a humble intention to educate the local community about environmental sustainability.

The project was also set up following public concern over plastic waste that washed up on Miri’s beaches, which has worsened since the country moved into the Covid-19 endemic phase last year.

He said the association always believed that ‘prevention is better than cure’, as beach-cleaning activities would not solve the problem despite regular cleaning exercises.

“Recycling education is important to reduce plastic pollution. The EcoBrick Project was started to educate our people about problems with single-use plastic, especially the soft plastic that causes pollution,” he said.

Since the movement started, many schools, educational institutions, organisations, and corporate companies here have also jumped on the bandwagon to be part of the project.

In March this year, Riam Road Secondary School (RRSS) and Riam Hill International School (RHIS) inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the association to support the EcoBrick Project by producing 2,000 ecobricks.

RRSS and RHIS CEO Dr Pauline Ho said the collaboration was in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which the schools have been implementing as part of their syllabus.

To express their determination to achieve the SDG initiative, both schools also stopped using single-use plastic in their compound.

That same month, the association also signed a MoU with Miri Resident’s Office. During the signing ceremony, the association received a total of 573 ecobricks from the Resident’s Office.

In June this year, staff of Boulevard Group of Companies showed their support towards the project by contributing a total of 800 ecobricks.

Meanwhile, Curtin University Malaysia handed over 500 ecobricks to the association in October, which led to the association reaching its target of collecting a total of 20,000 ecobricks.

Curtin Malaysia’s deputy pro vice-chancellor Prof Vincent Lee Chieng Chen said the EcoBrick Project has made significant strides in collecting and re-purposing single-use plastic waste, serving as a model for sustainability efforts in the local community.

He also said that the project aligned with Curtin’s strategic pillars of ‘People, Planet and Partnerships’, as well as several SDGs, principally Goal 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), Goal 14 (Life below Water), and Goal 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

“By participating in the project, we are contributing to creating awareness about the importance of waste management and environmental conservation among the local community. This aligns with Curtin’s commitment to promoting responsible and engaged global citizenship,” he remarked.