FEATURE
Breathing Life into WASTE MATERIALS
PICO International Sdn Bhd works with MACEOS in an initiative to recycle waste materials from exhibitions and events. Eric Ho, Director, PICO International (M) Sdn Bhd
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onventions, exhibitions and expositions have always drawn the interest of Malaysians at large, with attractive posters, booths, stands, banners and all other imaginable ways of advertising one’s products or services. In fact, these paraphernalia are must haves and are the lifeline of these events. But what happens to them when the ‘party’ is over? Disposed, stacked up somewhere or just destroyed – a total waste of good money spent producing them. Realising the great potential of recycling these items for the common good of society and to fuel a healthy community and environment, the Malaysian Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (MACEOS) stepped into the picture to work their magic on these discarded items. Established in 1990, MACEOS was formed with the objective of developing
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and raising the standards within the MICE industry nationwide. Since then, MACEOS has grown steadily to include a membership of over 60 companies, comprising exhibition organisers, conference organisers, suppliers, freight forwarders and contractors, among others. In line with its objectives, MACEOS has organised various initiatives to train, nurture and spur the MICE industry. However, realising the enormous quantities of waste accumulated from events, MACEOS has initiated an innovative green initiative in collaboration with a local non-governmental organisation (NGO) called Biji Biji. Identified as an excellent initiative to encourage corporate social responsibility (CSR) amongst MICE organisers and exhibitors, MACEOS, together with PICO International (M) Sdn Bhd, is spearheading the collection of waste
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“The exhibition industry
is one of the highest waste producers, therefore, we feel that it is time for us to address this issue and make a commitment towards sustainable initiatives.”