TRAINING REPORT FOR “CLEAN OCEAN PROJECT BY STUDENT IN SABAH AND
AKITA (COPSA) TRAINING IN JAPAN
11TH TO 18TH MARCH 2024
AKITA, JAPANParticipants
1.

Mr.Vitalis Justin ModuyingDirector
Environment Protection Department

2.

Mr. Ray Marvin Tann
Head of Assessment Sector Environment Protection Department

3.

Ms. Hazlyn Liaw
Head of Project Division Environment Protection Department

4.

Ms. Effiezuanah Mohd SidekHead of Complaint Division
Environment Protection Department

5.

Mr. Frederick Soon
Head of Information Management UnitEnvironment Protection Department

6.

Ms. Ivycleire EdwardPark ManagerSabah Parks

7.

Mr. Elvin Michael BavohResearch Officer
Sabah Parks

DATETRAININGOBSERVATION / LESSONS LEARNTCONTENT/ VISITS

1. 11/03/24:

Visit at Akita

University (AIU)(Tuesday):

One of the best libraries in Japan with acolosseum
inspiration design

International(Monday)

2. 12/03/24●●

Most of the buildings are made of Akita's Cedarwoods.

●The university have partnership with more thanPurpose of visit:

200 universities all over the world including University of Malaya

Introduction to theand University of Science Malaysia

AIU●AIU offers foreign exchange student programme.

Visit at Akita Art●A modern cultural venue in Akita City, Japan officially launchedCenter “Mill Has”

in September 2023. Akita Prefecture and Akita City collaborated
in the construction of the theatre. (4 years to complete thebuilding)Purpose of visit:
Introduction of the●The theatre features a main auditorium with seating capacity up

Akita Art Theatre

to 2007 with its innovative acoustics and stage systems, the hall’s

and the facilities

versatile design sets for a wide range of performances.
The distinctive shape of the walls with wooden material andthe acoustic reflectors creates agreat resonance environment.

1ATTACHMENT(PHOTO)
Photo
1-3

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4-6

●The second biggest hall with seating capacity up to 800
optimises the possibility of drama, dance, music and many
performing arts. The walls are designed with Akita’s traditional
Kumiko craftwork.

●It includes 2 smaller performances halls with audience capacity
up to 140 for hall A and 100 forhall B. What's unique about hall
A is the training space that is exactly the same as the mainstagein the main hall.

●The venue is equipped with advanced sound and lighting
systems to enhance the quality of the performance.

●In general, the theatre offers a lively stage for artists andperformers to showcase their talents while enhancing thelocal cultural environment.

3. 12/03/24(Tuesday):

Visit at Akita Eco●

Established in 2004, with a capital of ~RM10 Million(JPY295,000,000), AEP main business is recycling ofPlash (Noshiro City)

containers and packaging materials from domestic waste,
Purpose of visit:

recycling of plastic waste from business operators andIntroduction to Akita

manufacture of injection moulded productsusing recycledmaterials

Eco Plash, theirplastic recycling●

the uniqueness of this company is not only doingrecycling but

practices andproducing the recycle plasticinto another product which is

initiatives

a pallet.
AEPは2004年に設立され、資本金は1,000万RM（2億9,500万円）で、主な事業は、家庭から出る容器包装材のリサイクル、事業者から出る廃プラスチックのリサイクル、リサイクル材を使った射出成形品の製造である。この会社の特筆すべき点は、リサイクルを行うだけでなく、リサイクルされたプラスチックをパレットという別の製品に製造していることである。

●The recycling capacity of this company is 10,000 tonnes/year.

●

Other than domestic waste, they purchase sorted packaging
waste (PP&LDPE) from major distribution companies and foodpackaging material (PP) from major bakery companies, recycled
in and use it for moulding material.

●Products made of moulded recycled material are Aqua
container AE1 a block parts for rainwater harvesting tank,plastic pallets and Gutter.

●Challenges faced by the company:◦

some plastic type in the recyclable resin suchas PS is low
strength and low demand as recycled material.

◦sorting of resin type is difficult.

◦low purity of the raw material stage limits the production ofrecycled materials.

◦Disposal cost and risk of product price (high risk, low return)◦increase of disposal cost & rules for the disposal of residues
from container recycling◦

effectiveness depending on type of packaging waste,segregation rate and clean waste.

2Photo7-8

●Environmental initiatives by AEP:◦

increase usage of renewable energy.

