Perak NGOs say plastic, polystyrene ban long overdue - Malay Mail

4 July 2018 By Loghun Kumaran

In Perak, over 200,000 tonnes of garbage are generated by households and 30 per cent, or about 65,000 tonnes, is made up of plastics. — Istock.com pic via AFP

IPOH, July 4 — Environmental groups in Perak want the state government to revive a proposed ban on plastic bags and polystyrene food containers and this time, make sure it is carried out.

The groups say it is time for the new Pakatan Harapan (PH) government to cut down on the use of plastic in the state after a similar plan by its predecessors was not fully implemented.

The present government, they stressed, must not drag its feet about the proposal and other policies to save the environment.

Ipoh City Watch president Dr Richard Ng said many concerned citizens want the Perak government to emulate the ban in Penang, Selangor, Melaka, Johor and other states on the use of plastic and polystyrene containers.

“Many customers end up using plastic bags to place their garbage before they are dumped illegally or sent to landfills where they will take hundreds of years to decompose,” Ng said.

“There are currently over 2,000 illegal dumpsites in Perak where over 30 per cent are plastics.”

In Perak, over 200,000 tonnes of garbage are generated by households and 30 per cent, or about 65,000 tonnes, is made up of plastics.

Ng said there were many options open to the authorities, but noted a strong political will was needed from the outset.

He said traders should be forced to use recyclable plastic containers, while plastic straws and disposal plastic plates, forks and spoons must be banned.

“The enforcement can be carried out by business licensing authorities like local councils. Traders who ignore this ruling can have their business licence revoked.

“Plastic manufacturers have been warned long ago to change their business so as to adhere to the new sustainable environment requirements.

“There should be no excuse that their business is badly affected by the ruling as there are many industries that have closed down due to destructive technology as well as changes in demography and market demands.”

He suggested that ‘no plastic days’ could be enforced on weekends, where the charges on consumers who insist on using plastic bags could fund non-governmental organisations who educate the public on environmental initiatives.

In 2016, the previous BN administration took a bold step by announcing the first phase of a state-wide ban on plastic bags and polystyrene containers.

At the time, it said the move would be implemented in stages — from state government offices in June 2016 to a full public enforcement a year later.

However, the state temporarily called off the ban, saying it would be rescheduled after further studies were carried out.

Sahabat Alam Malaysia field officer Meor Razak Meor Abdul Rahman said such extended studies were unnecessary, given the breadth of sources at the government’s disposal.

“There’s no need for studies to last years at a time, especially when you have multiple agencies. What is needed is a proper mechanism and commitment from the state,” he said.

Meor Razak said the state must make the plastic ban feasible for the public and plastic manufacturing industry.

“They could offer tax exemption or incentives to businesses that support the ban. You can’t expect businesses to change by themselves without support.”

“We have written to the state government about the necessity to bring in this ban. But we haven’t heard anything back yet. It seems like the environment is not a priority at the moment,”

Perak Association for the Protection of Natural Heritage of Malaysia (PEKA) chairperson Sajeeda Muhamad agreed that nothing can be done without political will from the new administration.

“The new government must do something. If other states like Penang can carry out bans, why can’t Perak?

“They can start with Ipoh first, and then gradually expand it throughout the state. But our leaders must take the lead and show a good example.

“Individually, it can be as simple as bringing their own containers... maybe stop buying plastic mineral bottles.”

Perak asks for more time to implement plastic ban - The Star Metro Perak

14 July 2018 By Silvia Looi

The Perak state government says it needs time to ban the use of plastic bags and polystyrene containers in the state. — Picture by Choo Choy May

IPOH, July 14 — The Perak state government remains committed to ban the use of plastic bags and polystyrene containers in the state but needs more time to do so.

In reiterating its stand on the matter, state Education, Science, Environment, Green Technology and Information Committee chairman Abdul Aziz Bari said the state needs time to engage with stakeholders before going ahead with the move.

“Yes, we want to be environmentally friendly but the plastic industry is an economic activity. We cannot do away with it just like that,” he told Malay Mail.

Aware that environmental groups want the state to revive a proposed ban on plastic bags and polystyrene food containers made by the previous Barisan Nasional administration, Aziz said the matter had yet to be discussed at the state executive council level.

“Give us time as the matter does not involve my portfolio alone but other portfolios too such as Local Government and Investment,” he said, referring to his fellow exco members Paul Yong Choo Kiong and Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin respectively.

