THE habit of using plastic is hard to break, but we can learn from some individuals, groups and the government.
Since the implementation of the “no plastic bags” policy and charging 20 sen for them, the culture of taking along recyclable bags has been promoted.
With the participation of food and beverage outlets in the plastic straw ban, the government aims to fully enforce the ban by 2020.
In recent months, Malaysia and the Philippines have made their stand on rejecting plastic waste and sending it back to the countries of origin.
Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister Yeo Bee Yin announced that 3,300 tonnes of trash would be returned to 10 countries, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and China.
It shows that the battle between the government and plastics is not ending soon.
Malaysia appears to have taken on the role of plastics importer following the plastics ban in China last year.
A Greenpeace report showed that from January to July last year, plastic waste imports in Malaysia amounted to 754,000 metric tonnes, which are equivalent to 100,000 adult elephants.
However, this problem is more than a country’s issue. It involves the trade ecosystem and countries need to learn how to deal with their waste rather than exporting it to other countries.
More initiatives could be taken to resolve the issue of waste disposal. Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin says Malaysians have yet to cultivate garbage disposal habits, which should be addressed to keep our country clean.
Workshops and campaigns have been conducted to raise awareness about how to dispose of waste. However, some people refuse to follow the rules. It was found that 60 per cent of the 32 million population do not throw garbage into rubbish bins.
Some dump rubbish bags right below the “Jangan Membuang Sampah Disini” signs, while others throw plastic cups and trash out of cars.
Like some countries, are they also passing their trash to others?
To complement the measures taken by the government to address plastic waste disposal, people must step up efforts to reduce single-use plastics.
ALEXANDER GOH
Kuala Lumpur