PUTRAJAYA: The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) encourages the public to foster environmental consciousness during the Hari Raya Aidilfitri festivities.
Its minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said that one of the practices that can be adopted is to avoid food wastage and use more eco-friendly utensils.
“We often opt to save costs and avoid washing dishes so we tend to use plastic or paper products for our gatherings.
“We have the choice to use regular utensils, or if needed, avoid plastic and polystyrene, and if necessary, opt for paper which can biodegrade unlike plastic,“ he said after the NRES’ monthly assembly and iftar event held on Tuesday (March 2).
He emphasised that everyone should play a role in ensuring that the choices made during the Hari Raya celebration do not have a negative impact on the environment.
“I hope that all of us can make this year’s Hari Raya Aidilfitri more positive in terms of environmental sustainability and cultivate these practices,“ he said.
In his speech, Nik Nazmi stressed that all NRES members, including departments and agencies, should lead by example in adopting sustainable practices, like reducing single-use plastics, to lessen environmental impacts.
“NRES, through the Yayasan Hijau Malaysia, actively promotes green living by providing alternatives to businesses and the public for composting food waste.
“Nowadays, food waste isn’t just seen as useless garbage but holds potential and can benefit the environment when turned into compost. This initiative aims to lessen the amount of food waste ending up in landfills,“ he added.
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