“My power is confined to environmental issues. The issue of hawkers using plastic bags and polystyrene containers comes under the local government. And to encourage plastic manufacturers to change to environmentally-friendly products involves investments,” he said.

Malay Mail had previously reported that environmental groups in Perak want the state to revive a proposed ban on plastic bags and polystyrene food containers and make sure it is carried out this time.

The groups said it is time for the state government to cut down on the use of plastic in the state after a similar plan by its predecessor failed to take off.

They had stressed the present government must not drag its feet over the proposal or other policies to protect the environment.

Abdul Aziz questioned if the society is ready for the ban.

“To implement [the ban], we must educate the people. Can the rural folks do away with not using plastic bags and polystyrene containers?” he asked.

“The society is so used to using plastic bags and polystyrene. All this needs time for adjustment,” he said, adding that a systematic way of doing away with plastic bags and polystyrene containers was needed.

In 2016, the previous BN administration took a bold step by announcing the first phase of a state-wide ban on plastic bags and polystyrene containers.

At the time, it said the move would be implemented in stages — from state government offices in June 2016 to a full public enforcement a year later.

However, the state temporarily called off the ban, saying it would be rescheduled after further studies were carried out.

Solving the plastic crisis starts with Asia - Bloomberg

26 June 2018 - Adam Minter

Since Jan 1, when China stopped accepting the rich world’s recyclable plastic waste, it’s gotten a tonne of criticism for worsening the already deep crisis of ocean plastic pollution. But China isn’t the only culprit here. This is a crisis made — and growing worse — throughout developing Asia.

Just eight countries in the region are responsible for about 63 per cent of total plastic waste flowing into the oceans. Little of that junk has been exported by rich economies. Instead, it’s almost solely generated by Asia’s newly minted consumer classes, the vast majority of whom lack access to garbage collection, modern landfills and incineration. Any progress in reducing ocean plastic will have to start with them.

A boom in garbage is almost always the result of two related phenomena: Urbanisation and income growth. Rural dwellers moving to the city shift from buying unpackaged goods to buying stuff (especially food) wrapped in plastic. As their incomes rise, their purchases increase. That growth in consumption is almost never matched by expanded garbage collection and disposal. In typical low-income countries, less than half of all garbage is collected formally, and what little is picked up tends to end up in unregulated open dumps. In 2015, scientists estimated that as much as 88 per cent of the waste generated in Vietnam is either littered or tossed into uncontained dumps. In China, the rate is about 77 per cent. By comparison, the US rate is 2 per cent.

Every big city in developing Asia faces this problem. Jakarta’s waterways are choked with plastic trash. In Kuala Lumpur, instances of open dumping line the high-speed train route to the airport. On the outskirts of any Chinese city, loose plastic bags and instant-noodle cups litter every road’s shoulder. Much of this junk ends up in waterways — and, eventually, the ocean. One study found that eight of the 10 rivers conveying the most plastic waste into the oceans are in Asia. China’s Yangtze alone delivers 1.5 million metric tonnes of plastic to the Yellow Sea each year.

Solutions to all this have proved chronically elusive. China has prohibited retailers from providing free plastic bags for a decade, to almost no effect. In Indonesia, longstanding efforts to tax plastic bottles and containers have run into the reality that few locals have access to piped or uncontaminated water. Although recycling is common in Asia, plastic presents an often insurmountable challenge: Technical and environmental factors render much of it unrecyclable, especially in developing regions. In fact, only about 9 per cent of plastics are recycled globally.

Yet there’s another, far more promising option: Improve regular old trash collection. A recent study by the Ocean Conservancy and the McKinsey Centre for Business and Environment found that boosting trash collection rates to 80 per cent in just five Asian countries — China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam — could reduce ocean plastic waste by a whopping 23 per cent over a decade. No other solution can promise such an immediate or lasting impact.

Pulling it off won’t be easy. Garbage collection and disposal is often the most expensive line-item on city budgets in the developing world, and achieving the study’s goal would require US$4 billion to US$5 billion (RM16 to RM20 billion) per year. But that’s not impossible: In the UK, aid organisations are pushing the government to spend 3 per cent of its annual foreign aid on waste collection and disposal in the developing world (currently, it spends 0.3 per cent). If that goal were adopted by other rich countries, it could be a game-changer for ocean plastics.

The private sector could also help. An American advocacy group called Closed Loop Ocean is raising US$150 million from global corporations — including 3M Co, Coca-Cola Co, and Procter & Gamble Co — to invest in scalable waste collection and disposal businesses in India and Indonesia. Petrochemical and plastics companies should be next to join.

