KUALA SELANGOR – Turning waste into reusable and renewable resources is not new, but the adoption and exposure of such knowledge at the community level at the moment are relatively low.
Realising this, several agencies have joined hands to educate the people, teaching them how to turn waste into wealth, and at the same time conserve the environment.
Malaysian Society of Soil Science (MSSS) has engaged several community level groups in the states to create awareness on Biochar a charcoal like substance that can be reused for agricultural purposes.
Today they were at Kampung Kuantan together with the Selangor Water Authority Board (Luas) and Kuala Selangor Municipal Council (MPKS) for an awareness programme.
Luas director Hasrolnizam Shaari said the materials to reproduce Biochar can be collected from around the local community areas and this includes tree branches washed away into rivers.
At the same time, collecting the branches and other wastes thrown into the rivers would also clean up the rivers and avoid them from being clogged in the long run.
MSSS president Rosazlin Abdullah, who is also Universiti Malaya (UM) lecturer and soil scientist, said the university has patented a kiln that can burn organic material from agricultural and forestry wastes in a controlled process called pyrolysis.
Costing around RM300 to RM400, a barrel can be converted into a kiln for pyrolysis to take place.
She also encourages locals to replicate or improvise their version of the kiln.
“Biochar when used as fertilizers can increase crop yields, it also improves water retention in the sand, reduces loss of nutrients and more.”
“Some industries have adopted this on a large scale and we are now going to the community for the people to do it on their own as well,” she said.
There were around 30 participants including residents, farmers and students of the Selangor Technical Skills Development Centre (STDC) who joined the programme today.
Source: NEW STRAITS TIMES
