Skimmer boat collects over 2.3 tonnes of rubbish from KK waters since May 2025

KOTA KINABALU (Jan 14): The Mobula-8 skimmer boat collected more than 2.3 tonnes of waste materials from the waters around Kota Kinabalu from May until December last year.

Run by the Marine Research Foundation (MRF) in collaboration with Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK), the Mobula 8 removes floating plastic debris and transforms the daily cleanup into a powerful public reminder of the growing plastic crisis.

“Plastics remain the largest trash contributors in waters around coastal waters and islands off Kota Kinabalu,” said MRF conservation officer and project coordinator Chris Chai Chun Xue.

Between May and December last year, plastics made up 76 per cent of the waste collected.

“These primarily consist of food wrappers, beverage bottles, grocery bags, plastic fragments, and foam packaging,” she said during a ride on the Mobula 8 for the media.

Chai said waste hotspots included the northeast of Gaya Island and mainland-facing areas where water villages are concentrated, likely due to river runoff and activities from shipping, fisheries, and tourism.

Once the rubbish is collected and segregated, she said the items are sent to recycling centres and other partners, which has helped reduce the amount of trash at the Kayu Madang landfill in Telipok.

Chai said MRF collaborates with local recycling centres to divert plastic waste from landfills with over half a tonne of recyclable plastic (25 per cent of the total waste collected) successfully repurposed.

“All plastic waste collected by Mobula is currently sent to our partner on Gaya Island and Meraki Daat for upcycling into eco-bricks,” she explained.

She said MRF will continue engaging with DBKK and local communities through talks and training with Mobula, promoting strategic approaches to waste management.

“We will continue to strengthen our impact through sustained clean-up efforts and collaboration with local recycling centres while advocating for greater involvement from government agencies to close the plastic loop,” she said.

Initiatives include recovering and utilising the value of plastic rather than allowing it to end up in the already overburdened landfill in Kota Kinabalu, she said.

“Next, MRF will convene local stakeholders and Sabah Parks on Jan 27 to explore strategic partnerships for tackling marine debris across the islands of Tunku Abdul Rahman Park,” she added.