Melissa Goh, Channel NewsAsia 27 Jun 09;
KUALA LUMPUR: With the widespread use of computers and other machines, office trash has emerged as a growing environmental problem.
One Malaysian company has tapped on the durable nature of plastic to turn used toner cartridges and bottles into something much more environmentally friendly.
Benches that are made entirely from recycled toner cartridges and bottles are a common sight at many monorail stations, parks and schools in downtown Kuala Lumpur.
The company behind the initiative said it costs nearly US$300 to produce one bench, but the money is well spent.
Lim Eng Weng, managing director, Ricoh Malaysia, said: "We actually pay a dollar per cartridge to our technical team to collect (these used cartridges) from customers.
"We've been able to do up to 60 per cent – the other 40 per cent still get thrown away. With more awareness on recycling, some people actually do it out of their own initiative and find it a joy to recycle plastic."
Ricoh sells over 1,000 copiers a year in Malaysia. On average, at least 3,000 toner cartridges are thrown away each month. As only half of these cartridges get recycled, the company hopes to raise this number to 85 per cent.
The company's green message has gone down well with Malaysians.
One said: "I always think that recycling is a good idea because you don't waste too much."
"It's a good idea to make our world greener than before," another added.
- CNA/so
