Hatta Dolmat, Ocean Hero Conservation and Miss Universe Malaysia Volunteer For Beach Clean-Up Activity Pre-KL Fashion Week 2022 At Lexis Hibiscus, Port Dickson

In the two months leading up to KL Fashion Week 2022, HATTA DOLMAT and OCEAN HERO CONSERVATION are proud to have successfully organised the OCEAN’US BEACH CLEAN-UP for the second year in a row at Lexis Hibiscus, Port Dickson.

Hatta Dolmat, Miss Universe Malaysia Organisation, Lexis Hibiscus Port Dickson, Kementerian Alam Sekitar dan Air (KASA), Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Corporation, Us For Ocean, KLOTH Cares, QR FALAH, La Liga Youth Tournament and Ocean Hero Advocates came together yesterday for the OCEAN'US Sustainable Ecotourism CSR Beach Cleanup with the support of Tourism Malaysia, at Lexis Hibiscus Port Dickson to collect plastic waste and convert them into fabric for the KL Fashion Week 2022.

This year’s activity, which was held at Lexis Hibiscus, Port Dickson, aimed to spread awareness and educate Malaysians, especially fashion industry players, on the importance of recycling plastics into fabric, the devastating impact of plastic pollution especially on marine life and conserving a sustainable ecosystem and ecotourism. This noble effort was carried out in collaboration with partners such as Tourism Malaysia, Kementerian Alam Sekitar dan Air (KASA), Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Corporation, Miss Universe Malaysia Organization, Lexis Hibiscus Port Dickson, Us For Ocean, KLOTH Cares, QR FALAH, La Liga Youth Tournament, and Ocean Hero Advocates in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, SDG 14 Life Below Water and SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production.

The participating organisations also conducted a plastic waste audit and collected data on plastic types found on the beach including the finalists of Miss Universe Malaysia 2022. The event was meant to highlight corporations’ responsibility and Hatta Dolmat’s effort on reducing and recycling plastic waste and generating plastic waste into fabric.

Hatta Dolmat, Director of Hatta Dolmat Design said: “On land and in oceans, we find alarming amounts of plastic in the environment. Plastic pollution is one of the most pressing issues in Malaysia, affecting people and wildlife. It’s heart-breaking to see animals dying, particularly endangered marine species choking to death because of plastic. Clearly, something must change and the most viable solution is to stop producing plastic at the source.”

Shirene Moong, Founder of Ocean Hero Conservation said: “In our country, we normally see a ton of trash on our shores, mostly water bottles. Some are washed ashore, while others are left here by tourists which is problematic as it impacts the marine and beach. Through our initiatives, we aim to reduce plastic pollution by generating fabric out of the plastic waste collected”.

Increasingly, people are becoming more aware of plastic pollution and want to be part of the solution. Hatta Dolmat, Ocean Hero Conservation and Miss Universe Malaysia together with

the Ocean Hero Advocates, members of the media and the local civil society have collaborated to collect plastic waste and convert them into fabric for the KL Fashion Week 2022. With interstate travel restrictions officially lifted and domestic travel set to resume, this activity also highlighted the potential of our country to move towards a Sustainable Tourism Hub in Asia.

“The beach clean-up activity is a movement which aims to reduce plastic waste and promote long-lasting solutions to the plastic pollution crisis. This is the second beach clean-up activity organised by Hatta Dolmat and Ocean Hero Conservation after last November’s activity in Avani, Sepang. We need to strengthen our joint efforts toward a sustainable, just and inclusive recovery. I firmly believe this will significantly impact the development of a sustainable tourism in Malaysia,” Said YBsr En Iskandar Mirza Mohd Yusof, Senior Director, Domestic & Event Division, Acting Deputy Director General Tourism Malaysia.

“There is a growing consciousness among consumers about their plastic consumption and many have pledged to live a plastic-free lifestyle. It is now time for fashion industry to act and do their part to come up with concrete measures to tackle the plastic crisis,” concluded Hatta. The plastic waste collected was compiled and audited to identify the most used plastic type and the top plastic polluters. The plastic bottles will be recycled and generated into fabric for Hatta Dolmat’s use during the KL Fashion Week 2022 in August 2022.