Federal Government strengthens efforts to tackle plastic waste

Media Release by Hon. Greg Hunt MP, Minister for the Environment, Australia

The Australian Government is taking further steps to tackle the detrimental impact of plastics on our environment.

Last December, Commonwealth, state and territory Environment Ministers announced plans to achieve a voluntary phase out of microbeads by no later than July 2018.

“Today I am pleased to announce that the Federal Government is taking a stronger stance on this important environmental issue,” Minister Hunt said.

“We will continue to work with companies towards a voluntary phase out of microbeads. However, if by 1 July 2017 it is clear that the voluntary phase out will not achieve what is effectively a widespread ban on microbeads, the Federal Government will take action to implement a ban in law.”

“We are also committing $60,000 of priority funding under the National Environment Science Programme (NESP) to kick-start research into the major sources of marine plastic waste and determine the most cost-effective options to reduce its volume.”

“I am aware of concerns about biodegradable plastics being used as a substitute for regular microbeads. Some companies are instead using natural alternative products due to concerns that biodegradable plastic microbeads do not break down in water.”

“The NESP will undertake research into this and I look forward to hearing about their findings.”

“I will discuss the Federal Government’s announcement at the Ministerial Roundtable being held at Taronga Zoo in Sydney today.”

The Ministerial roundtable brings together State and Commonwealth governments, representatives from industry, retailers, environment groups and scientific experts. The roundtable will review the experiences of Australian jurisdictions who have implemented plastic shopping bag bans.

“Like microbeads, plastic shopping bags have a devastating impact on the environment,” Minister Hunt said.

“Australians consume billions of plastic shopping bags each year, which are often only used for a few minutes before being thrown away.”

Many are made from non-renewable fossil fuels, which break down into smaller pieces of plastic and can exist in the environment for hundreds of years.

Plastic bags and plastic fragments easily make their way across our land as litter, eventually entering our waterways and oceans with harmful effects on our wildlife and marine life.

It is estimated that around eight million tonnes of plastics enter the world’s oceans every year.

“I’m looking forward to discussing options at the Ministerial Roundtable on how best to reduce the environmental impact of plastic bags,” Minister Hunt said.

“What’s most important to me is that we get the best possible outcome for the environment.”

“I would like to thank the New South Wales Government for the significant role they have played in examining options for how best to deal with the problem of plastic bags.”

New South Wales Environment Minister Mark Speakman welcomed the Federal Government’s stance on microbeads.

“The NSW Government is proud to have been the first state to have led the push for a national ban on microbeads,” Mr Speakman said.

“We’re so fortunate to enjoy rich aquatic ecosystems in Australia, and yet personal care products can cause significant damage to our marine life, and scientists are also worried that this may have implications further up the food chain.”

DoSomething founder Jon Dee has played a major role in campaigning for companies and retailers to phase out microbeads from their products and shelves. He has also led the National Plastic Bag campaign since 2002 and co-organised Australia’s first ban on single use plastic shopping bags in the Tasmanian town of Coles Bay.

He has also played a leading role in the phaseout of single use plastic bags in South Australia and Tasmania and will be speaking at today’s Ministerial Roundtable.

“For the sake of the marine life who mistake plastic bags and plastic microbeads for food, we must act decisively and nationally on these issues,” said Jon Dee.

“When it comes to plastic microbeads and plastic bags, we need an outcome where we achieve the best possible result for the environment.”

“Given that we also have billions of plastic microbeads ending up in our waterways, we welcome Minister Hunt’s announcement that if the voluntary phase out is not working by 1 July 2017, the Federal Government will take action to implement a ban in law. This is a very welcome move.”

‘Polystyrene not the real culprit’ - The Star - Central

7 Jul 2016 by Bavani

KUALA Lumpur folk have six months to say goodbye to their tapau (takeaway) boxes. The ubiquitous clam shell containers made from polystyrene will be banned in the Federal Territories with effect from Jan 1, 2017.

Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor made the announcement recently saying that only biodegradable products can be used in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan next year.

The ruling was introduced in Pasar Raja Bot in Chow Kit last month, and will be extended to include night markets, restaurants, food trucks, shopping malls, hypermarkets and hawker centres in the next few months. (see graph).

The exercise will be carried out in four phases to encourage residents and traders to wean themselves off plastic foam products until the Federal Territories Biodegradable Product Usage By-Law is enacted.

Tengku Adnan’s reasoning is that plastic is harmful to the environment as it would take 100 to 500 years to degrade.

So restaurant owners, petty traders, roadside stalls and even manufactures of plastic foam will no longer be allowed to use and make these products any longer.

Did KL jump the gun?

In a nutshell, Kuala Lumpur has joined other states namely Selangor, Penang, Perak, Johor and Malacca, which are also starting to encourage the usage of biodegradable containers.

The move, however, has not gone down well with plastic manufacturers.

“People need to get the facts right,’’ said the Malaysian Plastic Manufac-turers Association president Datuk Lim Kok Boon.

“Consumers are easily influenced by things they see and read from the Internet and have this knee-jerk reaction to things they do not understand,’’ said Lim.

Lim explained that many developing cities in China and even the US had similarly jumped on the bandwagon to ban polystyrene in the name of environmental protection and public health, but decided to revert when they understood the topic better.

“China decided to revert to allow polystyrene after banning polystyrene for 14 years.

“So did New York. And sadly this is perpetuated by the media,’’ he added.

Green Concept Technology Sdn Bhd, Director (Business Development) Sri Umeswaran Shekar also pointed out the misconception of polystyrene being unsafe.

