According to Selangor’s #bebasplastik (#plasticfree) campaign website, 71% of Selangor residents feel that the once a week ‘No Plastic Bag Day’ campaign was not enough. With that, Selangor has decided to extend the campaign to seven days a week and ban the use of polystyrene as well starting 2017.
The Selangor State Tourism, Environment, Green Technology and Consumer Affairs Committee stated that vendors and businesses that use polystyrene packages will be fined up to RM1,000, effective 1st January 2017. Also, shoppers will be charged 20sen for every single-use bag they take. Retailers and vendors will have to pledge to go plastic bag and polystyrene free when they apply for their license. To help get this campaign going, local councils have prepared a list of alternative packaging providers for vendors and traders.
However, there will be exceptions for single-use plastic bags to pack products, such as raw meat, plants and roots with soil, flowers, loose seeds, live fish, aquatic products, and poisonous substances. Plastic bags will be still available to the public when handling these products.
Selangor is following the footsteps of Penang and Melaka, both state that already have a ban on the use of polystyrene. Johor and Perak have also started to make a move in the same direction, with plans to enforce a full ban on polystyrene by June 2017.
These green initiatives by state governments are a good start to reducing Malaysia’s dependence on plastic bags. To really make this work, the public will have to make some minor changes to their habits as well such as bringing their own reusable bags for shopping and containers for when they buy food from street stalls.
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