MIRI: The Miri Secondhand Dealer and Recycler Association has earned a place in the Malaysia Book of Records (MBOR) by collecting 10,000 ecobrick bottles, which are plastic bottles densely packed with used plastic to create reusable building blocks.

Its chairman Bryan Chia said the MBOR certificate will be officially presented during the Miri City Day celebration on May 20 this year.

“During the MBOR award presentation, we will construct a wall three-metre high and threemetre wide (with ecobricks) to give a clear picture to the public on our project,” he told reporters after the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the ecobrick project between the association and the Miri Resident’s Office.

He said the ecobrick project started due to public concern over plastic waste that washed up on Miri’s beaches, which has worsened after the country moved into the Covid-19 endemic phase last year. The association, he said, believed that prevention is better than cure as beach cleaning activities would not solve the problem in spite of regular cleaning exercises.

“Recycling education is important to reduce plastic pollution. The Ecobrick Project was started to educate our people about problems with single-use plastic, especially the soft plastic that causes pollution,” he said.

He thanked the 25 participants comprising schools, government agencies and associations in the first phase of the project.

“This project is continuing as we are preparing for another challenge which will be announced later,” he said, without revealing what the challenge is.

During the signing ceremony, Miri Resident Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusuf handed over 573 ecobrick bottles to the association. Abdul Aziz said his office will continue to support the project to meet the association’s goal for the project’s next phase.