As sustainability becomes a defining priority for businesses across Malaysia, Hong Leong Bank (HLB) continues to lead by example through impactful environmental and community initiatives.
Its latest move — onboarding The Sea Monkey Project as the 8th social enterprise under the HLB Jumpstart platform — highlights the bank’s commitment to driving meaningful, long-term change.
More than just a collaboration, the partnership reflects how corporate responsibility and community empowerment can come together to create real environmental impact.
HLB Jumpstart is the bank’s flagship initiative designed to help Malaysian social enterprises grow sustainably. Through this platform, selected enterprises receive expert mentorship, digital tools, banking solutions, and long-term support to strengthen their operations.
For The Sea Monkey Project, joining HLB Jumpstart marks an important milestone that will help broaden its movement to reduce plastic waste and empower local communities.
The partnership follows a successful pilot earlier in the year, where HLB employees collectively gathered over 23,000 plastic bottle caps. Instead of letting these caps end up in landfills or oceans, The Sea Monkey Project upcycled them into custom staff ID cardholders.
This simple yet powerful initiative turned everyday waste into functional items used by employees across the bank. It also served as a reminder that sustainability is not just a corporate goal but a personal responsibility — a message embodied in every cardholder worn by HLB staff.
HLB’s Chief Marketing and Communication Officer, Zalman Zainal, emphasised that the collaboration is aligned with the bank’s mission to support organisations that contribute to positive systemic change.
He noted that HLB Jumpstart is designed to bridge purpose with progress, giving social enterprises a platform to amplify their work. For The Sea Monkey Project, this support will allow them to bring their message to more communities and deepen their environmental impact.
Founded with a mission to combat the global plastic crisis, The Sea Monkey Project has become a pioneering force in Malaysia’s sustainability landscape.
The organisation has built a full upcycling ecosystem from scratch — developing infrastructure, machinery, and processes that enable communities to take climate action in meaningful ways.
Beyond recycling, their work includes training programmes that teach Malaysians how to upcycle plastic waste into usable products. These hands-on workshops not only raise awareness but also empower participants with practical skills and a sense of responsibility toward the environment.
Today, the Social Enterprise’s upcycling machines are operational in more than 30 countries worldwide, showcasing a scalable and replicable model capable of delivering global impact.
Co-Founder Carlos Steenland expressed that joining HLB Jumpstart strengthens their mission. He highlighted a core message of the organisation: no action is too small. Every bottle cap collected, every recycled item, and every community trained contributes to a cleaner and more sustainable future.
The ongoing collaboration has already produced significant results. Since 2024, HLB and The Sea Monkey Project have collectively gathered 1,241 kilograms of plastic waste, with over RM6,000 channelled back into local communities as incentives.
This initiative not only reduces environmental pollution but also supports livelihoods, ensuring that sustainability benefits people as much as it benefits the planet.
This effort forms part of HLB’s broader environmental commitment. During the 2024/25 financial year, the bank successfully diverted 24,300kg of waste from landfills through various sustainability programmes. Such achievements reflect HLB’s long-term strategy of integrating environmental stewardship into its operations while empowering Malaysians to contribute to climate action in practical ways.
As The Sea Monkey Project begins its journey under the HLB Jumpstart umbrella, the partnership stands as a strong example of how corporations and social enterprises can work together for collective good. By turning plastic into purpose, HLB and The Sea Monkey Project are proving that meaningful change starts with small actions — and grows through collaboration, innovation, and commitment.
For more information about the HLB Jumpstart programme, please visit www.hlb.com.my/ms/personal-banking/about-us/jumpstart-csr.html.
Keywords :
- Hong Leong Bank sustainability
- HLB Jumpstart
- The Sea Monkey Project
- Plastic upcycling Malaysia
- Social enterprises Malaysia
- Corporate sustainability initiatives
- Environmental stewardship
- Circular economy Malaysia
