UTM Leads Climate Action through E-Waste Recycling Program<\/strong><\/h1>\n<\/h1><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/research.utm.my\/csnano\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/78\/2025\/12\/ewaste.jpg\" "\\"ewaste\\"")
<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/strong><\/p>\nJOHOR BAHRU, 15 Dec<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>\u2014 Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM has emerged as a key institutional driver of climate action through a structured community-based e-waste recycling programme implemented between 2023 and 2025. Anchored in the Global\u2013University\u2013Community\u2013Industry (GUCI) framework, the initiative demonstrates how a research university can translate academic leadership, grant-driven innovation, and multi-stakeholder collaboration into measurable environmental and societal impact.<\/p>\nAs the programme lead and coordinating institution, UTM provided the strategic direction, governance framework, and scientific rigour underpinning the initiative. The programme was developed through competitively awarded grants, including UTM@Faculty Grants under the Centre for Community and Industry Network (CCIN), Malaysian National Commission for UNESCO (MNCU) Seed Funds, the Iskandar Puteri Low Carbon (IPRK) 5.0 Grant by the Iskandar Puteri City Council (MBIP), alongside sustainability-focused innovation funding. These funding streams enabled UTM to implement a phased and scalable model integrating knowledge transfer, community engagement, innovation development, and impact evaluation.<\/p>\n
UTM\u2019s leadership was further reflected in its emphasis on transparent, auditable, and data-driven sustainability reporting. The University established standardised data-collection protocols, relying solely on officially recorded weights for environmental calculations and avoiding extrapolation where item-level data were unavailable. This methodological discipline ensures that reported outcomes are credible, verifiable, and suitable for institutional reporting, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) disclosures, and grant accountability.<\/p>\n
The industry component of the GUCI ecosystem was strengthened through a strategic collaboration with ERTH, a licensed e-waste recycler. While ERTH contributed certified expertise in collection, dismantling, and recycling processes, UTM remained the central integrator by aligning industrial practices with academic standards, sustainability objectives, and regulatory requirements. This partnership enabled the responsible handling of diverse e-waste streams while reinforcing UTM\u2019s role as the programme anchor.<\/p>\n
Community engagement formed a core pillar of the initiative. UTM actively mobilised secondary schools, public libraries, and community institutions as co-creators of impact rather than passive participants. Schools such as Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Pulai Perdana, SMK Bandar Baru Uda, and SMK Dato\u2019 Usman Awang, alongside public spaces including Perpustakaan Sultan Ismail, functioned as living laboratories for sustainability education. Through hands-on participation, students and community members were exposed to circular economy principles, responsible consumption, and environmental stewardship.<\/p>\n
Across ten verified community collection events, the UTM-led programme collected\u00a0<\/span>2,777.10 kg (approximately 2.78 tonnes)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>of e-waste, including laptops, mobile phones, printers, monitors, CPUs, and mixed electronic waste. All activities were supported by licensed recycling partners, ensuring regulatory compliance and responsible material recovery. Based on verified recycling certificates and conservative life-cycle assessment assumptions, the initiative achieved an estimated reduction of\u00a0<\/span>4,165.65 kg of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO\u2082-eq)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>emissions \u2014 equivalent to the annual carbon absorption capacity of\u00a0<\/span>198 mature trees<\/strong>.<\/p>\nBeyond environmental outcomes, the programme generated\u00a0<\/span>RM2,522.10<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>in community redemption value, demonstrating that sustainability initiatives can also deliver tangible socio-economic benefits. A total of\u00a0<\/span>587 individual e-waste items<\/strong>were responsibly recycled, reflecting strong community participation and increasing awareness of sustainable disposal practices.<\/p>\nAligned with global sustainability priorities, the programme supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly\u00a0<\/span>SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>SDG 13 (Climate Action)<\/strong>. The use of internationally recognised indicators such as CO\u2082-eq and tree-equivalent metrics positions the initiative within global sustainability and low-carbon reporting frameworks.<\/p>\nOverall, the initiative reflects UTM\u2019s broader institutional strategy of positioning the University as a system leader within the GUCI ecosystem. Through phased implementation \u2014 from foundational e-waste literacy and design thinking to innovation challenges and sustainability-driven knowledge transfer \u2014 UTM has demonstrated how universities can orchestrate long-term, impact-oriented sustainability programmes.<\/p>\n
By converting grant support into structured action and verifiable outcomes, UTM has reaffirmed its role as a national and regional leader in climate-responsive higher education, setting a benchmark for future GUCI-driven sustainability initiatives.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>
