KANGAR: The perception that rubbish is always dirty and worthless needs to be changed because not only can it encourage people to maintain cleanliness, but they can also earn some money through recycling.

Vegetable seller Choong Xian Jun, 26, said to him, 'trash is cash' and he was not ashamed to sell them.

"There is nothing to be ashamed of. Instead of throwing them on the side of the road and bothering others, it is better if I collect and sell them," he told Bernama when met at the Drive Thru Recycle Centre (DTRC) here recently.

Choong said every day after selling vegetables, he would make it a routine to collect items such as papers, boxes and plastic items from his house and shop to be sent to DTRC once a week.

"Usually, I can collect about RM25 a week. Even though the amount is not that big, it gives me satisfaction because I get to maintain the cleanliness of my house and shop," he said.

A teacher, Effendy Che Kusni, 47, said that he has been recycling goods for a long time and seeing piles of rubbish makes him uncomfortable.

"In the past, it was quite difficult to manage recyclable items, but now the DTRC makes it easier for the public to practice recycling," he said.

Meanwhile, E-Idaman Sdn Bhd Planning and Operations manager Ahmad Zikry Badrin said DTRC was one of the company's efforts to cultivate recycling practices among the community.

"The facility in Perlis started operations in April 2021 and alhamdulillah, the public has been using it well for recycling.

"The collection rate of recyclable items in Perlis in 2021 was 539,646 kg, an increase of 24 per cent from 436,785 kg in the previous year," he said.

Ahmad Zikry said E-Idaman would set up another DTRC in Arau, six in Kedah and one in Perak.

"With this addition, it will make it easier for people to drop off their recyclable items. Before this, they had to wait for collection day and put the items in a cage. Now, they can send their items here in exchange for money," he added.

-- BERNAMA