Many Malaysians would know who Maya Karin is - a talented actress, television personality and singer.

However not many would know that she is also immensely passionate about the environment, something which was inculcated in her from a young age by her parents.

maya karin enviromental campaign 200409 05 She says in her official website that she always had deep concerns for the plight of the planet and has been working with World Wildlife Fund, Malaysian Nature Society and others to do her bit.

And on Saturday, Maya embarked upon her first major environmental project in conjunction with the Earth Day which falls on April 22 - to educate young Malaysian on the perils of plastic bags.

Maya has been working on this anti-plastic bag awareness campaign for the past three weeks, which involved the participation of three primary schools around Klang Valley - with participation of some 4,000 schoolchildren.

The schools that participated were Sekolah Rendah Seri Selangor in Subang, Sekolah Rendah Tun Hussein Onn 2 in Cheras and Sekolah Rendah Taming Jaya in Seri Kembangan.

maya karin enviromental campaign 200409 01 "This campaign has been something I've imagined for the past few years and this year I've finally gotten round to fulfilling that wish," said Maya at the close of the campaign at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium last Saturday.

"Malaysia is a country very rich not only in natural resources and bio-diversity but also plastic bags.

"Here plastic bags are a necessity, they are a right, and in some cases they are enforced. I've been gently scolded before for not wanting the plastic bag," she added.

Plastic bags are a menace

She then went on to outline the perils of these plastic bags to the environment.

maya karin enviromental campaign 200409 08 She said that plastic bags stayed in the environment for hundreds of years as they don't bio-degrade.

Instead, she said, they photo-degrade, which meant that they broke into smaller and smaller toxic pieces.

"Plastic bags contain chemical and toxic elements that are harmful to us when they start to photo-degrade and get into our water and soil.

"Plastic bags are a menace," she said.

Speaking on the awareness program involving the schoolchildren, Maya said that the students had diligently collected household plastic bags and brought them to their respective schools for three weeks.

"Thousands and thousands of plastic bags from each school were collected in a store room, then at last connected into a long line and finally rolled into a big solid plastic ball," she added, hoping that she could now extend this programme to every school in the country.

7.5 kilometres of plastic

maya karin enviromental campaign 200409 03 She said that the plastic bags collected in the three weeks came to about 7.5 kilometres long.

"That is a lot for three weeks. Over one year we would collect 120 kilometres worth of plastic balls, a chain all the way to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport and back again".

She said that the campaign was primarily to create awareness to everyone on the unnecessary amount of plastic bags used and wasted every day in Malaysia.

"Indirectly it has also given 4,000 children a direct lesson in recycling and the importance of concern for the environment.

maya karin enviromental campaign 200409 07 "I pray that many will later enter the world as more environmentally responsible adults and Malaysians," she added.

She hoped that more Malaysians will be aware of the harm that plastic bags cause and at the same time urged the government look at this issue more seriously.

The plastic bags collected by the children were then transported to a recycling factory.