Built largely from plastic waste, the 130m-long, 0.9m-wide walkway connects the village sports court to a timber bridge. Completed in October, it is Malaysia’s first pedestrian infrastructure made from upcycled ocean debris and island-generated plastic waste.
The project marks the successful completion of a pilot under the United Nations Development Programme’s Island Waste Innovation Challenge, led by Sabah-based non-profit organisation Meraki Daat Initiative.
In total, 813kg of plastic waste were diverted from being burnt or washed back into the sea, transforming a long-standing environmental problem into a durable community asset.
Unlike plastic-modified asphalt roads trialled on the mainland, which rely on factory waste and heavy machinery, the Pulau Gaya project was designed around the realities of island life.
All processing and construction work was carried out onsite, eliminating the need to transport materials to and from the mainland and effectively closing the waste loop.
“This was a logistical feat that forced us to rethink how waste is handled in remote areas,” said Meraki Daat founder and charter president Michelle de la Harpe, who also serves as the director of the pilot project.
“We proved that unmanaged plastic waste, often seen as a burden, can be transformed into a durable community asset when the right systems, expertise and community participation are in place,” she told Bernama.
Pulau Gaya is home to several water villages that face persistent challenges related to waste management, limited infrastructure and environmental exposure. Plastic waste has long accumulated along shorelines and waterways due to limited disposal options.
Community effort and constraints
Materials for the walkway were sourced through three coordinated collection channels.
Floating marine debris was intercepted from waters around Pulau Gaya and Sepanggar Island in collaboration with Sabah’s Marine Research Foundation, using its Mobula vessel to recover plastic waste before it entered deeper marine environments.
At the community level, villagers were encouraged to segregate PET bottles and household plastic waste, while additional material was collected during the Cabaran Kampungku Bersih programme organised by Kota Kinabalu City Hall.
The clean-up campaign helped reinforce community ownership of the project.
The project, launched in January last year, faced significant technical and logistical challenges, including the absence of three-phase electricity and limited access to conventional construction materials.
Project manager Adora Shariman said these constraints led the team to develop a hybrid construction method combining eco-pavers made of upcycled plastic with conventional concrete slabs.
“Due to mould limitations and time constraints, we innovated a system of alternating eco-pavers with concrete slabs while maintaining safety and durability standards,” she said.
Rainwater harvesting was used for concrete mixing, while local beach sand was sourced to minimise transportation needs and reduce the project’s carbon footprint.
A multidisciplinary team with expertise in engineering, construction, environmental management and standards compliance ensured quality control and regulatory alignment.
Beyond the pilot
With construction complete, the team is now conducting final stress tests and certification processes as part of efforts to commercialise the eco-paver technology for wider use across Sabah.
According to de la Harpe, the Pulau Gaya walkway was designed as a scalable model rather than a one-off solution, to solve what they call the “island waste trap”.
She noted that while materials and machinery are readily available on the mainland, transporting them to islands is costly and unsustainable.
“Our solution is engineered specifically for these conditions,” she said, adding that the initiative aims to address two persistent challenges in Sabah – deteriorating rural infrastructure and escalating plastic pollution.
Following a presentation to Sabah officials earlier this month, Meraki Daat Initiative is seeking to collaborate with state ministries to integrate the eco-paver system into rural development planning.
Meanwhile in Kampung Lobong, the impact is already tangible: the new walkway has made movement safer for villagers, particularly during high tides and heavy rain.
For Pulau Gaya, it is a small but meaningful step forward. For Sabah, it may signal a new way of reimagining waste and rural infrastructure together.