Mondelēz expands Trash Right recycling program

Mondelēz International is expanding its Trash Right recycling program in 2024, promoting responsible plastic disposal and fostering healthy competition among schools.

Building on the success of last year’s pilot program, six schools in Klang Valley will collaborate to instill lifelong, proactive recycling habits in students aged 10 to 12 through hands-on sustainability experiences.

Mondelēz empowering students through competition

An inter-class and inter-school competition will run for six months, aiming to exceed 10 metric tons of plastic waste collected.

Last year’s pilot school collected 1.33 metric tons in a three-month period, and the program aims to replicate and surpass this success, creating a significant positive impact on the environment and community as part of a long-term sustainability plan.

The program focuses on raising awareness about the importance of a circular economy and educating young students on proper waste separation and recycling. The six participating schools are:

• SK Seksyen 20
• SK Seksyen 17
• SK Padang Jawa
• SK Taman Dato Harun 2
• SK Bandar Utama Damansara 4
• SK Tropicana

To officially kick off the initiative and encourage student participation, a workshop was organised to educate students and teachers on effective plastic segregation practices.

A progress tracking leaderboard will foster healthy competition among students and schools, motivating them to actively recycle plastics over the six-month period.

Community engagement and partnerships

Recognising the importance of fostering a shared responsibility to create a circular economy, employees of Mondelēz International volunteered their time for the workshops at each school and engaged with the students.

Plastics will be collected from each school on alternate weeks.

Mondelēz International is partnering with PINTAR Foundation, Trash4Cash, and Lotus’s to raise awareness about different categories of plastics, proper recycling practices, and encouraging responsible disposal within the community.

The Trash Right program is part of Mondelēz International’s social impact project in Southeast Asia, which stems from its recent partnership with Trash4Cash to address multi-layer plastic waste that is difficult to recycle mechanically in a short timeframe.

Plastics from the Trash Right program will be diverted as feedstock for the eco-board project, transforming them into reusable eco-boards suitable for various applications as a lumber substitute and for furnishings.

Mondelēz International plans to announce the winning school from the district at the end of 2024 and unveil a strategy for long-term sustainability and the continued success of all participating schools.

Future plans include further expanding the Trash Right program to more schools each year.

For more information on the Trash Right program and Mondelēz International’s sustainability initiatives, visit their website.