Penang is planning to be plastic-free by 2023 and we think it’s a good move!
At a seminar in Penang, exco Phee Boon Poh said that the reduction plastic bag usage will be implemented from the beginning of 2021 and by the second half of that year, they hope to ban all single-use plastic. The goal of the Penang State Government is to reduce environmental pollution and damage for the next generation, reported Sin Chew Daily.
Source: Kwiknews
To do that, they plan to increase the prices of plastic bags in supermarkets from 20 cents to RM1. That’s great news!
Although the proposal has been approved by the Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change, this measure will not be promoted openly but will be gradually implemented through education to increase the people’s awareness. It is expected to be fully implemented by 2023.
He said,
“After all, there still needs to be more public awareness and we also need to talk to relevant vendors and give them enough time to adjust and change.”
The exco member also hopes that the teachers that were in that seminar to instil into their students the importance of NOT USING single-use plastics.
When asked about foreign countries sending their trash to Penang (often to illegal plastic processing factories), he said that the number of those factories have been reduced from 400 to 37. If they still do not comply with the SOPs then they will find their water supply cut.
Source: Malay Mail
The president of the Consumers Association of Penang pointed out that our country produces 32 thousand tonnes of garbage per day but only 5% of that isare recycled. Based on that, we cannot ignore the problem that our environment is facing right now.
He hopes that teachers can increase children’s environmental awareness and the teachers can maybe lead by example to reduce waste production.
That is a very good initiative done by the Penang government. We hope that other states will follow in their footsteps so we can progress together as a country!
Also read: Fish Stuck in Clear Plastic Bag Could Not Swim & Struggled To Get Free, Saved By Diver
