KOTA KINABALU: A Dutch backpacker, who has been travelling across Southeast Asia, is sending a message to the public that there is no shame in collecting rubbish as part of efforts to conserve the environment.
Tijmen Sissing, 27, has conducted clean-ups of areas in Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, and the Philippines, as well as West Malaysia.
A recent video he uploaded to his Facebook page – which features him banding with locals to clear trash from the polluted beaches of Lahad Datu, Semporna and Tawau – has been widely shared on social media and garnered 250,000 views within 24 hours.
Sissing said at first, many locals mocked him for collecting trash in public places.
“Although they were laughing at me, I still greeted them and said “Apa khabar? (How are you?)” and even wore a bin bag to make myself look funnier.
“After that, as I was doing the clean-up in Semporna, a proactive kid picked up a bag and started helping me. Soon after, 12 other kids followed his lead.
“We can (clean rubbish) ourselves, as altruistic volunteerism is addictive,” said the psychologist cum singer, adding that instead of trying to point fingers at who is responsible for pollution, the public should use their energy to solve the problem themselves.
After Sissing’s crusade gained nationwide attention, more local people offered to help him pick up trash, carry garbage bags, provide meals and other assistance.
The Dutchman said that he was inspired to begin his trash-picking in 2012, when he stumbled upon a tremendous amount of trash while travelling in Thailand, Laos and Australia.
It made him realise how urgently the issue of pollution needed to be addressed.
Last year, in October, he resumed his backpacking journey and created the Facebook page The Trashpacker, in which he documents his clean-up activities to inspire the public and foreign travellers to do something for the communities they visit.