◦organised beach clean-up programme and recycle thewaste collected from the programme into plant pots
given back to children; and◦donation of 20 Yen per kg of recycled
marine plastic waste to UNEP Japan.

この会社のリサイクル能力は10,000トン／年である。
家庭系廃棄物以外では、大手流通会社から分別された包装廃棄物（PP&LDPE）、大手ベーカリー会社から食品包装資材（PP）を購入し、リサイクルして成形材料に使用している。
アクアコンテナAE1、雨水貯留タンク用ブロック部品、プラスチックパレット、雨樋など。
➤会社が直面している課題：リサイクル可能な樹脂の中には、PSのように強度が低く、再生材料としての需要が低い樹脂もある。樹脂の分別が難しい。原料段階の純度が低いため、リサイクル原料の生産が制限される。廃棄コストと製品価格のリスク（ハイリスク・ローリターン）。廃棄コストの増大と容器リサイクル残渣の廃棄ルール。包装廃棄物の種類、分別率、クリーンな廃棄物による効果。
➤AEPによる環境への取り組み：再生可能エネルギーの使用を増やす。海岸清掃プログラムを実施し、回収したゴミを植木鉢にリサイクルして子どもたちに還元。リサイクルされた海洋プラ
スチック廃棄物1kgにつき20円をUNEPジャパンに寄付。UNEPジャパンに寄付する。

4. 13/03/24:(Wednesday)

VisitatDaisenBiomassPower●

unused wood or rejected timber such as wood chips from logs,

Photo
9-10

timber scraps, treebark, wood pellets etc.

Generation Co., Ltd. at●Daisen City

This company generates electricity by burning wood chips from

They calculated a reduction of 23,000 tonnes of CO2 per yearwith the alternative of Biomass power usage.

Purposeofvisit:●

The company is showing their corporate social responsibility

Introduction to thethrough sponsoring a bus stop shedwith underfloor heating fromWood

Daisen Biomass power generation plant for the local community

Biomass

usage as well as helping to sprinkle hot water to melt snow in thePower Generation

public car park during winter.
●This company demonstrates how energy generated by thecombustion of biomass canbe used to minimise the usageof fossil fuels and to benefit local communities throughCorporate Social Responsibility programmes.

5. 13/03/24(Wednesday):Visit at Akita City

●City General Environment CenterGeneral Environment
CenterSegregated domestic waste in Akita is being managed by Akita●Plastic wastes were recycled according to their categories andreproduce as other valuable material such as clothes, chairs,tables, souvenirsand many more.
秋田市の家庭ごみは、秋田市総合環境センターが分別管理している。分別されたプラスチッ

Purpose of visit: Tourof the recycling
plaza and melting
furnace

クごみは、衣類、椅子、テーブル、お土産品など、有価物として再生利用されています。

●Plastic categories that can’t be recycled into otherproducts will beheated & used as energy.

●

The centre has converted their previous landfill areas to put intheir Mega power solar panels.
他の製品にリサイクルできないプラスチック類は、加熱してエネルギーとして利用する。センターは、以前の埋立地を改造し、メガパワー・ソーラー・パネルを設置した。

3Photo11-13●They are using solar power and energy from recycled plastic
waste to reduce the consumptionof fossil fuel. 化石燃料の消費を抑えるため、太陽光発電やプラスチック廃棄物のリサイクルによるエネルギーを利用している。

●This company's capacity to maximise the utilisation ofrecycled materials to develop items with economic value
while also minimising dependency on the usage of fossil
fuels is truly fantastic.
リサイクル素材を最大限に活用し、化石燃料への依存を最小限に抑えながら、経済的価値のある商品を開発するこの企業の能力は、本当に素晴らしい。本当に素晴らしい。

6. 14/03/24:(Thursday)

Visit at Akita Chuo●

in Akita City with around 600students.

High School●●school andpresentation on theirsurvey findings inPhoto
14-16

The environmental awareness activities are conducted byproject-based learning across all subjects.

