Students proudly wear used clothes at Eco event

Even with nationwide recycling, solid waste is a major environmental problem in Malaysia. As a nation, Malaysia produces 8.4 million tonnes of waste a year. However, Malaysians are not in the habit of donating or wearing old clothes. Unwanted clothes are often included with the trash. Selling one’s old clothes, swapping or giving away is not in our culture. For this reason, Sunway University and Sunway College held an Eco Fashion Show during its Sunway Campus Eco-Passion Day 2012 to raise awareness among students and others not to be trashy but to donate, swop or recycle their old or pre-loved clothes.

Students of the American Degree Transfer Program of Sunway University presented the Eco Fashion Show. The clothes worn willingly by the students were donated by the staff of the Directorate of the Sunway Education Group. The students were proud to participate in the Eco Fashion show and gave their thumbs up for the clothes.

The staff also set up a Pre-loved clothing stall selling the donated clothes that were collected over the month before the event. Canadian International Matriculation Programme (CIMP) students of Sunway College helped to man the stall. Proceeds from the sale of the clothing items amounted to RM830 which together with booth rental income will be donated to an environmental NGO which is yet to be decided by staff.

Elizabeth Lee, Senior Executive Director, Sunway Education Group said “Wearing pre-loved clothing can be fashionable and is the highest form of sustainable fashion there is”.

“Our students’ efforts, definitely will not go unnoticed as it helps us to appreciate and treasure the clothes that we buy. Revering our clothes forms the basis for us to inculcate the habit of buying only what is necessary and ultimately through such actions we can all help to make this world a better place”, she added.

Sunway Campus has been recycling paper, glass, aluminium and plastics since 2002. It also implemented a No Free Plastic bag policy last year and officially banned Styrofoam on campus since October 2010. This year it introduced electronic waste recycling by providing e-waste bins.