\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t![\"Infographic](\"https:\/\/research.utm.my\/csnano\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/78\/2025\/12\/ewaste-2.jpg\" "\\"Infographic")
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tInfographic showing the journey and impact of a community based e waste initiative from 2023 to 2025 highlighting grant funded collaboration systematic e waste collection knowledge transfer and sustainability programs.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/research.utm.my\/csnano\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/78\/2025\/12\/ewaste-3.png\")
<\/span><\/p>\nMotto and logo of the program, \u201cE-waste: Small devices big impact!\u201d reflecting UTM\u2019s tagline innovating sustainable solutions<\/span><\/p>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/research.utm.my\/csnano\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/78\/2025\/12\/ewaste-4-287x400.jpeg\")
<\/span><\/p>\nKnowledge transfer programmes to the community involved, in addition to the \u2018Let\u2019s Recycle and Redeem Now!\u2019 campaign<\/span><\/p>\n<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/research.utm.my\/csnano\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/78\/2025\/12\/ewaste-5-600x338.jpg\")
<\/span><\/p>\nConsolidation and certified recycling of mixed e-waste including computers peripherals cables and printers supported by documented weight records and official recycling certification from ERTH<\/span><\/p>\n<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/research.utm.my\/csnano\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/78\/2025\/12\/ewaste-6-600x338.jpg\")
<\/span><\/p>\nE-waste collection and handover activities involving community members and partners from device sorting and verification to safe transport for responsible recycling. Upper right is Samer (ERTH manager for Johor Bahru branch), and lower right is Mohamed Tarek El-Fatatry (ERTH Founder and CEO) with UTM\u2019s researcher<\/span><\/p>\n<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/research.utm.my\/csnano\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/78\/2025\/12\/ewaste-7-600x338.jpg\")
<\/span><\/p>\nCommunity e-waste recycling impact with 2.78 tonnes of e waste collected preventing 4.17 tonnes of CO\u2082 emissions equivalent to 198 mature trees while generating community value and promoting sustainability awareness aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals<\/span><\/p>\n<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/research.utm.my\/csnano\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/78\/2025\/12\/ewaste-8-600x338.jpg\")
<\/span><\/p>\nIntegrated project flow for e-waste small devices big impact outlining multi grant funding collaborations phased implementation knowledge transfer activities and sustainability innovation outcomes across schools universities and community partners<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":11687,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-16437","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.utm.my\/csnano\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16437","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.utm.my\/csnano\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.utm.my\/csnano\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.utm.my\/csnano\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11687"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.utm.my\/csnano\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16437"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/research.utm.my\/csnano\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16437\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16463,"href":"https:\/\/research.utm.my\/csnano\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16437\/revisions\/16463"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.utm.my\/csnano\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16437"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n JOHOR BAHRU, 15 Dec<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>\u2014 Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM has emerged as a key institutional driver of climate action through a structured community-based e-waste recycling programme implemented between 2023 and 2025. Anchored in the Global\u2013University\u2013Community\u2013Industry (GUCI) framework, the initiative demonstrates how a research university can translate academic leadership, grant-driven innovation, and multi-stakeholder collaboration into measurable environmental and societal impact.<\/p>\n As the programme lead and coordinating institution, UTM provided the strategic direction, governance framework, and scientific rigour underpinning the initiative. The programme was developed through competitively awarded grants, including UTM@Faculty Grants under the Centre for Community and Industry Network (CCIN), Malaysian National Commission for UNESCO (MNCU) Seed Funds, the Iskandar Puteri Low Carbon (IPRK) 5.0 Grant by the Iskandar Puteri City Council (MBIP), alongside sustainability-focused innovation funding. These funding streams enabled UTM to implement a phased and scalable model integrating knowledge transfer, community engagement, innovation development, and impact evaluation.<\/p>\n UTM\u2019s leadership was further reflected in its emphasis on transparent, auditable, and data-driven sustainability reporting. The University established standardised data-collection protocols, relying solely on officially recorded weights for environmental calculations and avoiding extrapolation where item-level data were unavailable. This methodological discipline ensures that reported outcomes are credible, verifiable, and suitable for institutional reporting, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) disclosures, and grant accountability.