Melaka is well-known worldwide as a historic city, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But what people don’t know are all the hidden lives and connections that make this state special to the locals and adopted Melakans. The state is rich but fragile. It faces multiple risks of destruction, both to its heritage and to the environment (real estate projects, reclaimed land, marine and land pollution, …).
The beaches of Melaka are beautiful and need special attention because they are a living space for many animals and people.
Rendez-vous on April 27th 2021 at Pulau Konet, Melaka
That’s why next Tuesday, the new Sungai Project collective organizes its first beach cleanup at Pulau Konet. At 4 pm, members and volunteers will meet to clean the beach. They will pick up ghost nets and plastics while having a good time together and enjoying the sunset. The goal is to clean up the garbage on and around the island. The main focus will be to clean up ghost nets which are a danger to all life in and above the water in this area.
Say No to Plastic
Indeed, abandoned fishing nets silently trap marine wildlife. Fishing gear is designed to capture and kill marine animals, which they still do when left in the sea for so long. Good to know: 400 million tons of plastic are produced every year. 40% of this plastic is single-use, meaning we use it only once and then we throw it away. Since plastic is not biodegradable, it takes about hundreds of years to break down.
A Project with an Artistic Dimension
This cleanup is the first event, but more are to come. The collective Sungai Project will organize cleanups on different beaches and will recycle the collected waste with the help of different collaborators.
Thus, local artists will use the wastes to create artworks and installations. Sambal&Cheese are honored to be the first invited to create a masterpiece. We will conceive a piece of artwork from the waste collected during the Pulau Konet cleanup.
During the next events, Sungai Project will involve other artists and organize exhibition(s).
This initiative aims to reconnect people with each other and with nature, to build a community of mutual aid and eco-responsibility. But also to open the consciences by showing the waste under a new form.