Purpose of visit:
Introduction to theAkita Chuo High School is one of the best government schools

4 Students presented their survey findings on marine plastic
waste in KK Wetland, Kg. Darau and Kg. Kobuni, Sabah during
their visit from 27thOctober – 2 November 2023. 学生達は、KK ウェット
ランド、Kg. Darau、 Kg. Kobuni, 2023年10月27日～11月2日にサバ州を訪問。

●Sabah, Malaysia

It was found out that plastic bottles and food traysare the highest
category of waste dumped into the rivers and the ocean while
metal waste suspectedto be illegally dumped was found in theupstreamareas. 河川や海に投棄されるゴミの種類は、ペットボトルや食品トレーが最も多く、不法投棄が疑われる金属ゴミは上流域で発見された。

●

They also acknowledge the active participation from the 3school’s students that they have visitedand were impressed withthe existing environmental education programme they haveimplemented. The are looking forward to work with them. また、訪問した3校の生徒の積極的な活動を共有し、彼らが実施した既存の環境教育プログラムに感銘を受けた。学生たちは一緒に活動することを楽しみにしている。

●From their visit at Kayu Madang landfill and interview with DBKK,
they think that there is an urgency to tackle the amount of waste
beingdumped to the landfill to avoid environmentalissues suchas underground water pollution fromthe leachate and smell issue. カユ・マダン最終処分場の視察やDBKKへのインタビューから、浸出水による地下水汚染や悪臭問題などの環境問題を回避するために、埋立地に投棄される廃棄物削減に取り組むことが急務であると考えている。

7. 14/03/24(Thursday):

Visit at Port Tower●“Serion”

The Akita Offshore Wind Farm, visible fromAkita Portside, is the first commercial wind farmoperating in Japan since 31 January 2023.

Purpose of visit:●

Introduction toThe wind farm can supply electricity to about130,000
households, almost covered the wholerenewable energy inhouseholds in Akita City.

Akita (Akita●Katagami Wind Farm

Overall, the Akita Wind Farm serves as atangible exampleof Japan's commitment to& Akita Mega Solartransitioning towards a more sustainable andPower Plant)●environmentally friendly energy generatingsystem.
Another renewable energy source in Akita is theMega Solar Power Plant a large-scale solar energy facility withan area of 10 Hectares and has 6 MW mega solar plant and 1.5
MW wind turbines. It harnesses solar energy using photovoltaic(PV) panels to generate electricity.

4Photo17-19

●The significance of these renewable energy
sources are its capacity to generate cleanelectricity
without relying on fossil fuels,
thereby reducing carbon emissions

8. 14/03/24:(Thursday)

Visit at Akita City●

Akita paddlers is a non-profit organisation that consists of agroup of canoeists who enjoy canoeing in a naturalDepartment

Photo20

environment but eventually started cleaning up thePurpose of visit:

Omonogawa river after they witness how dirty was theIntroduction ofmarine waste.

Efforts by●

They have done 126 times cleaning activity in the last 20

environmental

years with up to 9166 participants.

conservation groups

秋田パドラーズは、自然環境の中でカヌーを楽しんでいたカヌーイストたちが、海ゴミの汚さを目の当たりにして、雄物川の清掃活動を始めたNPO法人。

by Akita Paddlers

過去20年間で126回の清掃活動を行い、延べ9166人が参加。

●

Their efforts in clean-up activities have attracted not only
canoeists but the public.
彼らの清掃活動は、カヌーイストだけでなく、一般の人々をも魅了している。

●CEEA have conducted research on waste tracing with theinvolvement of Akita Paddlers.
CEEAは秋田パドラーズの協力を得て、廃棄物トレーシングの研究を行った。

●

This organisation is an example of how touse common
recreational activities and sports to attract public
interest in environmental protection andconservation activities.
この組織は、一般的なレクリエーション活動やスポーツを利用して、環境保護・保全活動に一般の人々の関心を集める方法の一例である。 この組織は、一般的なレクリエーション活動やスポーツを利用して、環境保護や保全活動への一般の人々の関心を集める方法を示した例である。

9. 14/03/24:(Thursday)

Visit at Akita City●

Welcoming speech from Director of Environment, Akita
City, sharing of experience by participants and exchange

Department

Photo
21-22of souvenirs.
Purpose of visit:●The Director of Environment has given his support andCourtesy visit withadvice on how to tackle waste management issues such

Director ofas by strengthening regulation as well as focus on areas

Environmentthat are easy to handle first and develop from there. His

representing Akita

hope is for Sabah to lead in tackling climate change issue

City Mayorin the country.
環境部長は、廃棄物管理問題への取り組み方について、規制を強化すること、まず扱いやすい分野に焦点を当て、そこから発展させることなどの支援と助言を行った。
環境部長は、サバ州が国内の気候変動問題に率先して取り組むことを望んでいる。

10. 15/03/24(Friday):

Visit at Oga Aquarium(Olga City) /●Oga Aquarium GAO located along Oga Peninsular Coast,
Oga, Akita City has been operating since 1967 started by
Akita Prefecture. It is located within Oogata

Purpose of visit:

Geopark that riched with maroon coloured hardened lava
that flowed from the volcano about 30 million years ago.

