What have you done to care for our planet lately?

Each year in March, ARA Asset Management (ARA) Malls are unwavering in their efforts to inculcate an appreciation for the natural world among its patrons through a series of fun and educational activities under the banner of its eco-conscious campaign, “Helping Our Planet Everyday” (or H.O.P.E.).

Campaign mainstays such as the aluminium pull-tab collection, coffee ground collection, and eco-themed arts & crafts workshops make a return to 1 Mont Kiara and CITTA Mall, while H.O.P.E.’s mascot, Mr. Plasticman, will also be making the rounds at both malls, offering to trade eco-friendly bags for plastic ones with shoppers.

“The collection of aluminium tabs will run for the entire month of March at 1 Mont Kiara and CITTA Mall,” remarked Alan Thoo, Head of Marketing. “The tabs will then be sent to prosthetic limb manufacturers through the Lions Club units that we cooperate with.”

Patrons of 1 Mont Kiara and CITTA Mall are encouraged to drop their pull tabs at the malls’ respective information counters between 12pm and 6pm throughout March.

One of the major highlights for Eco Month would be the popular Eco-Fashionista Costume Contest that has drawn the attention of many designer moms and charismatic children to Ipoh Parade and CITTA Mall, and for the first time ever, Klang Parade. A total of RM850 worth of cash and prizes are up for grabs at each mall, so contestants better come dressed in their upcycled best if they want to impress the judges.

In the past, contestants have consistently astounded a wide-eyed audience with their ingenuity, transforming yesterday’s waste into today’s fashion statement using a wide range of recycled materials such as aluminium cans, discarded cardboard, dated newspapers, and our arch-enemy, plastic. The sheer creativity that spills over the runway have only continued to inspire many others to parade their dresses of tomorrow, proving that sustainable fashion can truly start from the home.

1 Mont Kiara is the only mall to break away from this tradition, opting instead to focus on its successful H.O.P.E. Recycled Art Contest once again this year. A total of 132 art pieces were submitted for the contest by its 8 March deadline, exceeding all expectations yet also affirming the contest’s acceptance by the surrounding community. As a result of the overwhelming response, the Top 70 pieces (instead of the previous Top 50) will now be displayed at the H.O.P.E. Recycled Art Exhibition at the mall’s ground floor from 13 – 19 March.

The various sculptures and artworks paint a vivid picture of what the environment means to our youth, and they reveal our youngest generation’s aspirations for a greener future. For most of the submitted pieces, there is an urgent call-to-action to protect the singularly liveable planet that we often take for granted, while others function more like a time capsule that preserves an untainted innocence.

Further up north in Ipoh Parade is where the city’s inaugural Succulent Fair will take place from 31 March to 2 April. Hosted by Cactus Boy Nursery, who has an established base at CITTA Mall, the Succulent Fair will be the site for many colourful and exotic succulents, which have seen a surge of interest since the lockdown days due to their easy-to-care for nature and jaw-dropping diversity.

“It is a great honour to be able to work with Ipoh Parade and make this fair happen, as I have never done anything of the sort at such a scale before,” commented Koh Kuan Meng aka Cactus Boy. “I am very excited to share some of my unique discoveries with the people of Ipoh and to educate everyone on how to properly care for their succulents.”

On 1 and 2 April, visitors to the fair will be able to join personalised workshops where Koh addresses common issues about caring for succulents. Shoppers who have purchased any five succulents and a pot will also be able to learn how to make an arrangement with their selection over two sessions on both days (3:00pm and 6:00pm on 1 April; 12:00pm and 6:00pm on 2 April).

“We hope these activities help people get involved in their own way and be engaged in preserving our environment. We know this may be just a small step in addressing climate change, but we hope it will be the seed that inspires a way of living in the future,” Thoo added.

For a full breakdown of the events across the malls, please refer to the table below:

1 Mont Kiara celebrates Eco Month from 1st to 31st March

H.O.P.E. makes a return to CITTA Mall

Useful links:

• Registration form for CITTA Mall’s H.O.P.E. Eco-Fashionista Costume Contest:
  https://forms.gle/FjtgruwDkn6MNmgBA
• Registration form for Ipoh Parade’s H.O.P.E. Eco-Fashionista Costume Contest:
  https://forms.gle/xXezTGb8kNRAxaQZ6
• Registration form for Klang Parade’s H.O.P.E. Eco-Fashionista Costume Contest:
  https://forms.gle/Eoz5hkDtMAYvApiH7