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The Star
02-07-2025
- Business
- The Star
Sorting facility along Sg Klang to stem pollution
Ching (right) and Abd Hamid (red shirt) watching excavators removing river debris along Sungai Klang to be sent to the facility. — AZLINA ABDULLAH/The Star Centre focuses on separating waste manually, recycling plastics collected by interceptor A RIVER plastic waste sorting facility along Sungai Klang, Selangor, was unveiled in efforts to cut down plastic waste going into landfills. The facility located along Sungai Klang, will separate recyclable wastes collected by a rubbish-collecting vessel from the river. The vessel – Interceptor 002 – then releases the waste into a log boom, which are then picked up by excavators and sent to the facility to be sorted manually. Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry secretary-general Datuk Dr Ching Thoo Kim, who attended the facility's launch, said it was the first such centre by Dutch non-profit organisation The Ocean Cleanup. The project by The Ocean Cleanup is in collaboration with its partners Landasan Lumayan Sdn Bhd (LLSB), J&K Wonderland Foundation and Coca-Cola Malaysia. Klang mayor Datuk Abd Hamid Hussain, who launched the facility yesterday, said it demonstrated the possibilities when multiple stakeholders came together with a common goal. The in-house set-up will sort waste collected with LLSB stepping in as the operator. LLSB was appointed by Selangor government as the main driver of the Selangor Maritime Gateway, aimed at carrying out cleaning, development and conservation activities for Sungai Klang. LLSB managing director Syaiful Azmen Nordin said sorting facility was aimed at maxi- mising recycling outcomes and create job opportunities for the locals. 'A team of full-time workers are stationed at the site to sort waste by hand, separating recyclables such as plastic and aluminium from organic and non-recyclable waste. 'This sorting process aims to contribute to more sustainable and efficient waste management practices,' he added. Syaiful Azmen said the project also explored new applications for the recovered materials, with additional support from partners CNH Industrial and Orca Cika Malaysia. 'Both partners are working to repurpose materials into alternative products such as construction materials, granules and pellets thus reinforcing the project's commitment to circularity and innovation.' The Ocean Cleanup rivers director Marco Piet said the facility would help improve management of rubbish and stop waste reaching the sea. The Coca-Cola Company Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei franchise operations senior director Amanda Lin said removing plastics from Sungai Klang was part of its broader partnership with The Ocean Cleanup in South-East Asia to help prevent plastic waste from flowing into the ocean.
![[Watch] Coca-Cola Just Made Klang River Cleaner, And Here's Why You Should Celebrate](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.therakyatpost.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2025%2F07%2FUntitled21.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
![[Watch] Coca-Cola Just Made Klang River Cleaner, And Here's Why You Should Celebrate](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fall-logos-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ftherakyatpost.com.png&w=48&q=75){kind=small}
Rakyat Post
02-07-2025
- Business
- Rakyat Post
[Watch] Coca-Cola Just Made Klang River Cleaner, And Here's Why You Should Celebrate
Subscribe to our FREE Your daily dose of Coke just got a green makeover. Coca-Cola Malaysia teamed up with Dutch cleanup champions The Ocean Cleanup to launch a game-changing trash-sorting facility along Sungai Klang – and this is genuinely exciting news. The facility received the official ribbon-cutting treatment today (2 July), with Klang's mayor and government leaders celebrating the milestone. However, what matters to regular folks is that this innovative system is designed to rescue tons of waste from one of Malaysia's busiest waterways. Two high-tech 'Interceptor' machines (think super-smart solar-powered river cleaners), codenamed 002 and 005, plus a specialised log boom barrier system, have already rescued nearly 3,000 tons of waste from Sungai Klang as it flows through Kuala Lumpur's industrial zones. That's roughly equivalent to the The Real Impact: Jobs, Clean Water, and Smart Recycling The new sorting facility takes it to the next level – dedicated, full-time workers carefully separate recyclable materials, such as plastic bottles and aluminium cans, from organic waste. This public-private collaboration brings together Coca-Cola Malaysia, The Ocean Cleanup, local implementation leaders Landasan Lumayan Sdn Bhd, and the J&K Wonderland Foundation, which helped fund the project. Translation: way less waste heading to landfills, and more materials getting a second life. What's In It For The Public: Cleaner river = healthier environment around KL's industrial areas New local jobs created for sorting and processing work Recycled materials transformed into useful products like construction materials Smart partnership between private companies and the government, tackling real problems Amanda Lin, Senior Director – Franchise Operations for The Coca-Cola Company across Singapore, Malaysia & Brunei, was enthusiastic: 'This represents our commitment across Southeast Asia to create lasting solutions for plastic pollution – we're putting our money where our mouth is.' The Ripple Effect: Local Action, Global Impact Marco Piët of The Ocean Cleanup says this is just the beginning of something big. Their ambitious goal? Eliminate 90% of floating plastic pollution from oceans by 2030. The Sungai Klang project is helping them perfect and expand their technology for their '30 Cities' program across Asia and the Americas. This is what happens when serious money, smart technology, and genuine commitment come together. Sungai Klang is getting cleaner, people are finding employment, and plastic is being recycled instead of polluting our oceans, which benefits everyone who cares about clean water and healthy fish. Sometimes corporate partnerships create real positive change. And that's worth celebrating. READ MORE : READ MORE : READ MORE : Share your thoughts with us via TRP's . Get more stories like this to your inbox by signing up for our newsletter.
