Building a waste-free and sustainable future for Malaysia. 

Khor Sue Yee_Zero Waste Malaysia

Building a waste-free and sustainable future for Malaysia.

"Zero Waste Malaysia’ strives to make zero-waste living accessible in Malaysia by building educational content and resources and organizing outreach activities and campaigns to cultivate zero-waste living striving toward a circular economy for Malaysia."

Have you ever heard of the 'Zero-Waste'?   Zero-waste is literally a social movement minimizing everyday waste to protect the environment.By using our beverage containers instead of disposable ones, using reusable bags instead of plastic carrier bags, or even, we could donate products abandoned in your room for a while to participate in the zero-waste movement! Those participating in Beautiful Store's sharing and circulation are also joining in this movement as well!!😍

The first Beautiful Fellow also is leading people's change via the Zero Waste lifestyle. Now let us tell you the story of Khor Sue Yee, who is now building a new future in Malaysia!

What is ZERO WASTE MALAYSIA?

Sue Yee is a co-founder and a director of Zero Waste Malaysia (ZWM). ZWM is a non-governmental organization that introduces a zero-waste lifestyle, hence making Malaysia's sustainable future. Sue Yee, who was right ahead of obtaining her master's degree in environmental engineering, was deeply moved by a TED video starring a musician who pursued a zero-waste lifestyle. She became interested in environmental issues and started a zero-waste lifestyle. She also thought that individual participation would matter greatly, thus zero-waste lifestyle should be widely acknowledged. Therefore in 2016, Sue Yee founded Zero Waste Malaysia with journalist Aurora, who mainly covered environmental issues. They started with about 100 followers on Facebook, but now, they have become an NGO leading more than 42,000 supporters! Then why is Sue Yee trying to promote the zero-waste movement in Malaysia?

Zero Waste Malaysia wants to tackle these issues!

Plastic waste made in Malaysia reached approximately 1,070,064 tons per year as of 2016, ranking second in Asia (WWF, 2019). The per capita consumption of plastic in Malaysia is 16.78 kg, higher than that of China or Indonesia (WWF, 2019). But the poor recycling system makes the recycling rate in Malaysia low, as only 21 out of 137 landfills are sanitary landfills (MIDA, 2022).

Plastic waste aggravates climate change (ZSL, 2021), putting Malaysia in big trouble. Nevertheless, only 1% answered that ‘Climate change is the biggest problem Malaysia is facing’(IPSOS, 2021), which means that the awareness level of climate change is significantly low. In an effort to bring a sustainable future to Malaysia, Sue Yee and Zero Waste Malaysia are doing their best to inform people of the ‘Zero Waste Movement’ to reduce the volume of garbage. Her belief that “One’s action can change us, and our change would bring Malaysia a sustainable and green future” is her driving force!

These days, we are facing a new problem. The attempt to reduce disposable products ironically leads to excessive production of multi-use water bottles and carrier bags. However, that is not the case of Zero Waste Malaysia. Instead of producing to reduce, they hold campaigns to raise awareness, and they also promote ways to practice zero waste by sharing education.

What does Zero Waste Malaysia do?

✓ Events and Campaigns on Zero-Waste Lifestyle

ZWM has been opening various events and campaigns to inform people of zero waste culture. ‘Zero Waste Night Market’, for example, is one of the campaigns they hold, where people bring their own belongings to share. ZWM also hosts ‘Zero Waste Workshops’ as well as ‘Zero Waste Festival’ to get more people involved in the movement. Not only offline events, but ZWM held online campaigns such as ‘30-Day Zero Waste Challenge', which led more and more people to be with ZWM! ZWM is now preparing the third ‘Zero Waste Festival’ and ‘30-Day Zero Waste Challenge’ in the second half of this year!

✓ Zero Waste A to Z – Making Zero Waste Handbook & Map

For those potential zero waste activists, ZWM could be great guidance for you! ZWM started the ‘Zero Waste Handbook Series’, distributing free manuals for those who are interested in practicing a zero-waste lifestyle. The very first handbook titled, ‘My Zero Waste Life Handbook’ was published in 2019 in four languages. It was very well renowned so that its English version was downloaded over 2,600 times! ‘Zero Waste Office Handbook’ and ‘Zero Waste Event Handbook’ were also published after the first handbook, and they were downloaded over 3,000 times in English, leading people to the zero-waste movement. Now that we have learned about the zero-waste movement with the handbook, what shall we do next? It is time to practice that movement in our everyday life! However, we cannot visit zero-waste shops if we don’t know where they are located. But no worries! ZWM is here to show you the way to zero waste shops by publishing ‘Zero Waste Resource Map’! One-click, and you’ll be able to check any zero-waste shops, repair shops, and second-hand shops in Malaysia wherever you are, whenever you would like to!

