Join Second Hand September: Embrace Sustainable Fashion

Second Hand September is here to help you rethink your fashion habits and make a positive impact on the planet! This movement encourages people to choose pre-loved clothing instead of buying new, (1) _______ to reduce waste and pollution in the fashion industry.

How can you get involved?

Shop Second-Hand: Explore local thrift stores, vintage shops, or online marketplaces to find (2) _______. By choosing second-hand, you help reduce (3) _______ for new clothes and keep textiles out of landfills.

Organize a Clothing Swap: (4) _______ a clothing swap with friends or family. Refresh your wardrobe without spending anything!

Repair and Reuse: (5) _______ throwing away damaged clothes, try to repair them or take them to a tailor to extend their life.

Donate Clothes: Donate (6) _______ items to charities to help those in need and reduce textile waste.

Get involved today and make a difference with Second Hand September!

#SecondHandSeptember #SustainableFashion #ShopSecondHand

ASEAN Green Future Project: Further, Faster, Together

The ASEAN Green Future project is a major initiative aimed at helping Southeast Asia (1) _______ its efforts to reduce emissions and build a sustainable future. By focusing on collaboration, ASEAN countries are (2) _______ to create a low-carbon economy that supports both the environment and the region's growth.

Why it matters:

The world is facing (3) _______ critical moment where meeting the 1.5°C target of the Paris Agreement is at risk. The project supports countries like Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, and Thailand in (4) _______ efforts to meet national decarbonization goals and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

What has been done so far:

Phase 1 of the project gathered reports from each country, detailing current progress and identifying opportunities for further action. (5) _______ will soon contribute, with more detailed plans in the works.

What's next:

Phase 2 will explore in-depth solutions for decarbonizing the region and creating a future (6) _______ ASEAN leads the world in green energy innovation and sustainable development.

Let's work together for a sustainable, green future in ASEAN!

The construction industry is one of the main sources of waste worldwide, but sustainable building practices are becoming more popular. (1) _______. These materials come from old buildings, renovation sites, or leftover factory products. After being collected, they are carefully sorted, cleaned, and turned into new construction materials. Items such as old bricks, wooden beams, windows, and tiles can all be reused. This approach (2) _______, making construction more eco-friendly and affordable.

Using recycled materials provides several benefits. It lessens dependence on raw materials, (3) _______. Recycling also helps cut down on waste going to landfills, protecting the planet. Because recycling often costs less than producing new materials, (4) _______.

Modern technology has improved the quality of recycled materials, ensuring they meet high standards of strength, safety, and durability. Many perform just as well as traditional materials, and sometimes even better. (5) _______ and can help achieve green certifications such as LEED. Overall, using recycled materials supports a cleaner, more efficient, and cost-effective future for the construction industry.

1. As part of Malaysia's ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, the Ministry of Higher Education introduced the ASEAN GEMS (Global Exchange for Mobility & Scholarship) Platform. This innovative program aims to strengthen student exchange and widen scholarship opportunities across Southeast Asia. Launched during the 2025 ASEAN Universities Exhibition and Forum, ASEAN GEMS is a digital platform that centralizes scholarship information, supporting regional cooperation, youth empowerment, and equal access to education throughout the ASEAN community.

2. The ASEAN GEMS platform seeks to solve long-standing problems that have limited student movement within the region, such as scattered information, language difficulties, and complicated application steps. With a user-friendly and multilingual interface, it provides personalised scholarship matching, a single application dashboard, and simplified procedures. This will make it easier for students to apply for scholarships while increasing the visibility of smaller institutions and programs.

3. Minister of Higher Education YB Dato' Seri Diraja Dr. Zambry ABD Kadir stated that “universities are the cornerstone of ASEAN's future.” He emphasized that by improving student mobility and scholarships, ASEAN can become a global leader in higher education. Malaysia has already secured 300 scholarships worth about USD 4 million for ASEAN students this year.

4. The main goals of ASEAN GEMS are to make scholarship information easier to find, support students from different language backgrounds, and simplify application procedures. It also helps scholarship providers manage applications more efficiently and reach more potential candidates.

5. Built on a cloud-based system, ASEAN GEMS uses advanced AI tools to recommend scholarships that fit students' goals and academic backgrounds. It follows strict data protection rules to ensure safety and transparency. The platform also gives universities and governments valuable insights so they can improve student mobility and promote sustainable education across the region.

1. Fast fashion has transformed the clothing industry by offering the latest styles quickly and at low prices. Yet, behind this convenience lies a major environmental problem that many ignore. People are often attracted to cheap clothing and fast-changing trends, but the real cost is far greater. [I] Fast fashion causes serious pollution, overuses natural resources, and generates massive textile waste, harming the planet.

2. A major environmental challenge created by fast fashion is its excessive use of water. The clothing industry is responsible for nearly 10% of global water consumption, ranking among the most water-intensive sectors. [II] This massive consumption worsens water scarcity in already dry regions. Additionally, the dyeing and finishing of fabrics produce hazardous wastewater that flows into rivers and oceans, damaging aquatic ecosystems and polluting drinking water sources.

3. Fast fashion also promotes a disposable culture, where clothing is bought and thrown away rapidly. Each year, about 92 million tons of textiles are discarded worldwide. [III] Many of these garments are made from synthetic fabrics like polyester, which take centuries to decompose. As they slowly break down, they release microplastics that contaminate the air, oceans, and soil, causing long-term environmental damage.

4. Another major issue is fast fashion's dependence on fossil-fuel-based materials such as polyester and nylon. [IV] Producing these fabrics emits high levels of greenhouse gases as polyester alone releases almost three times more carbon dioxide than cotton. The global supply chain also worsens the carbon footprint, as clothes are manufactured, shipped, and distributed worldwide, consuming huge amounts of energy.

5. Beyond environmental damage, fast fashion raises serious human rights concerns. Many garment workers in developing countries face poor working conditions, long hours, and extremely low pay. Factories in countries like Bangladesh and India often cause pollution and deforestation, hurting both people and nature. The communities near these factories suffer the most, trapped in a cycle of poverty and environmental harm created by the fast fashion industry.