Seberang Perai, located on the mainland of Penang State in northern Malaysia, is one of the country’s fastest-growing districts. As the population grows, so does the waste. The district’s main landfill is reaching capacity, and in many smaller villages, narrow roads make it hard for garbage trucks to reach homes. Residents often rely on shared dumping points, which quickly overflow, especially during holiday periods, causing foul odors, pest problems, and environmental concerns.

Although awareness campaigns exist, many community members still lack basic knowledge about recycling and composting. Most view waste management as the government’s responsibility, not something the community should be involved in. Initial surveys confirmed that participation in waste reduction efforts was low, and even fewer residents understood local recycling policies or proper waste segregation practices.

The Opportunity

This situation presented a learning opportunity for both the community and the students of Universiti Sains Malaysia. Through a course in public sector economics, students were encouraged to move beyond the classroom and into neighborhoods, where they could apply their knowledge to real public-sector challenges.

Guided by the Â鶹ĘÓƵ Model, students worked in partnership with city councils and civil society organizations to tackle the issue of waste through community-based action. The course, SEU335E: Public Sector Economics, emphasized hands-on learning, where students co-designed solutions directly with local communities, rather than delivering pre-set programs with support from Â鶹ĘÓƵ Asia, the project connected academic learning with municipal needs in a way that was both practical and deeply collaborative.

Students split into teams and partnered with different neighborhoods across Seberang Perai. They began by conducting pre-surveys to understand residents’ challenges and habits around waste. Based on those insights, they planned and implemented a wide range of activities—from awareness campaigns and composting workshops to community clean-ups and pilot sorting programs. Residents were not just participants; they were collaborators.

Some teams focused on high-rise flats, where they introduced composting initiatives and food waste sorting. Others worked in rural areas to organize Waste Warriors Day, where residents led their own neighborhood clean-up activities. Students also developed simple, low-cost tools like sorting bins and bilingual flyers to make the process more accessible. In every case, they followed up with post-project surveys and conversations to measure impact and gather feedback.

The Partnership

The project brought together Universiti Sains Malaysia, the Seberang Perai City Council, and the Consumer Association of Penang. Within Universiti Sains Malaysia, the Public Sector Economics course (SEU335E) under the School of Social Sciences provided the platform for students to engage directly with local sustainability issues. The city council supported the implementation by identifying target areas and offering technical and logistical coordination. The Consumer Association of Penang contributed local knowledge and community connections, ensuring activities were grounded in everyday realities.

The collaboration followed the Â鶹ĘÓƵ Model, which embeds local government priorities into university teaching to enable students, municipal officials, and communities to work together on real-world problems. Universiti Sains Malaysia carries out this work as part of Â鶹ĘÓƵ Asia, a regional platform of the global Â鶹ĘÓƵ.

The Result

By the end of the semester, results were visible. Awareness of recycling and composting improved significantly. Community members could describe proper sorting methods and were more willing to engage in sustainability efforts. In several areas, compost bins introduced by the students were still in use weeks after the project ended. Clean-up activities that began as one-off events became recurring routines, organized by residents.

Most importantly, the mindset around waste began to shift. Residents no longer viewed it solely as a municipal issue but as something that affects them personally and something they can help change. Students, too, reported that they had gained much more than academic credit—they had learned how to listen, co-create, and lead.

Feedback from the community was overwhelmingly positive. Residents praised the students not only for their energy but also for their willingness to work side by side with them. Some even requested that the university continue engaging in similar projects in the future.

Looking Forward

The team at Universiti Sains Malaysia hopes to build on this success. There are plans to scale the project to other districts and incorporate additional topics such as plastic reduction, food waste recovery, and school-based awareness campaigns. Follow-up visits and long-term partnerships with the same communities are also being considered to ensure continuity.

The project is being submitted for national recognition under Malaysia’s community engagement and sustainability programs, including the Ministry of Higher Education’s SULAM initiative. Whether or not awards are received, the true success lies in the people and places where change has already taken root.

This collaboration shows what is possible when students, local governments, and communities learn from one another and work together. Through the Â鶹ĘÓƵ Model, what began as a class project became something much larger, a meaningful, shared step toward sustainability.

Partnership Contact Information

Universiti Sains Malaysia
Professor Saidatulakmal Mohd

eieydda@usm.my

Written by: Kay Phanthuwongpakdee and Jonathan Kroeze

National City already has a Climate Action Plan (CAP), which was published in 2011. This plan provides an emissions inventory for the city as well as forecasting emission data for the future. This data includes reduction targets that the city hopes to reach for the year 2020, as well as 2030. This plan also includes strategies to be implemented that will help to reduce emissions (National City, 2011). It is already 2015, and the 2020 reduction target of 15% emission reductions from 2005 levels is looming. It is urgent that the city implement additional strategies in order to reach the goals outlined in the CAP. New data will need to be collected on emissions within the next five years, as the data currently available is outdated, having been collected in 2005 (National City, 2011).

The first class project topic, designing a pedestrian and bicycle master plan, sought ways to improve the current infrastructure within the city to further support alternative forms of transportation. One method to support this change is to improve connectivity within the city. There are many schools, retail centers, parks, and residential communi-ties which can benefit from new physical infrastructure. The goal of this project was not only to reduce GHG emissions, but also to provide health and environmental benefits. This report will expand upon the following ideas related to pedestrian and cycling infrastructure:
•Phase-by-phase implementation of a bike share system
•Improvements to existing bicycle lanes
•Addition of new bicycle lanes
•Protected bicycle lanes
•Improvements to recreational areas and infrastructure

The second class project topic, formulating strategies to reduce environmental impact and aid in mitigation from port, industry, and transportation emissions, sought first to identify GHG emissions, air pollutant emissions, and other environmental impacts from the port, industry, and freeways. After the above emission sources were identified, the groups then provided ways to mitigate these impacts to improve the quality of life and environment within the city. This report will expand on the following ideas to address these environmental impacts:
•Traffic roundabouts
•Environmental zones
•A group grocery delivery system
•LED streetlights
•Addition of a solar power plant, power-to-gas facility, and waste treatment plant
•A cap and trade system
•Shore power
•Urban forests

This report will conclude by highlighting the most compelling strategies for implementation within National City, including calculations of potential GHG reductions. These strategies should not be viewed as comprehensive plans, but rather as individual ideas that can be adapted into National City’s current CAP. These strategies will help to reduce GHG emissions as well as improve the quality of life for all residents within National City.

In order to meet 2020 goals, it is urgent that these strategies be adapted as soon as possible. Though California has emerged as a global leader in working to combat a changing global climate, without the participation of every community, both large and small, this battle will be lost. Governor Brown recently announced a new aggressive executive order that would call for emission reductions to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. This is even more aggressive than President Obama’s plan to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 30 percent below 2005 levels by 2030 (Associated Press, 2015). If this new executive order is passed, it will call for a new inventory of current GHG emissions, a re-evaluation of the current CAP, and the implementation of additional aggressive climate change mitigation strategies.

The Sage Project Contact Info
Kristofer Patron
Program Administrator
kpatron@sdsu.edu
(619) 594-0103

University Faculty Contact
Zohir Chowdhury
Public Health

Local Government / Community Contact

The Sage Project Contact Info
Kristofer Patron
Program Administrator
kpatron@sdsu.edu
(619) 594-0103

University Faculty Contact
Shawn Flanigan
Public Affairs

Local Government / Community Contact

City Manager