All this is just a start, of course. Developing Asia will eventually need many more modern landfills, incinerators and self-funding recycling programmes. But for now, one reform could have a bigger global impact than just about any other: Start picking up the trash. — Bloomberg Opinion

Push to get people to recycle - Star Metro Perak

2 August 2016 By Manjit Kaur

A TEAM has been formed in Perak to educate the public to embrace recycling in order to reduce the use of plastic bags and polystyrene containers.

Ipoh City Watch (ICW) President Prof Dr Richard Ng said the main objective of the committee, known as the Perak Action Team for a Sustainable Environment (PATSE), would be to focus on the 3Es – Educating, Engaging and Exciting the public to practise the 3Rs – reduce, reuse and recycle.

Ng, who is the chairman for the action team, said the idea to set up the body was mooted after a forum by ICW was held to discuss the state government’s decision to ban plastic bags and polystyrene containers beginning next June.

During the forum titled “The Impact of Plastics on the Sustainability of Environment: Should Plastics be Banned?” held last month, State Executive Councilor Datuk Rusnah Kassim a challenged the Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association (MPMA) to come up with a convincing proposal for the state government to reconsider the decision on the ban, as currently the state stands firm on the decision.

Ng said the action committee comprises members of ICW, MPMA, state Solid Waste Management and Public Cleanliness Corporation (SWCorp), Koperasi Alam Hijau Perak Bhd (Kohijau), local councils, and representatives from the state government.

He said at the end of the forum the panelist agreed to giving the 800 members of MPM’s Perak branch a chance to prove themselves on finding a solution to the challenge by Rusnah.

“The action team will go on a statewide campaign, starting with educational road shows during the monthly Car Free Day event.

“We will also hold talks in schools, and work with any organisation which is keen to cooperate with us,” he said recently.

During the forum last month, MPMA President Datuk Lim Kok Boon urged the state government to educate the public about waste management and littering instead of banning the use of plastic bags and polystyrene containers.

Lim said the more importance should be placed on the 3Rs, something that is done in more developed countries.

Ng said ICW is concerned about the impact of plastics on the environment, but also sympathises with MPMA’s members as the banning of plastics bags will affect their revenue.

Ng said, as one of the four panelists for the forum, ICW supports the government’s move in banning the use of polystyrene and plastic bags effective June 1, next year.

“I made my point clear that by 2020, if nothing is done, Perak will generate three billion tonnes of garbage, of which 450,000 tonnes or about 15% of the total garbage consist of plastics.

“Plastics takes a few hundred years to degrade and this will impact the sustainability of our environment. Plus, plastics are made from petroleum which is a non-renewable source of energy,” he added.

Action Plans On Recycling - Ipoh Echo

16 Jul 2016

Kuala Lumpur has joined other states namely Selangor, Penang, Perak, Johor and Malacca, to ban the usage of biodegradable containers, especially polystyrene effective January 1, 2017. This does not augur well for the Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association (MPMA) who has strongly objected to such a move as it will affect members of the industry.

During a forum on plastics jointly organised by Ipoh City Watch (ICW), MPMA (Perak Branch), Perak SWCorp, Ipoh City Council and Koperasi Alam Hijau Perak Berhad (KOHIJAU) held at a local hotel in Ipoh, Dato’ Rusnah Kassim who officiated the forum, has thrown a challenge to MPMA to prove two things; how plastics can be reduced from going to the landfills, illegal dumpsites and beaches and what solution MPMA can offer to help reduce the impact of plastics on our health and environment. At the moment, the Perak government stood firm on its decision to ban the use of polystyrene and plastic bags effective June 1, 2017.

As one of the four panelists during the forum entitled ‘The Impact of Plastics on the Sustainability of Environment: Should Plastics be banned?’ attended by about 200 participants, I put forward ICW’s points that we support the government’s move in banning the use of polystyrene and plastic bags. I made my points clear that by 2020, if nothing is done by us, Perak will generate 3 billion tonnes of garbage of which 450,000 tonnes or about 15% of the total garbage, come from plastics. As plastics take a few hundred years to degrade, it will have an impact on our environment. Plastics are also made from petroleum which is a non-renewable source of energy.

The general perception of the public is that chemicals used to make plastics can leach into the food after a prolonged used at certain temperatures although there is no concrete evidence to support this at the moment. Moreover, plastics such as polystyrene and plastic bags can be recycled as claimed. However, there is a lack of interest by the public to collect such items as recyclables due to its low resale value.

