By Aida Aziz
IPOH: Residents and households in the city are encouraged to respond to the advice of recycling used cooking oil in addition to installing oil traps.
Ipoh Mayor, Datuk Rumaizi Baharin said that this habit not only prevents the occurrence of blocked drains and flash floods, but also earns side income.
He added that so far his party has not enforced the oil trap law for residences and has only adjusted it in the premises of restaurants and eateries.
“So far enforcement in homes has not been implemented for that purpose, it is encouraged and in the phase of educating the community not to throw the oil in the trash or drains.
“Since starting last March, we prioritize the traders and only after that we go to the homes in Ipoh, to give awareness and advice about the campaign.
“It has to be done slowly because this is a new thing, but if you look at developed countries like Singapore, they already have strong control over this matter,” he said.
Rumaizi said this at a press conference after inaugurating the Ipoh City Council (MBI) Used Cooking Oil Recycling Campaign at Dataran Dato’ Sagor Food Court, here today.
He added that the campaign was implemented in collaboration with Biovisma Sdn. Bhd. and Tuck Soon Eco Resources Sdn. Bhd.
According to him, so far the total collection of used cooking oil for the two companies is 1,601 kilograms with a value of RM4,482.
“The sale of collected used cooking oil can generate income by selling it to a used cooking oil collection company,” he said.
Last March, MBI introduced the activity of collecting used cooking oil at 22 Ramadan bazaar sites to be used as biofuel.
Meanwhile, the Manager of Tuck Soon Sdn. Bhd. R.Logan informed that the response from the public was quite encouraging, especially in residences around Perak.
“For 1kg of used cooking oil we buy for RM2.50, the public can contact or send a WhatsApp message if they want to sell and we will go to the area with the prescribed scales,” he said when contacted.
