KUCHING: With environmental sustainability being an integral part of its business model, the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) recently enlisted the expertise of Shan Poornam Metals Sdn Bhd (SPM), a manufacturing company that provides services on scheduled wastes and non-scheduled wastes, to manage its ICT waste which included computer monitors and central processing units.
BCCK invests significantly in ICT equipment and facilities and in keeping abreast with technologies which have planned/built-in obsolescence, its ICT Department has adopted a long-term solution to deal with e-waste efficiently on an ongoing basis.
Electronic scrap components, such as CPUs, contain potentially harmful components such as lead, cadmium, beryllium, or brominated flame retardants.
Recycling and disposal of these components therefore needs to be undertaken by licensed waste management operators to avoid unsafe exposure and leaking of harmful materials into the environment.
As a hospitality establishment that serves the public and private sectors including the general public, the amount of general waste generated by events hosted at BCCK also warrants proper management.
Waste such as plastic, glass, aluminium and paper is segregated by BCCK’s own waste sorting unit prior to collection by SPM which is licensed by the Department of Environment (DOE) Malaysia.
“Environmental sustainability features significantly on BCCK’s agenda and we are committed to managing the waste that goes out from our Centre in the safest possible ways. We have the assurance of ISO management systems from the appointed vendor SPM to process, salvage and turn our waste into re-useable materials.
“The crucial point being our Centre is contributing to the bigger picture, that is, to reduce and manage wastes via validated and approved processes that impact the environment and community minimally,” said Eric van Piggelen, BCCK chief executive officer.
SPM, appointed by the DOE and the Japanese International Corporation Agency (JICA) to spearhead the recycling and recovery of household e-waste and chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs (chemical compounds which destroy the Earth’s ozone layer) on the national level, has garnered numerous notable international and Malaysian government awards for initiatives/innovation and leadership in environmental management solutions.
Amongst these awards are the Leadership in Renewable Energy & Technology Award by FGCCC and The Leaders International, UAE, Dubai and the Prime Minister’s Hibiscus Award 2010/2011 – Special Project on Innovation towards Environmental Solutions.
The company also handles secondary alloy alum ingot and refining of precious group metal (PGM) and copper. SPM has 500 trained and dedicated personnel with comprehensive expertise in waste management.
The company has various international certifications that validate its waste management processes, namely ISO 14001 Environmental Management System, ISO 9001 Quality Management System and OHSAS 18001 Occupational Health and Safety Management.