✓ Publishing free materials for education

ZWM has published educational materials for people to learn about zero-waste more easily and more interestingly. They offer various materials for free, such as ‘Trash Encyclopedia’ㅡwhich shows how to discharge daily waste, and ‘ZWM Lesson’ㅡwhich could be utilized in both home and school.😁 Especially ‘Trash Encyclopedia’ describes how to recycle our daily stuff so much in detail, that even beginners can easily practice zero waste! Moreover, the encyclopedia suggests actions we can do with the trash other than throwing them away, such as donation and repair. ‘ZWM Lesson’ is a textbook for children, teaching them recycling methods and environment and sustainability by using visual aids. As you can see here, ZWM is taking the initiative in zero waste education with its revolutionary ideas, so anyone, regardless of your nationality, can learn about zero waste. Recently, ZWM rebranded ‘ZWM Lesson’ and launched ‘Wira Zero Waste Virtual Classroom’ service, targeting those aged eleven to seventeen!

✓ Working on Educational Programs

It is true that each individual’s action is important to build a sustainable future in Malaysia, but change in enterprises and public agencies is required as well. The lack of an education system in environmental issues and recycling was the driving force for ZWM to make various educational materials and programs. ZWM opened courses at schools and companies, as well as in its local community, using the materials they made. To name a few representative programs, they are ‘ZW TALKS’, ‘7 days zero waste challenge’, and ‘Sustainability Workshops’. ZWM provides education in collaboration with companies, companies provide internal education to their employees, and companies are also making an effort to promote zero waste in local communicates. If this virtuous circle continues, Sue Yee’s sustainable future🌱 is yet to come!

ZWM is also running ‘Zero Waste Pledge’ for enterprises. Malaysian companies or agencies which minimize their waste with high resource efficiency will get a ‘zero waste certificate’. If you apply for it on the website, ZWM will go through site inspection, and they will give out certificates. ZWM will introduce certified companies and put up their names on its website for a year – such a great opportunity, isn’t it? However, this is under a precondition that you need to sustain Pledge Actions for the environment, such as minimizing consumption of disposable products and excessive packaging.

 Waste Malaysia is now working with diverse people. They are putting enormous efforts to introducing the zero-waste movement to more and more people! This was possible because of collaborating with other organizations and enterprises. However, what really made it possible is all thanks to ZWM’s employees and many volunteer workers. Now we present the story of those who are making change with Sue Yee and ZWM!

People Working with Zero Waste Malaysia

✓Aurora, CO-founder

I was originally a journalist dealing with environmental issues. I first got to know Sue Yee on Facebook and Instagram in 2016, and we both had one thing in common: zero waste. We became friends online, and then we met in person and talked about the zero-waste community. Our idea was that we needed a platform that could inform people about the zero-waste lifestyle. That was the beginning of Zero Waste Malaysia.

In 2017, we opened the Zero Waste Night Market, and it was hot response than I expected. After discovering our potential, we started to have a more structured system and more volunteers joined. Since then, various projects have been carried out and registered as an NGO in 2018.

Unlike other institutions that mainly focus on oceans and forests, climate change and more, Zero Waste Malaysia is the only place to talk about ‘education’ and ‘waste management issues’. In fact, it helped create new communities and markets focused on zero-waste products and services, and breathed new life into Malaysia. Through education, we are promoting Zero Waste not only to citizens but also to businesses. So I think ZWM is special. 

We were good partners. I'm emotionally inclined, but Sue Yee has a rational mindset. This allowed the project to proceed without any glitches or delays. Sue Yee is a good project manager and leader. She knows how to lead a team and what we have to do. She also has a great passion for the environment. I'm working on a different job now, but meeting Sue Yee and ZWM was a turning point in my life.

✓ Marylyn, Volunteer

I became interested in the zero-waste lifestyle in 2019. So, while searching the internet, I saw that Zero Waste Malaysia is working on a large scale on Facebook, so I applied via email and started volunteering. It's been 3 years this year!

