Catholic church campaigns to stop plastic pollution

The Catholic Church in Malaysia commenced a year-long Protect Our Earth, Protect Our Children Campaign (PROTEC) to protect the environment in the country.

Bishop Joseph Hii Teck Kwong of Sibu launched the campaign themed “Stop Plastic Pollution”

PROTEC is a five-year campaign inspired by Pope Francis’ environmental encyclical, Laudato Si.

The campaign aims to “protect mankind from self-destruction” while ensuring intra and intergenerational justice for current and future generations. It runs for five years, from 2020 to 2025, with a different theme each year.

The current PROTEC campaign will run from September 1 2022, to August 31 2023.

Malaysian Catholic bishops endorse this campaign, which runs on different themes yearly.

Bishop Hii, President of the Episcopal Commission for Creation Justice, called on Catholics to shun selfishness and become more connected to the environment during the inaugural event at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Kota Kinabalu.

The prelate said that Catholics need “the Spirit of the Lord to give us a heart of flesh to replace our heart of stone, moving us outward from ‘ego to eco,’ to be inter-connected to all Creation and to listen to the voice of Creation.”

Moreover, the prelate also reminded the faithful of the God-given privilege “to participate in God’s creation as a co-worker.”

The church also launched the Season of Creation 2022 to mark the World Day of Prayer for Creation which runs from September 1 to October 4 this year. 

The theme for this year is “Listen to the Voice of Creation.”

The Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu and the dioceses of Keningau and Sandakan jointly coordinate the campaign across the country.

The theme for years one and two were “Use less electricity” and “Cut down meat, dairy and food waste”, respectively.

Various dignitaries and activists attended the inaugural event.

A World Wildlife Fund report released in 2020 states that Malaysia has the highest annual per capita plastic consumption recorded at 16.78 kg compared to other Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam

The report pointed out plastic as the second highest waste generated in the country, with a low recycling rate of 20 per cent.

In 2021, The Ministry of Environment and Water (KASA) launched the Malaysia Plastics Sustainability Roadmap, 2021-2030, which holistically governs plastic production, consumption, recycling, and waste management.

This roadmap demonstrates the initiative of the ministry to shift the plastic economy to a circular one and offer new ways to mitigate emerging risks to allow the plastics industry to innovate.