Free Malaysia Today
02-07-2025
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
The Ocean Cleanup to expand Klang River rubbish-clearing effort
Boyan Slat, inventor of the Interceptor rubbish-collecting boats, on board Interceptor 002 which has been in the Klang River since August 2019. (X pic) KLANG : Environmental NGO The Ocean Cleanup plans to expand its plastic waste interception effort in the Klang River, warning that current measures are not enough to stop pollution from reaching the ocean. 'Even with two Interceptors, the volume of trash is overwhelming,' said Marco Piet, the group's rivers director. 'We plan to upgrade the systems and possibly deploy more Interceptors to boost capacity.' The Interceptors – solar-powered, autonomous vessels – have been operating in the Klang River since 2019 and 2021. They aim to capture plastic waste before it reaches the sea. A 2020 report by state-linked company Landasan Lumayan showed improved water quality in the Klang River since the Interceptors were introduced. Despite this, Piet said, a large amount of waste still escaped capture. 'Cleaning one river is not enough. We need broader solutions, better waste management, sustainability education, and strong local involvement,' he said. He called for greater cooperation from NGOs, civil society, and local communities, stressing that effective solutions must be locally driven. He was speaking at the launch of a new plastic sorting and processing facility in Klang, part of the state's Selangor Maritime Gateway (SMG) river rehabilitation project. Klang mayor Abdul Hamid Hussain said the facility would play a vital role in both waste management and environmental protection. 'It will help reduce carbon emissions, air and water pollution, and also create jobs since it will be manually operated,' he said. Landasan Lumayan managing director Syaiful Azmen Nordin said public behaviour needed to change if long-term sustainability goals were to be met. 'Interceptor boats and log booms only treat the symptoms. Real change comes from shifting public attitudes,' he said. 'This facility is also about education and building a culture of sustainability.' Natural resources and environmental sustainability ministry secretary-general Ching Thoo Kim said broader steps were being taken through the proposed Climate Change Bill to address river pollution, citing the introduction of bottle deposit machines, similar to systems in the Netherlands and Germany, as one example. 'Our dream is for the Klang River to one day be clean enough to take a boat ride all the way to Mid Valley Megamall. It may take 20 or 30 years, but that's the goal,' he said.
Business Insider
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
Top YouTube star MrBeast runs a charity organization, called Beast Philanthropy, giving away money and eye surgeries
MrBeast is known for his over-the-top viral videos and over-the-top charitable acts. The YouTube star, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, has given away millions of dollars in his videos to causes such as the Arbor Day Foundation and The Ocean Cleanup. The 26-year-old started on YouTube by posting videos under the username MrBeast6000 from Donaldson's hometown of Greenville, North Carolina, where he still lives. In 2017, he went viral with a video in which he counted from zero to 100,000, beginning a journey that led him to become YouTube's top creator. He has over 395 million subscribers on YouTube. While MrBeast's net worth is unknown, he said in February 2025 that he's a billionaire on paper. His charitable stunts and giveaways have helped him go viral. In 2021, he challenged participants to remain in a circle and gave the last person to leave $500,000. The video gained over 500 million views. MrBeast also runs a charity organization called Beast Philanthropy, which works on campaigns to donate money and resources. It also runs a food bank, called The Beast Pantry, in North Carolina. The Beast Philanthropy YouTube channel has over 27 million subscribers. Donaldson began incorporating philanthropy into his content back in 2017, after inking his first brand sponsorship deal on YouTube. He was paid $10,000 for the brand deal, and in the video, he gave the money away as tips to pizza delivery drivers. The giveaway changed the trajectory of Donaldson's content strategy. From then on, he created content about giving money away to people in his community, Twitch streamers, and even food delivery drivers. At first, Donaldson's giveaways helped him go viral online, which in turn allowed him to donate more money to various people and charities. But over time, his charity efforts became controversial. MrBeast's philanthropic efforts: from giveaways to charity stunts MrBeast has given away gobs of cash to a wide range of causes, including planting trees, cleaning the ocean, and even paying for someone's cataract surgery. In 2019, Donaldson hit national news for his online campaign to raise money to plant 20 million trees. He partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation on the movement called #TeamTrees, which even attracted funding from Elon Musk. MrBeast typically funds these charity stunts through his businesses, sponsorship deals, and advertising earnings from his YouTube channel. He's built a team to run his philanthropic efforts. It includes Darren Margolias, who worked in real estate development, and has become the face of Beast Philanthropy. Donaldson's charity efforts have also had a cultural impact, making charity both "cool" and entertaining. Backlash