Waste collection by residents of Larapan island. — Courtesy of Mazni Jakarullah/Larapan Youth Conservation Group
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Malaysia applauds Sabah government’s commitment and move to reduce single-use plastic usage in Kota Kinabalu through the Bawa Beg Bah (3B, or “bring a bag”) campaign.
The non-governmental organisation (NGO), in a press release, said plastic production had increased drastically over the last 70 years, with over 450 million tonnes produced globally.
Plastic can be seen everywhere, it said, used in various things including construction, food packaging and medical instruments.
Single-use plastic bags make up the bulk of plastic waste produced globally, the NGO said, with large volumes of this waste polluting major water sources and waterways and ultimately ending up in the ocean.
The breakdown of improperly discarded single-use plastic bags leads to the release of microplastic particles, which pose serious risks to human health and wildlife, and causes threats to marine species and disruption to the marine food chain.
The NGO said a recent study conducted by Cornell University found that Malaysia, alongside the Philippines and Indonesia, topped the global per capita list in the amount of microplastics consumed in food.
This is a cause for concern not only for the public, but also for the government.
Based on WWF-Malaysia’s preliminary gaps analysis on Sabah’s plastic waste management, the pervasive use of single-use plastics and limitations in existing solid waste management systems highlight challenges faced by the state government in managing plastic pollution.
The NGO said the 3B campaign is aligned with WWF-Malaysia’s Goal Number 8: No Plastic in Nature.
The initiative aims to reduce and reuse plastic and eliminate leakage of plastic into nature, especially in sensitive marine environments such as Semporna.
This is done by strengthening the capacity of local coastal communities to address the plastic waste management problems and advocating for policies that reduce plastic waste while promoting sustainability and economic circularity.
“With the increasing amount of plastic waste ending up in our oceans, harming human and wildlife and leaching toxins into our environment, the single-use plastic ban is not just an environmental necessity, but also a moral obligation,” said WWF-Malaysia chief executive officer and executive director Sophia Lim.
WWF-Malaysia is empowering local coastal communities to manage their own plastic waste through various capacity-building workshops.
Up until June, 3,370kgs of waste were removed through community waste management systems on Omadal and Larapan islands, in collaboration with community-based organisations Wanita Pulau Omadal, Iskul Sama DiLaut and Larapan Youth Conservation Group.
However, WWF-Malaysia believes that immediate and concerted efforts from government and industries are required simultaneously to protect both human health and the environment.
