Convenient: Most hawkers rely on single-use plastics to package their wares. — ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star
GEORGE TOWN: With concerns over the Covid-19 pandemic easing, Penang is planning a single-use plastics framework to complement its state-wide “No Free Plastic Bag” campaign introduced way back in 2009.
Penang Green Council (PGC) general manager Josephine Tan said if things went as planned, the state government hoped to launch it next year.
She said under the previous campaign, customers began to be charged 20sen for each plastic bag in the state.
Since 2021, she said the campaign was further strengthened with no plastic bags given out at all from Mondays to Wednesdays.
Tan said the state also increased the charges from 20sen to RM1 for each plastic bag given out from Thursdays to Sundays.
“This initiative has been adopted by all registered business operators, excluding wet markets and hawker centres,” she told The Star.
Tan said while enforcement had been ongoing, the Covid-19 pandemic presented some challenges in ensuring compliance.
However, she also said an online survey conducted by PGC to record changes on waste generation and consumer purchasing behaviour before and during the previous movement control orders (MCO) showed that many people started using reusable bags long before the commencement of the MCO.
The data showed that 79% of people had used reusable bags before the MCO, while 81% did so during the period, she said.
“This largely reflects on the successful implementation of our policies in curbing plastic bag usage.
“After we increased the charges, plastic bag requests from customers decreased by 78%,” she said.
However, hawker Roslina Abu Bakar, 49, said she found it hard to accept the new method due to the increased cost in packaging.
“We have to pay more for the packaging,” she lamented.
Another hawker Fakhira Nor Al Fauzan Muhammad Pozi, 32, said using plastic bags were much cheaper.
Food operator Jamaludin Amirudin, 23, said he had been using recyclable food packs at his store.
“As this is a franchise business, all our food packs are provided by the franchise owner.
“So, in a way, it makes our work simpler,” he said.