<\/p>\n The industry component of the GUCI ecosystem was strengthened through a strategic collaboration with ERTH, a licensed e-waste recycler. While ERTH contributed certified expertise in collection, dismantling, and recycling processes, UTM remained the central integrator by aligning industrial practices with academic standards, sustainability objectives, and regulatory requirements. This partnership enabled the responsible handling of diverse e-waste streams while reinforcing UTM\u2019s role as the programme anchor.<\/p>\n Community engagement formed a core pillar of the initiative. UTM actively mobilised secondary schools, public libraries, and community institutions as co-creators of impact rather than passive participants. Schools such as Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Pulai Perdana, SMK Bandar Baru Uda, and SMK Dato\u2019 Usman Awang, alongside public spaces including Perpustakaan Sultan Ismail, functioned as living laboratories for sustainability education. Through hands-on participation, students and community members were exposed to circular economy principles, responsible consumption, and environmental stewardship.<\/p>\n Across ten verified community collection events, the UTM-led programme collected\u00a0<\/span>2,777.10 kg (approximately 2.78 tonnes)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>of e-waste, including laptops, mobile phones, printers, monitors, CPUs, and mixed electronic waste. All activities were supported by licensed recycling partners, ensuring regulatory compliance and responsible material recovery. Based on verified recycling certificates and conservative life-cycle assessment assumptions, the initiative achieved an estimated reduction of\u00a0<\/span>4,165.65 kg of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO\u2082-eq)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>emissions \u2014 equivalent to the annual carbon absorption capacity of\u00a0<\/span>198 mature trees<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Beyond environmental outcomes, the programme generated\u00a0<\/span>RM2,522.10<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>in community redemption value, demonstrating that sustainability initiatives can also deliver tangible socio-economic benefits. A total of\u00a0<\/span>587 individual e-waste items<\/strong>were responsibly recycled, reflecting strong community participation and increasing awareness of sustainable disposal practices.<\/p>\n Aligned with global sustainability priorities, the programme supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly\u00a0<\/span>SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>SDG 13 (Climate Action)<\/strong>. The use of internationally recognised indicators such as CO\u2082-eq and tree-equivalent metrics positions the initiative within global sustainability and low-carbon reporting frameworks.<\/p>\n Overall, the initiative reflects UTM\u2019s broader institutional strategy of positioning the University as a system leader within the GUCI ecosystem. Through phased implementation \u2014 from foundational e-waste literacy and design thinking to innovation challenges and sustainability-driven knowledge transfer \u2014 UTM has demonstrated how universities can orchestrate long-term, impact-oriented sustainability programmes.<\/p>\n By converting grant support into structured action and verifiable outcomes, UTM has reaffirmed its role as a national and regional leader in climate-responsive higher education, setting a benchmark for future GUCI-driven sustainability initiatives.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div> Infographic showing the journey and impact of a community based e waste initiative from 2023 to 2025 highlighting grant funded collaboration systematic e waste collection knowledge transfer and sustainability programs.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div> Motto and logo of the program, \u201cE-waste: Small devices big impact!\u201d reflecting UTM\u2019s tagline innovating sustainable solutions<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Knowledge transfer programmes to the community involved, in addition to the \u2018Let\u2019s Recycle and Redeem Now!\u2019 campaign<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Consolidation and certified recycling of mixed e-waste including computers peripherals cables and printers supported by documented weight records and official recycling certification from ERTH<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n E-waste collection and handover activities involving community members and partners from device sorting and verification to safe transport for responsible recycling. Upper right is Samer (ERTH manager for Johor Bahru branch), and lower right is Mohamed Tarek El-Fatatry (ERTH Founder and CEO) with UTM\u2019s researcher<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Community e-waste recycling impact with 2.78 tonnes of e waste collected preventing 4.17 tonnes of CO\u2082 emissions equivalent to 198 mature trees while generating community value and promoting sustainability awareness aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Integrated project flow for e-waste small devices big impact outlining multi grant funding collaborations phased implementation knowledge transfer activities and sustainability innovation outcomes across schools universities and community partners<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/span><\/p>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<\/span><\/p>\n