Recently, a group of 20 Secret Recipe representatives gathered at Pantai Kelanang for a beach clean-up activity. Under the supervision of Eco Lestari, its programme organiser, the Secret Recipe representatives were divided into teams to cover different areas of the beach and clear various types of trash that had washed ashore.
It was a long but fulfilling event, during which Secret Recipe not only collected waste but also segregated it accordingly. Volunteers also recorded 2,444 individual litter items through the Ocean Conservancy’s Clean Swell® app and submitted the data to TIDES (Trash Information and Data for Education and Solutions). This report recognises the volunteers’ contribution, summarises what was found and provides reference information that may also support Majlis Perbandaran Kuala Langat (MPKL) and other coastal-management stakeholders. In total, the teams managed to collect 99.6kg of waste, with 50kg of it being recyclable materials and the remainder being non-recyclable.
Seeing the amount of waste collected highlights the significant impact each individual can have on the environment. It reminds us that we must take ownership of our actions and make conscious choices to protect the future of our planet. With Malaysia ranked among the top five most polluting countries in the world and each person generating an average of 2.26kg of waste annually, it is crucial for everyone to play their part in reducing environmental impact.
Volunteers observed plastic bottles bearing labels from Thailand and China. Labels alone cannot confirm how they reached the beach, but their presence suggests that marine litter may reflect both local behaviour and wider regional waste flows through rivers, maritime activity or coastal currents. Participants also noticed branded plastic packaging that remained on the beach even after certain products or packaging formats were no longer commonly seen. This reinforced how plastic waste can persist in the environment for years.
During the reflection session, volunteers shared that the clean-up and waste audit made the scale and diversity of coastal litter more visible. Many felt saddened by the amount collected, but were also motivated to become more mindful of their own habits and surroundings. Through this initiative, Secret Recipe hopes to inspire more awareness, strengthen connections with Eco Lestari, and encourage future collaborations towards creating a more sustainable environment. Beyond the immediate environmental improvement, the programme strengthened awareness of marine-litter pathways, waste separation and everyday behaviour.