At the end of the forum, all four panelists concluded that MPMA (Perak Branch) should be given a chance to prove itself by finding a solution to the challenge thrown by Dato’ Rusnah Kassim.

Thus moving forward, ICW, using its recycling unit KOHIJAU has set up the Perak Action Team for a Sustainable Environment (PATSE) in collaboration with MPMA (Perak Branch), Perak SWCorp and Rukun Tetangga Jelapang. The main objective is to come out with action plans which will help educate, engage and excite the people to involve and embrace 3R (Reuse, Reduce & Recycle).

The team will go on a statewide campaign beginning with Kinta District. PATSE will also hold talks in schools and with any organisation keen to participate in the programme.

For further information, kindly visit www.ipohcitywatch.org or Whatsapp 013 533 0989.

Dr Richard Ng
Ipoh City Watch (ICW)

‘Need not ban plastic’ - The Star Metro Perak

28 June 2016 by Manjit Kaur

THE Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association (MPMA) has urged the Perak state government to educate the public on waste management and anti-littering instead of banning the use of plastic bags and polystyrene containers.

Its president Datuk Lim Kok Boon said similar to developed countries, the focus should be on the 3Rs - reduce, reuse and recycle.

He added that the association would state its concerns about the ban and the alternatives available to the Perak government.

Neither plastic bags nor polystyrene products were a problem, he said, but became a problem and nuisance only when they were littered indiscriminately.

Lim said therefore the government should have awareness programmes, similar to the Japanese who started an anti-littering programme before having a waste management solution.

“The public and supermarket operators must be educated to reduce the number of plastic bags used. If the products can be packed into three plastic bags, why the need for five bags?

“The second part, will be to reuse, which 80% of the people are already practising by using bags as garbage liners, with the third section being the recycling of plastic bags, bottles and other products.

“This is an efficient way because even if plastic bags are banned, at the end of the day, people will still need them to throw away rubbish,” he told reporters after the opening of a forum by state executive councillor Datuk Rusnah Kassim last Tuesday.

Titled “The Impact of Plastics on the Sustainability of Environment: Should Plastics be Banned?, the forum, organised by Ipoh City Watch, was held in view of the state government’s decision to ban plastic bags and polystyrene containers beginning June next year.

Lim added that the normal misconception of plastics is that the product did not degrade, and therefore it is not good for the environment.

He said studies have shown that even biodegradable products, which are hailed to be more environmental friendly, did not degrade in landfills due to its unfavourable environment.

“Degradation in the presence of oxygen emits carbon dioxide, while degradation in the absence of oxygen (typically in landfills) emits methane, and both gases are potent greenhouse gases which contribute to global warming.

“Methane gas is 22 times more harmful than carbon dioxide, and therefore people don’t understand, when you degrade, you cause global warming.

“The Environment Protection Agency of America, and the Australian Department of Environment, says that most things which goes into a landfill does not degrade, and if it degrades, it will cause global warming,” he said.

Malaysian Plastics Forum’s Education and Awareness chairman Ahmad Khairuddin Sha’aban said there was no landfills in Italy, Switzerland and Austria as the countries practised a policy of closed economy - meaning that anything from food to plastics were recycled.

Ahmad Khairuddin said food in those countries were compost, while plastics were recycled into furniture, or into energy.

“Japan started with its anti-littering campaign, followed by waste separation, and now about 90% of the waste is recycled.

“There, the government has not banned plastic bags or polystyrene as their citizens are disciplined enough not to litter,” he said, adding that Malaysians too had developed the culture of reusing plastic bags as garbage liners.

Rusnah told reporters that the state government would reconsider the decision to ban the use of plastic bags and polystyrene containers if MPMA’s proposal was convincing.

“It takes between 500 and 1,000 years for plastics to degrade, and we cannot leave such a problem for the next generation to witness.

“Even if you tell people to reduce the use of plastic bags they will not listen, so we need concrete solutions to overcome the problem,” she said, adding that she was not convinced yet with the proposal.

Ireland, Wales and Scotland governments, she said, had imposed a levy for each plastic bag used.

“So instead of a ban, maybe the association can suggest a tax be imposed,” she added.

Forum On Plastics - Ipoh Echo

1st July 2016 by Nantini

A public forum titled, "The Impact of Plastics on the Sustainability of Environment: Should Plastics be Banned?" jointly organised by Ipoh City Watch (ICW) and Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association (MPMA) was held on Tuesday, June 21 at WEIL Hotel, Ipoh.

