An environmental initiative aimed at promoting responsible disposal of electronic waste collected over 130 kilograms of e-waste during an event held in Iskandar Puteri, Johor. The Waste to Value 2.0 programme took place alongside the Green-Preneur Festival 2026 at a local shopping mall and emphasized the principles of reducing, reusing, and recycling.

Organized by the Johor Bahru-based nonprofit youth leadership and community development group JCI South Key, the initiative builds on the group’s previous efforts under the Last Straw Johor programme. That earlier programme, which ran for five years, targeted the reduction of plastic straw usage and disposal, having collected approximately 100 kilograms of discarded straws. Since expanding its scope to include broader categories of plastic and paper waste last year, the organization has gathered nearly 1,000 kilograms of such materials.

JCI South Key president Evan Tan Wei Wen explained that Waste to Value 2.0, now in its second year, incorporated interactive components such as games and educational activities aimed at raising environmental awareness among children. These activities are designed to foster an understanding of environmental conditions and encourage active participation in environmental protection.

Contrary to initial expectations that most electronic waste would consist of old mobile phones, the majority of collected items were household electrical appliances, including ovens, air conditioners, and cooking devices. The collected e-waste will be transferred to a non-governmental organization for proper processing and recycling.

Tan highlighted the growing importance of correctly managing electronic waste amid the rising ownership and frequent replacement of electronic devices. He noted that while many individuals may replace their mobile phones every two years, the disposal of the old devices remains an ongoing challenge that requires responsible handling.

In addition to waste collection efforts, the festival enshrined sustainability by requiring participating booths to use recyclable packaging materials and encouraging attendees to bring their own bags. These measures aim to further reduce environmental impact during the event.