KUALA LUMPUR: The move to charge shoppers 20 sen for each plastic bag has not done much to eliminate single-use plastics, according to a survey, and statistics show that plastic waste continues to dominate landfills in various parts of the country.
In Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, for example, some 101,949 tonnes of plastic waste ended up in landfills in 2021.
Consumers’ overdependence on plastics is the main reason they are willing to pay the 20 sen charge imposed by retailers on each plastic bag instead of bringing their own recyclable bags.
This is evident in Selangor, which became one of the first few states to charge customers for the use of plastic bags in 2017 when the government embarked on campaigns and introduced strategies to discourage the use of single-use plastics.
In 2020, Selangor collected a relatively high sum of RM6.6mil from the payment imposed on plastic bags and in 2021, the amount went up to RM8.5mil. In the first six months of 2022, the collection stood at RM4.8mil.
With shoppers willing to pay the 20 sen charge, the Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Ministry is facing an uphill battle eliminating the use of plastic bags.
Last month, its minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said the government was targeting zero use of plastic bags at all premises and sectors of trade and commerce in the country by 2025.
A recent random survey of sundry shops, food outlets and other business premises by Bernama found that when it came to the selling and packaging of food items, the use of light, durable and cheap plastic bags was the choice of traders and consumers.
Mek Yah Rahman, a 67-year-old stallholder in Batu Caves, Selangor, told Bernama that she preferred to use plastic bags to pack food as she found them more convenient and economical.
“Plastic bags come in different sizes, so it’s easy for me to use them to pack kuih or nasi lemak. Many petty traders like me use plastic bags as they are cheaper than paper bags,” she said.