The Perak state government has announced that plastics, especially polystyrenes will be banned statewide effective June 1, 2017. Ipoh City Council was among the first local council to respond by barring plastics from its canteen every Friday beginning June 1, 2016.

The objective of the forum was for the public to listen to the differing views on the subject matter and to make their concerns known.

The panellists were Associate Professor Dr Richard Ng, President of ICW, Fatimah Ahmad, Director of Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp) Perak, Dato’ Lim Kok Boon, President of MPMA and Ipoh City Council’s City Planning Director, Zulqarnain Mohammad.

The event was officiated by the State Executive Councillor for Women, Family and Community Welfare Development, Housing and Local Government, Dato’ Hajah Rusnah binti Kassim.

Lim insisted that any containers or packages made out of plastic, paper or any other materials would not pollute the environment if they were used for their intended purposes. However, the items would become an eyesore when they are being disposed indiscriminately.

According to Lim, MPMA has always been advocating the 3Rs (reduce, reuse and recycle) mantra as most plastics can be recycled. It is for this reason that plastics need to be separated from mainstream waste so that they can be recycled into other useful products.

“The introduction of the waste separation source (SAS) initiative by SWCorp calls for the public to separate their recyclables from non-recyclables so as to reduce the amount of waste going to landfills. Thus, when handled responsibly, plastics do not cause waste management issues, just like other recyclables,” Lim stressed.

“I’ll challenge them to come up with a convincing proposal to reduce the usage of plastic bags without imposing a levy. If the proposal is logical and acceptable, we can reconsider the decision,” said Dato’ Rusnah.

Fatimah of SWCorp had this to say; “Let's start with the first R, which is “reduce” followed by “reuse” and then “recycle”. By reducing your consumption, you’ll also reduce the amount of waste you produce. The three Rs are really the best waste management with “reduce” being the most important strategy.”

According to Zulqarnain, plastic chemicals from food packs leech into food and end up in our bodies causing potential health problems. Thus the usage of plastics should be treated with caution. 

“I encourage the public to use glass or stainless-steel bottles, reusable or biodegradable bags. Stop using plastic cutleries and start recycling whatever and whenever you can,” he posited.

Dr Richard Ng concurred with the action of the state government and Ipoh City Council. “We at ICW support the Perak government’s and Ipoh City Council’s decision to ban plastic bags and polystyrene containers although the majority prefer to take a middle path. This is to give the plastic industry a chance to come up with a proposal on how they can help recycle and reduce polystyrene and plastic bags from going into landfills and the oceans.”

Forum on "The impact of Plastics on the Sustainability of Environment: Should Plastics be Banned?

June 18, 2016

The Perak State government has announced that plastics especially Polystyrene will be banned from 1st June 2017. But this will be done in stages starting from 1st June 2016 where the use of plastics will be banned on certain day of the week in all our government agencies and local council.

Ipoh City Council was among the very first local council to announce the banning of plastics at all its canteen on every Friday beginning 1st June 2016.

At Ipoh City Watch (ICW), we are concerned about the impact of plastics on our environment and wellness. Thus we welcome the move by the Perak State government. Johore and Penang are the other states in Malaysia that have taken such measures.

Plastics generally contributes about 15% of the total garbage that goes to the landfill. To reduce this, ICW has started the recycling campaign in Ipoh to encourage Ipohites to separate their garbage and to practice recycling.

However, the Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association (Perak Branch) committee members met with ICW and KOHIJAU as well representative of Perak SWCorp to provide their opinions about the banning of plastics.

Thus a forum has been mooted to give the public an opportunity to listen to the various views. 4 panel speakers have been invited to speak during the forum. They are;

a.       Prof. Madya Dr. Richard Ng, Pengerusi Ipoh City Watch

b.      Puan Hjh Fatimah Ahmad, Pengarah SWCorp Perak

c.       Datuk Lim Kok Boon, Presiden, Persatuan Pekilang Plastik Malaysia

d.      En. Zulqarnain Bin Mohamed, Pengarah Perancangan Bandar, MBI

Details of the forum are as follows:

Date: 21 June 2016
Time: 2pm to 5.30pm
Venue: Weil Hotel, Ipoh, Perak

The forum is open to public. Entrance is FOC. All environment lovers and stakeholders are invited to attend.

Perak, Johor to ban polystyrene - The Star

19 April 2016

IPOH: Perak and Johor, which are moving towards a ban on polystyrene containers, are encouraging people to use tiffin carriers or other biodegradable containers.

