USM PENANG, 1 Aug 2025 – The Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) School of Industrial Technology successfully organised a series of river clean-up and plastic waste audits at the Perai River in Penang, held between 9 May and 24 June 2025.

The programme was a collaborative project with Think City and SULAM as the main sponsors. Key partners included the Centre for Marine and Coastal Studies (CEMACS), USM Division of Industry and Community Network (BJIM), Majlis Bandaraya Seberang Perai (MBSP), Jabatan Pengairan dan Saliran (JPS), MSM Prai Sdn. Bhd., Water Watch Penang, Penang Inshore Fisherman Welfare Association (PIFWA), Pejabat KADUN Seberang Jaya, and MPKK Taman Sembilang.

Led by Dr. Widad Fadhullah, the initiative involved 85 volunteers (43 undergraduates and 42 postgraduates) from the Master of Environmental Science programme.

The project aimed to assess plastic waste along the Perai River, engage with local communities, and promote environmental responsibility.

During the course of the programme, a total of 392.36 kg of waste was removed from the river, of which 291.91 kg was plastic.

Volunteers carried out waste segregation activities, and clean PET bottles were upcycled into 25 keychains showcased at the Perai River Open Day at Taman Sembilang, Seberang Jaya, and Bukit TI NatureEx 2.0 at USM.

Although each clean-up campaign yielded only about RM95 worth of recyclable plastics, this effort could potentially generate over RM950 annually if conducted monthly.

This initiative not only raised environmental awareness and opened up potential income streams for the community, but also strengthened collaboration between USM, local authorities, NGOs, and the residents.

Text & Photo: Dr. Widad Fadhullah, USM School of Industrial Technology/ Editing: Mazlan Hanafi Basharudin