Litter problem: Single-use plastic is still being widely used and it is up to people to recycle it to ensure that it will not end up in a landfill.
IPOH: Encouraging a culture to recycle should be the way forward in handling single-use plastic waste, says Perak environment committee chairman Teh Kok Lim.
Single-use plastic is still being widely used and it is up to people to recycle it to ensure that it will not end up in a landfill, while keeping the environment clean, he said.
“Whatever that is being thrown into rivers, dustbins or the surroundings are done by humans, who are the main cause of rubbish problems,” he told reporters after opening a recycling awareness programme held by the Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association (MPMA) at SJKC Bandar Seri Botani in Simpang Pulai here yesterday.
Teh called for a change in mindset.
“As encouraged by the Housing and Local Government Ministry to move towards a circular economy, things that can be reused and recycled need not end up in landfills,” he said.
“Having a culture to recycle will benefit everyone in the world, not just Malaysia,” he added.
Teh also said the state is planning to introduce new rules and regulations on single-use plastic.
Engagement sessions are currently being held with stakeholders, including consumers and manufacturers, on how to handle the issue, he said.
“We hope that we can come out with new rules and regulations next year.
“Among the things that we will look into include getting rid of single-use plastics, but not the plastics for product packaging purposes,” he said.
Perak MPMA chairman Johnson Phoon said that recycling plastic was more practical than using biodegradable plastic.
Phoon said biodegradable plastics would still be plastic that require specific conditions to degrade.
“The starch component will degrade but the remaining components will still remain for a long time,” he said.
“Biodegradable plastic is not the complete solution.
“It would also take up a lot of land to grow plants like tapioca or corn to get the starch component to make biodegradable plastics. Forests could be cut down for this,” he added.
Phoon said they believed that adopting or practising the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) was the way forward towards a cleaner environment.
“Plastics have gotten a lot of negative perception because of people who litter.
“It is up to people to ensure that plastic waste is properly disposed of,” he added.
