PETALING JAYA: Selangor will review the 20sen levy on plastic bags to discourage shoppers from buying them as the state seeks to kickstart a three-day ban on such bags.
“This is being reviewed to significantly discourage plastic use,” said Selangor public health and environment committee chairman Jamaliah Jamaluddin.
Such a step will send a strong signal to businesses and consumers, she said.
“We recognise that implementing changes can be significantly more challenging for micro-businesses than for larger supermarkets or franchises.
“Nevertheless, meaningful action must start somewhere,” Jamaliah said in an interview.
She said the state government wanted to make sure that supermarkets and shops do not give out plastic bags on weekends.
To ensure that residents comply with a three-day ban on such bags, she said the state is also planning to roll out more information posters for shops and markets telling residents to bring their own reusable containers.
“The state government is fully aware of the challenges in implementing an extended plastic bag ban, particularly with smaller shops, hawker stalls and sundry shops,” she said.
“However, these challenges will not deter us from taking decisive action to address plastic waste.”
Selangor wants to extend the plastic bag ban from only Saturday to include Friday and Sunday sometime this year in its effort to cut down on this form of waste.
However, small businesses, such as sundry shops, restaurants and hawker stalls have complained that they often find it hard to execute the current Saturday ban as customers demand such bags.
Jamaliah said the state government is aware of the difficulties in changing people’s mindset and behaviour but she stressed that its measures for the three-day ban could help achieve this aim.
“Since consumers spend more time at larger stores, Selangor hopes that the weekend plastic bag ban at such outlets will nurture deeper behaviour changes among consumers,” she added.
These behaviour change could then be translated when consumers shop at smaller shops and eateries, she said.
“While it may not be feasible to immediately prevent small hawker stalls from offering plastic packaging, we plan to introduce more creative and engaging campaigns in 2025.
“For instance, we aim to roll out posters and promotional materials encouraging the public to bring their own reusable containers.”
Ultimately, she said the success of the ban hinges on the collective responsibility of the government, local authorities, businesses and the community.
“Non-compliance will not be tolerated, and we are committed to ongoing education and strong partnerships to ensure the sustainability of this initiative.”
She said eEnforcement mechanisms are being strengthened to guarantee compliance.
“Clear and robust legal frameworks will be established before the ban is rolled out to hold businesses accountable and ensure strict adherence,” she added.
