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Category: Environment EN

SCHOOL SHARE TABLES – An Innovative Way to Reduce Food Waste

In the US, a growing number of schools are adopting "share tables" as part of their efforts to reduce food waste and promote sustainability. These designated tables allow students to place unopened food items – such as snacks or drinks – that they don't want, so other students can take them. It's a win-win for reducing waste and promoting food access, especially for students who may need a...
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Address the Issue of Illegal Waste Disposal Immediately

The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) urges all parties, both individuals and authorities, to address and immediately put an end to illegal waste disposal, which continues to occur in various locations across the country. Local media reported in May 2024 about illegal waste dumping nationwide, among them was the illegal landfill in Kampung Jimah Lama, Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan. In...
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IS YOUR COUCH A FIRE HAZARD?

Today, most modern buildings, homes, and furniture are made primarily from plastics, including plastic appliances; plastic foam mattresses, chairs, and couches covered in plastic fabric; plastic rugs and other furnishings; to plastic flooring, paints, PVC pipes, roofing, siding, and other building materials. Even yards are filled with plastics like synthetic lawns and plastic outdoor furniture....
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CHEMICAL RECYCLING: A Dangerous Deception

Plastic has become an integral part of our lives. We see plastic in many of our daily items. As the use of plastics has been growing tremendously over the last few decades, so have the challenges to the environment and public health. Public concern over plastics has been particularly heightened by the increasing presence of plastic waste and plastic raw materials (e.g., resin pellets) in the...
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BIODIVERSITY SHOULD BE TAUGHT IN THE CLASSROOM

There are two environmental crises right now: climate change and biodiversity loss. But the biodiversity crisis is largely undervalued. Today, most of our attention is focused on climate change. Biodiversity loss is a rampant and pervasive issue: global wildlife populations have plummeted by 69% in the past 50 years and species are dying off as much as 1,000 times more frequently than before the...
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Mercury Cosmetics are a Toxic Menace to Health and the Environment

Despite a global ban, Philippines toxics watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition continues to uncover the illegal use of mercury in unauthorised imported products for lightening skin tone and for removing age spots, dark marks, freckles, wrinkles and other dermal problems. This January, which is celebrated as the Zero Waste Month, the group announced the detection of 584 parts per million (ppm) of...
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Toxic Bisphenols in Textiles

Recent findings from laboratory tests conducted by Arnika, dTest, and consumer associations from Hungary, Austria, and Slovenia revealed the presence of harmful bisphenols in textiles, particularly in women's underwear, prompting European consumer organisations to advocate for an EU-wide ban on these chemicals. The study analysing 166 samples from five European countries found that approximately...
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STOP EXPORT OF MERCURY FILLINGS, 16 NGOs URGE AUSTRALIA

16 NGOs from Asia and the Pacific – including Consumers’ Association of Penang and Sahabat Alam Malaysia – recently signed a petition to the federal government of Australia to ban dental amalgam exports as of 1 April 2025. (https://www.dropbox.com/.../16-civil-society-petitioners...) Civil society organizations in Bangladesh, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, México, Philippines,...
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Go Organic: Stop Using Plastic Mulch

In conjunction with the International Zero Waste Month (IZWM), the Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) would like to raise awareness on the effects of plastic mulching in farming and urges farmers and gardeners to use organic mulching methods. This year’s IZWM focuses on innovative organic waste management solutions to reduce food loss, waste, and methane emissions. Mulch is a layer of...
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HEALTHY TREE CANOPIES – the Unsung Heroes of Urban Life

Healthy tree canopies are incredibly underrated, yet they bring so much value to urban neighbourhoods . They provide shade, improve air quality, reduce urban heat, and create more beautiful, liveable streets . Let's prioritise planting and preserving more trees in our cities to foster healthier, greener, and more welcoming spaces for everyone. (picture: @berkie1) #UrbanGreening #TreeCanopies...
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