Experts want the government to show the way towards having a plastic free retail sector by the year 2025 but since the nation generates a million tonnes of postconsumer plastic waste annually this target is considered as unrealistic.

It is perhaps the Selangor state government that is leading the way in being plastic free as early as the year 2009 by compelling supermarkets to stop giving free plastic bags to consumers for their purchases.

This has met with success as it is now normal for consumers to bring their own shopping bags to shop especially in urban areas and certain key supermarkets went a step further and stopped giving plastic bags altogether.

The success of the Selangor state initiative in striving to have a plastic free retail sector includes the use of plastic drinking bottles, wrap and packaging. More polystyrene food containers are also being recycled.

Other experts comment that the federal government must reaffirm its commitment to reducing plastic use drastically through enforcement action as nearly more than a decade has been spent on education and creating awareness.

These experts cite that the Selangor government drive on having a plastic free retail sector must also be implemented in other states and involve the collective efforts of stakeholders such as industry players and the media.

-THE MALAYSIA VOICE