to MrBeast's philanthropy MrBeast's charity stunts have also drawn critics who say his philanthropic efforts are self-serving. For instance, in 2023, he received backlash on Twitter for his video in which he gifted eye surgeries. Donaldson responded on the social platform, now called X, pointing out the irony: "Twitter - Rich people should help others with their money. Me - Okay, I'll use my money to help people and I promise to give away all my money before I die. Every single penny. Twitter - MrBeast bad." This was far from the only time Donaldson has been accused of being performative in his charitable acts. Some on the internet have even called his videos staged. His grand gestures have been accused of failing to contribute to fixing systemic issues like poverty and instead being performed for entertainment. For example, after his 2024 video titled "I Built 100 Houses And Gave Them Away," some fans online criticized the YouTuber for using the subjects of the video to get views. He also sparked controversy in 2023 when Donaldson gifted a car to a waitress in a TikTok video. Some fans said online that they were disappointed that the car displayed his YouTube logo and the name of his chocolate brand, Feastables, accusing him of using the giveaway for promotion. In times of backlash, MrBeast has typically shrugged off any criticism and doubled down that he's not giving up on giving back.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Young environmentalist rallies friends for ocean cleanup fundraiser
LEWISBURG — Ten-year-old Anna Langdon heard about a problem and didn't wait for someone else to tell her how to help. The fourth grade student at Linntown Intermediate School in the Lewisburg Area School District learned about plastic waste being dumped in the ocean, so she looked up a nonprofit environmental engineering organization, organized a fundraiser at the Lewisburg Arts Festival and convinced six of her friends to help. Together they raised more than $1,000 toward ecological protection of the ocean. "It's so stupid that people dump plastic into the ocean. Why there?" Anna said. "The ocean was here way before the land. It's a lot older than land and humans. We should probably take care of it since it was here first." Last year, Anna, the daughter of Crystal and Bryan Langdon, of Lewisburg, found out about The Ocean Cleanup, a nonprofit organization that is developing and scaling technologies to rid the world's oceans of plastic. Their aim is to remove 90 percent of floating ocean plastic by 2040. Humans produce 400 million metric tons of plastic annually, with an estimated 1.15 to 2.41 million metric tons entering the ocean each year, according to The Ocean Cleanup. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP), located in the Pacific Ocean halfway between Hawaii and California, is the largest of the five offshore plastic accumulation zones in the world's oceans. The GPGP covers an estimated surface area of 1.6 million square kilometers, an area twice the size of Texas or three times the size of France, according to The Ocean Cleanup. Anna reached out to the Lewisburg Arts Council to inquire about setting up a booth at the Lewisburg Arts Festival on April 26. She was granted a free booth at the community commons section of the festival. Anna brainstormed with six of her friends about their booth. Because it was a free booth for nonprofits, they were not permitted to sell anything, so a bake sale was off the table. Instead, they set up a kiddie pool where children could fish for Skittles among pieces of plastic. They held a drawing contest where the winner received a board game called "Mission Ocean," and they gave out seashells. While the children were distracted, Anna talked to the parents. She showed them a PowerPoint presentation and posters she made about ocean pollution and ways to help. Afterward, she explained they could donate to the cause in person or through the Ocean Cleanup website. In total, they raised $1,086. Asked why she had such a passion for the project, her answer was simple: "No one else is doing it." Crystal Langdon said she helped with some of the logistics of the project, but mostly she wanted to be hands-off with her daughter and her friends' idea. "I am just so impressed with their ability to brainstorm ideas. Anna, in particular, is not afraid to speak to people," Langdon said. "I was also impressed by their energy and effort. It was very successful." As a family, Langdon said they give back to the community, but Anna "took it to a whole other level." "The focus on the ocean and environment is all her," Langdon said. "With all the negativity in the world, it's very inspiring for her to do something positive." Della Hutchison, chair of the arts festival committee, said she stopped by Anna's booth early in the day to talk with her. "I told her she was my hero," Hutchison said. "I was just so blown away that a fourth-grader would be aware that the ocean needs help. I had no idea about that when I was in fourth grade. I certainly wasn't paying attention. I complimented her on coming up with an idea and following through. I wish we had more young people like Anna. I am super excited to hear that she did so well with her efforts." Additionally, Anna has a poem called "Global Warming," which she wrote and was chosen to read at the Bucknell National Poetry Month Project Community Reading as the fourth-grade selection. Anna said she wants to organize more fundraisers and events to help the environment. Anna's fundraising page can be found at