Due to COVID-19, it has been mostly online for the past two years, but I've also participated in big events in the past. We also held workshops with various speakers and stakeholders over two days. Through online, I worked on the development and proofing of Zero Waste Handbook content. It is a very important task because it is a fact-checking process. I also work with other volunteers to promote ZWM and develop online resources. 

The reason I continue volunteering at ZWM is that volunteering makes me think more about sustainable living and the value of what we do. Since we've been together for several years, everyone feels like family. Besides, Sue Yee always recognizes the efforts of the volunteers. Since ZWM was registered as an NGO in 2018, it has received many awards from the government, and she always said that all the work and driving force was thanks to the efforts of volunteers.

Many things happened during the three years of promotion, but the family I met at the first event I participated in is the most memorable. It was our second zero-waste festival, and a family was approaching our volunteers. And the father said to his son. “Look at these people. They’re doing a really good job. I hope you will become such a wonderful person in the future.” Even thinking about it now, it was a very moving moment!

✓ Tania, Education Program Manager

I work for Johnson Controls, one of Zero Waste Malaysia's corporate partners. We run ZWM's training programs for our employees and participate in community events. Together, we organized a ‘Zero Waste Lifestyle Talk’.

Since we are not used to the zero waste culture in Malaysia, the response of the staff was also good. We've learned that zero waste isn't just about recycling. After the training, the staff also posted several contents on social media. The staffs are doing things they can personally practice, such as carrying personal containers, planting trees, and picking up riverside trash! Beyond corporate collaboration events, a zero-waste lifestyle has now permeated our daily lives. Also these activities are also helping to spread zero waste to others through social networks. It can be seen as forming a global network from the company to the community and to the wider world. 

There are not many environmental education systems in Malaysia yet. In that regard, the activities of Zero Waste Malaysia are very important. They are also very passionate about running the program. Sue Yee is a leader who organizes and leads the team well. It gives a sense of belonging to a team and allows team members to take responsibility together. So I think Sue Yee plays a very important role as a corporate partner.

✓ Expanding the role of education & resource platform

ZWM, which is active as a platform that provides education and resources, is expected to expand its scope and role in the future. First, they plan to develop different educational programs for each topic, such as ‘fashion waste’ and ‘food waste’, and conduct a zero-waste campaign in collaboration with various brands and companies. In addition, they are currently focusing on education programs to promote ‘Zero Waste’ and civic engagement activities. From now on, they will start talking about ‘sustainable life’ beyond zero waste. Because zero waste is ultimately one of the ways towards a sustainable life! In addition to talk programs and workshops, contests and other activities will educate people on ‘sustainable living’, and use social media to promote content about sustainability!

✓ Zero waste consulting operation for companies

Although they are still operating education programs and zero-waste certification systems for companies, they plan to conduct zero-waste consulting in earnest. These five strategies, Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Rot, are known as Bea Johnson's 5R Movement. In line with this, they will establish and provide a strategy for implementing zero waste not only in the corporate workspace, but also throughout the business! If a company operates its business in a zero-waste manner, it can also reduce unnecessary waste from the company's point of view, and it can help to revitalize Malaysia's circular economy.

✓ Strengthening the Volunteer Community

ZWM is an organization where volunteers play a big role as it has three employees and about fifty volunteers. It is said that the community will be strengthened so that it can continue wider and more stable activities by increasing the number of Core Team members and electing leaders for each role such as public relations, campaigns, and events. In addition, they plan to hire a person in charge of finance and office administration to support stable community operations. Also, Sue Yee often talked about how she wanted to be a give-and-take relationship, rather than one-sided help from volunteers. In the future, they plan to frequently provide opportunities for volunteers to understand and find meaning in what they are doing, to give and receive feedback, and to grow together.

How was the story of Sue Yee, the first Asian Beautiful Fellow so far? For a sustainable future, we support Sue Yee and Zero Waste Malaysia, who are promoting a zero-waste lifestyle in various ways! Please look forward to the story of the second Asian Beautiful Fellow.

Beautiful Store is walking with Sue Yee and other social entrepreneurs in Asia working to solve environmental problems. Please look forward to seeing how wonderful activities she will show during the two years with Beautiful Store 😊!