“Worldwide authorities such as the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) have determined that polystyrene is safe for use in contact with food,’’ said Umeswaran.

He said the usual reasons given to ban polystyrene products were overly simplistic and did not touch the root of the problem.

“They ban and think they are doing the right thing, but a lot of wrong information is attached to the reasons for doing so,’’ he said.

“Part of the myth is that polystyrene cannot be recycled.

“Now that is wrong since we are in the business of doing just that,’’ Umeswaran added.

Are the alternatives better?

So we know the Government is committed in eradicating the use of polystyrene and is currently working with several companies to offer cheaper alternatives.

However, the question that needs to be asked is whether banning one type of product and replacing it with another is the solution to the problem?

“When you ban something, there must be a reason for it. You have to ask yourself the rationale behind the ban,’’ said environment and waste management specialist Dr Theng Lee Chong.

Theng, who holds a PhD in Waste Management from Fukuoka University, Japan, invites people to look at polystyrene from a waste management perspective.

He said many manufacturers of biodegradable products like to think they are eco-friendly.

“We have heard of many big brands who have attempted to “greenwash” themselves by offering alternatives to polystyrene.

“There is not a single product that is able to replace polystyrene and be environment-friendly too,’’ said Theng.

He said paper boxes (biodegradable) could be five to six times heavier and therefore the waste stream could increase from 300,000 tonnes per year to 1.5 to 1.8 million tonnes per year.

“Multiple researches have shown that environmental impacts from paper is actually higher based on LCA (life cycle assessment) approach. And most paper boxes, when contaminated, is still not fully degradable,’’ he said.

What is degradable?

Theng also draws attention to the lack of specification or standards to define what is “degradable” in Malaysia.

“Products are termed degradable, but how many percent really is degradable is a question; because in many cases, in order to bring down the costing, the products dependability is put lower to suit the market demand.

“Manufacturers are known to use the word “degradable” on their products for marketing purpose, but often, their claims of recyclability and degradability are deceptive and misleading to the consumers,’’ Dr Theng said.

The Waste Management Association of Malaysia’s (WMAM) Communications and Marketing chairman Mohd Radhi Cheah concurs with Theng.

“Although the Government feels they are championing a good cause by banning polystyrene, many fail to see that the alternatives are no better to the environment.

“Some have encouraged the use of paper since it decomposes in a matter of weeks, but the environmental impact paper has on nature is more detrimental than plastic,’’ he said, adding that plastic, which is a by-product of petroleum, is more prevalent in our lives than we think.

Hence, he said, a complete ban was not advisable and a better management of the substance to preserve the environment is needed.

Theng, however, feels that rather than replacing polystyrene with something else, consumers should be reducing their dependence on it.

“Reduction is always good and is the first priority of 3R (reduce, reuse and recycle). But I am against the replacement of one material with another,’’ Theng said.

Both Theng and Mohd Radhi agree that there must be proper planning by the Government before they enforce any policy, as in many cases the decisions are always business driven and is beyond scientific support.

Dispelling the myth on polystyrene

As a man of science, Theng also wants to clear the air over the misleading information on polystyrene.

“Let’s look at the numbers first.

“I have been to over 50 different landfills in Malaysia and to be honest, I did not see polystyrene containers lying around like the way it has been pictured in the media.

“It is misleading when people say there are mountains of polystyrene rotting in the landfills. That is simply not true.

“When you look at the percentage of composition of organic and recyclable waste, organic waste is highest at 44.5%.

Plastic is at 13.2%, but if you break it down further, polystyrene is only 1% to 2% of the total.”

“In terms of weight, it is less than 300,000 tonnes per day; which is small compared to other categories,’’ he said.

Theng said diapers are 10 times more toxic to the environment – 12% more than polystyrene.

So why put the blame solely on polystyrene?

Environmentalists’ thoughts

“It is a nuisance to the environment. No question about that,’’ said Matthias Gelber, referring to the white foam plastic.

Gelber, who is often referred to as the Green Man, is a popular green activist who advocates sustainable ways of living in Malaysia.

“Society and industries need to shift away to more sustainable materials; it is the way of the future,’’ he stressed.

Environmental Protection Society Malaysia vice-president Randolph Geremiah also believes that Kuala Lumpur would fare better without the white foams and he was not in favour of recycling polystyrene either.

“It is going to be difficult (to recycle polystyrene). Even if manufacturers have the facilities and technology to do it, you still need someone to collect them (used polystyrene).

“Unlike steel or paper, there is very little value on these foam packs,’’ added Geremiah.

“Banning polystyrene may reduce it, but replacing it with paper boxes will still contribute to carbon emissions, energy being used to produce and transport it,’’ said Theng.

He also predicts that once the ban takes effect, instead of polystyrene, people are just going to throw more paper boxes instead.

“They are just transferring one problem to another,’’ he said, adding that Malaysians need to upgrade the level of their mindset to be more civic conscious.

Lim concurred, saying: “People need to start recycling, separating their waste at source, managing their rubbish better and simply stop littering.’’

And ironically, it is not like there is no awareness.

“According to studies carried out by Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp), 70% of people know that recycling is good, but they simply don’t practise it,’’ said SWCorp Federal Territory director Hazilah Gumri.

“It is really an attitude problem.’’

On the polystyrene ban, this quote from Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, Ada E. Yonath who visited Malaysia for a talk on waste management several years ago sums it up perfectly: “Politicians are very far from science.’’

‘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.