Pusat Lestari Kota Kinabalu to be given ‘facelift’
Published on: Wednesday, September 06, 2023
By: Sidney Skinner
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The public having their used paper products weighed prior to selling them to the Centre.
AFTER two years, the “Pusat Lestari Kota Kinabalu (Kota Kinabalu Sustainable Centre)” at the Community Centre in the State Capital is due to be given a “face-lift”, with proper storage and display spaces fashioned for the pre-loved goods brought to the facility.The Centre, run by City Hall, accepts donations of used items, buys recyclables – including used cooking oil and discarded paper products – and offers a repair service for damaged electrical appliances.
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A spokesman for the agency said the existing cabins, in which the various goods were sorted and kept, had since run out of space.
“We intend to do away with the one where the electronic waste is stored,” he said.
“A more spacious concrete structure will be built near the community centre for these items.”
A more spacious concrete structure is set to replace the cabin in which e-waste is stored as part of the face-lift.
The metal cabin for the used clothing, meanwhile, would be replaced with one which had see-through windows, according to him.
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“The worthier vintage pieces in our hands will be put on show. We hope to attract potential buyers with the greater visibility given to these items.”
He said a covered booth would also be put up at a strategic location in Manggatal as a new collection point for e-waste to cater for the public in the Northern region of Kota Kinabalu.
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“A private company has graciously agreed to foot the cost of this face-lift under its corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme for 2023.”
When asked how much the firm had committed to the endeavour, the spokesman declined to comment.
He said a senior officer with City Hall’s Solid Waste Management Department personally brought several of the company’s representatives on a site visit of the Centre at the end of last month.
One of the staff at the Centre looking over the recyclables these members of the public have brought.
“This gave the company’s personnel a better understanding of what happens here.
“It also gave them an idea of the kind of improvement the company would bring to the Centre.”
The spokesman said these improvements were due to get underway next month.
“It will tentatively take a month, or a month and a half, to complete this effort.”
The Centre was the first one of its kind when it first began operating in April 2021, according to him.
“It was set up in accordance with a directive from the Ministry of Local Government and Housing.
“The Ministry envisioned opening 26 such Centres in the various districts around Sabah.”
He said a second Centre was subsequently established in Sandakan by the Municipal Council for the town.
On top of attending to those with damaged gadgets – including computers and handphones – the spokesman said the Kota Kinabalu Sustainable Centre also catered to those who wished to have their shoes or clothes mended.
“The rates for these services are lower than what is being charged commercially,” he said.
He said a pair of City Hall staff were on hand at the Centre from Monday to Friday to receive donations of used clothing and unwanted electronic items from the public.
“Two to three more of our personnel are present on Saturday between 9am-1pm to deal with those who want to sell various recyclables, including used cooking oil.
“These different services facilitate the ‘green spirit’ behind the Centre. We want to change the common mind-set regarding used or unwanted items.
“Instead of throwing these goods away, the public should consider donating them so that they can be reused.”
To this end, the spokesman said, City Hall worked together with the Department of the Environment (DOE) to have the e-waste collected by the Centre repurposed.
“Once we reach a certain quota, we contact the DOE. A licenced transporter with the Department then comes to take these electronics from us.
“This waste is later relocated to peninsula for further treatment.”
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A more spacious concrete structure is set to replace the cabin in which e-waste is stored as part of the face-lift.
One of the staff at the Centre looking over the recyclables these members of the public have brought.
