Trash to treasure: IPC Shopping Centre accelerates recycling efforts to reduce waste during ‘new normal’
KUALA LUMPUR, June 1 – As Malaysia continues to ease the Covid-19 restrictions, the IPC Shopping Centre in Mutiara Damansara has put its annual sustainability initiative back into full gear to step up its recycling efforts.
In a statement, the shopping centre announced that they have kicked-off a campaign called “Trash to Treasure” to help the community make recycling a part of the “new normal”.
The campaign, which runs until August 2, encourages shoppers to drop off their recyclables at IPC Recycling and Buy-Back Centre (RBBC) to enjoy exclusive rewards for selected categories.
The community shopping centre is the first retail destination to have a facility like the RBBC since 2009.
Last year, the shopping centre rolled out a pilot food waste programme with their food and beverage tenants and successfully collected over 10 tonnes of food waste within a year.
Following its success, IPC is now the first shopping centre in Malaysia to extend its waste collection efforts to the public through the RBBC.
This year, IPC pledged to continue to be the pioneer shopping centre to introduce two new recyclable categories – food and fabric.
Visitors are encouraged to segregate and freeze their food waste sealed in a container or plastic bag to avoid further rotting before dropping it off at the centre.
The organic waste collected will be bio-recycled through composting and repurposed as animal feed and organic fertiliser.
Apart from food waste, IPC will also be adopting fabric collection bins in the coming months to allow shoppers to sustainably dispose of their fabric-based products which include clothes, soft toys, shoes, bags, linens and curtains.
Similar to other recyclables, shoppers can conveniently drive through and drop off their fabric waste at the RBBC.
The collected fabric will then be sorted for donations or recycled into industrial wiping cloths and upcycled into wearables.
“Everything we do is for the community,” said IPC Shopping Centre public relations and digital marketing manager Mark Tan.
“As we embrace a new normal, recycling becomes the last thing on our minds.
“However, as a sustainable shopping centre, we want to empower the community to make recycling part of their everyday lives.”
Tan also said the management at IPC has taken preventive measures based on the Health Ministry’s guidelines to protect the visitors.
Apart from social distancing rules and temperature checks, IPC has placed floor stickers and hand sanitiser within and around the shopping centre to ensure the safety of visitors.
The “Trash to Treasure” campaign rewards shoppers for every recyclable drop off consisting of paper, aluminium, and plastic recyclables.
To earn double rewards, drop off your recyclables at RBBC located at the car park near Pillar 8D, Level P1 between 10am and 1pm or 2pm and 6pm.
Visitors can also weigh their recyclables to receive cashback and a collective receipt.
However, buy-back prices are subject to the types of waste, materials and weight.
Once you have gotten your collective receipt, you may take it to i-Counter at Level G to redeem rewards, which include RM10 shopping vouchers and exclusive IPC canvas bag for a minimum eight kilogrammes of recyclables.
Those with a minimum 12 kilogrammes of recyclables get an extra metal straw.
IPC Tack Club members can also redeem one exclusive metal straw with a minimum eight kilogrammes of recyclables.
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