The world of Tzu Chi September 2020 (Vol.126)

2020 • 09 16 eature The Taman Sri Endah recycling centre in Sri Petaling would organize various vegetarian cooking demonstrations of different countries as a way to attract the local community to the centre, where they would be inspired to take up recycling together. [Photograph courtesy of Chan Foong Yee] One recycling centre in each community In November 5 to 19, 2010, Echo Chien visited several Tzu Chi recycling centres. Seeing how the volunteers enjoyed the recycling work, she joyously mulled over the idea that the centres could be a place for elderly volunteers to enjoy each other’s company while contributing to the environment. If every community has a recycling centre, it not only double up as a community centre, but it can lead to more people joining the cause. During that time, there were only ten recycling centres in the entire Klang Valley. In end November, while Echo Chien was in Taiwan for Tzu Chi’s Board of Directors meeting, she vowed to the Master that she would set up a recycling centre in each community. Armed with the mission of setting up “a recycling centre in each community”, the volunteers went, many times, to all the relevant government departments sharing Tzu Chi’s recycling mission while searching for suitable locations. As of August 20, 2020, Tzu Chi KL & Selangor and its sub-chapters in East Malaysia have set up a total of 113 recycling centres and 336 recycling points. With the increase in the number of recycling centres, the roles of these centres have also increased, with some growing plants on the vacant land, others organizing vegetarian cooking demonstrations while some setting up pre-loved item zones and still others holding book study sessions, and so on, making the centres not only a place for recycling but also a good place for the community to gather.