The Perak government has declared a total ban on the usage of polystyrene containers and plastic bags from June next year.

Residents here will have to use biodegradable containers or their own shopping bags then.

Perak Environment Committee chairman Datuk Dr Muhammad Amin Zakaria (BN-Batu Kurau) said the ban would be enforced in stages starting with state government buildings this June, citing that cafeterias there would have to use biodegradable containers every Friday.

“In the second stage, the ban will be extended from weekly to daily, starting January 2017.

“The third stage will take place during the same period at the premises of all local governments in the state.

“Finally, the fourth stage will start in June 2017 when the usage of polystyrene and plastic bags will be banned throughout the state, especially in supermarkets, hypermarkets and sundry stores,” he said at a press conference yesterday.

Muhammad Amin said the ban would be enforced by all local authorities in every district.

“Although the move may seem drastic, this is an issue that the state has been contemplating for a while now. We are indeed serious in eliminating polystyrene and plastic waste, so we decided to implement the ban in stages so that the people are given time to get used to the idea of using their own containers and shopping bags,” he said.

Muhammad Amin said the state would work with the Department of Environment to build more e-waste collection centres so that the waste could be handled in a safe manner.

In Iskandar Puteri, state Health and Environment Committee chairman Datuk Ayub Rahmat said there would be an announcement on the ban by the end of the year.

For now, consumers in Johor should start bringing their own tiffin carriers or food containers for takeaways.

He said the state authorities were conducting a study before banning the use of plastic and polystyrene containers, acknowledging that this was a delicate issue.

Ayub said plastic and polystyrene containers had been clogging up drains and rivers and even becoming mosquito-breeding grounds.

Speaking to reporters, Ayub said that 80% of the 160 tonnes of the rubbish collected yearly in Sungai Skudai, one of the dirtiest rivers in Johor, was made up of polystyrene and plastic.

He also cautioned that the price of takeaway food should not increase once the ban was enforced.

“Customers may not be happy if they are charged an extra 50 sen for taking away food in biodegradable containers.”

Ayub said the state government wanted to encourage food operators to gradually switch to biodegradable containers.

Both Penang and Malacca have banned the use of polystyrene containers in their states.

Bye bye plastic bags - The Star

30 April 2016 BY T. AVINESHWARANandP. SUBAHSHINI

FOLKS in Perak have lauded the state government’s decision to ban the usage of polystyrene containers and plastic bags beginning in June next year.

Perak Environment Committee Chairman Datuk Dr Muhammad Amin Zakaria said the ban will be enforced in stages starting with state government buildings this June. Cafeterias in the state’s buildings have to use biodegradable containers every Friday.

The second stage will see the ban extended from weekly to daily, starting January 2017.

The third stage, also set for January 2017, will cover the premises of all municipal councils in the state.

The fourth stage, starting June 2017, will see the use of polystyrene and plastic bags banned throughout the state.

For S. Selvamani, 52, enforcing the ban in stages is a good move, as people will have time to adapt to it.

“It is not a sudden move, which is good. It gives the people some breathing space.

“The government certainly sees the need for a cleaner environment, hence the move. Many people these days throw rubbish everywhere especially plastics and polystyrene.”

Having already used recyclable bags and food containers to store or keep things for almost three years, engineer Johan Lau, 34, said it is about time the state government enforced such a move.

“Awareness is also important. The state government, with the help of the Health Ministry and Environment and Natural Resources Ministry should come up with plans to educate the people.

“Enforcement is not enough. Education is important too,” said Lau.

Nur Iwani Rohizat, 20, originally from Penang, feels that the move is right.

“When I was in Penang, the state government there had already imposed a ban on plastic and polystyrene. We got used to it and realised how important the move was.

“Since we had to pay 20 cents for a plastic bag as a part of the ban, we started using our own bags made fabric. It is environmentally friendly.”

Restaurant owner Hoor Chong Yang said rules are rules and they have to be followed when it is implemented

“It is pointless to oppose the ban as it will lead to a better environment and I could actually save some money too since I won’t need to buy plastic bags!” said the 35 year old who lives in Bercham.

However, a grocery store owner, who wished to be known as Thilagar, feels that the move is not going to benefit the community.

“Well, I do support the ban of polystyrenes for food packaging, but it is going to be very difficult if people are not allowed to use plastic bags.

“For example, some of my customers don’t bring their recyclable bags or baskets to shop.

“I will have to charge extra for bags made from recyclable materials and the customers will not be happy if I do that,” he said.