5Photo23-24

Marine Conservation●This aquarium not only showcases the diversity of Oga's andRetrieval Team

Akita’s marine life and its habitat but also gives visitors theInspection

opportunity to understand the importance of nature
protection and environmental conservation through several
activities such as touch pool, marine waste exhibits to show
realistic picture of current issues as well as giving lectures tochildren on marine plastic problem to increase theirenvironmental awareness.
この水族館では、男鹿・秋田の海洋生物の多様性とその生息環境を紹介するだけでなく、タッチプールや海洋ゴミの展示などを通じて、自然保護や環境保全の重要性を理解する機会を提供する。

●

About 400 species and 10,000 items of domestic and foreign
creatures are on display, including Gouta and Yuki, polar
bears, and the prefectural fish of Akita Prefecture, thegrouper.

●The local residents are also involved in programmesorganised by the management and interact with visitors forexample by helping to organise, preparing food and sellingsouvenirs.

●They were successful in enhancing the centre'sfunction to include providing as a resource for
information on marine pollution and the value ofpreserving marine ecosystems as well as showcasing
the variety of Guo's marine biodiversity.
海洋汚染や海洋生態系保全の価値に関する情報源として、また郭市の多様な海洋生物多様性を紹介するなど、センターの機能を高めることに成功した。

Overall, the team has gained insight from the training tour into Akita's outstanding achievements inenvironmental management, particularly in solid waste management, as well as the city's rich cultural
heritage. Environment Protection Department, Sabah may incorporate many examples into its planning,
environmental awareness materials and activities by customising them to the state's waste pollution issues.
The most inspirational lesson was learned from Akita's advanced recycling initiatives, which include burning
biomass to produce electricity and turning plastic waste into valuable products. Government initiatives topromote the use of renewable energy, including mega solar power plants and windmill power plants, arerole models for other countries to learn from.
サバ州からの参加者は本研修を通じて、秋田の環境管理、特に固形廃棄物管理の顕著な成果と、豊かな文化遺産について洞察を深めた。サバ州環境保護局
は、これらの環境対策事例を、州の廃棄物問題に合わせて調整して、同局による計画や環境意識向上の参考としたり、活動に取り入れることができる。最も啓発されたのは、バイオマスを燃焼して電気を生成したり、プラスチック廃棄物を価値ある製品に変えるなど、秋田の先進的なリサイクルの取り組みであり、教訓が得られた。再生可能エネルギーの利用促進に向けた政府のイニシアティブ、特に大規模ソーラーパネルや風力発電所は、他国の模範となるべきである。

6

Attachment

Photo 2 Akita International University
Photo 1 Akita International University

Photo 4 Akita Arts theatre

Photo 3 Akita International University

Photo 5 Akita Arts Theatre

Photo 6 Akita Arts Theatre

7

Photo 8 Akita Eco Plash

Photo 7 Akita Eco plash

Photo 9 Daisen Biomass Power generation
Co.,Ltd. (mill visit)

Photo 10 Daisen Biomass Power generation
Co.,Ltd.

Photo 11 Akita City General Environment(Introduction of the facility)

Photo 12 Akita City General Environment(explanation on the recycled products)
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Photo 13 Akita City General Environment(dumping centre)

Photo 14 Akita Chuo High School (Presentationabout the school from students)

Photo 15 Akita Chuo High School (Teaceremony demonstration)

Photo 16 Akita Chuo High School (Presentationon their project in Sabah)Photo 18 Port Tower “Serion” (View of theOffshore Wind Farm)

Photo 17 Port Tower “Serion”

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Photo 20 Akita Paddlers NGOs

Photo 19 close-up view of the Wind Farm

Photo 21 Courtesy visit with Director ofEnvironment

Photo 22 Courtesy visit with Director ofEnvironment

Photo 23 Visit at Oga Aquarium

Photo 24 Marine waste exhibits at OgaAquarium

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