Recently, many restaurants have been pushing to stop giving out plastic straws to customers in an effort to be more environmentally friendly and reduce plastic waste.
Now, it looks like our government is getting much more serious about this ban, as straws will be banned across all federal territories (Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan), according to The Star.
Source: Convenience Store News
Starting 1st January 2019, all plastic straws will be banned in Malaysia’s federal territories, and to show their seriousness in the matter, Federal Territories Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Adnan Mohd Ikhsan said that businesses found still using these straws will have their licenses terminated. He was quoted as saying,
“Business owners may also be fined, lose their deposits, have their trading items confiscated or even be imprisoned. The ban on plastic straws is in addition to the ban on plastics bags and polystyrene food packaging, which started in September last year (2017).”
“The requirements are clearly stated in their business licences, so there is no excuse for the business owners to claim ignorance. Local authorities will not hesitate to take action according to its by-laws.”
Source: The Star
Many of us don’t realise how something as small as a plastic straw can be so harmful to the environment. Plastic straws are actually very hard to recycle, are not biodegradable, and they can also threaten ocean wildlife. On top of that, most single-use straws are made from polypropylene, a type of plastic that is usually made from petroleum, which can be harmful to our health, according to studies.
So, if you still want to use straws after the ban, why not consider getting more environmentally-friendly, reusable ones like those listed here?
Let’s all do our part to save the environment, guys!
Also read: Ditching Plastic Straws? Try These 6 Alternatives That Are More Eco-Friendly!
