A prominent lecturer at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) stated that the government should formulate a national policy disallowing supermarkets and traders from charging for biodegradable bags to promote going green and being eco friendly.

So far only the state of Negeri Sembilan has banned charges for biodegradable bags and it is believed, according to the UPM lecturer, that ideally this policy should be implemented nationwide by the federal government

The implementation of the “No Plastic Bag” campaign began with Phase 1 from December 2020 to 2021, targeting permanent business premises such as supermarkets, hypermarkets, convenience stores, fast food chains, petrol stations and pharmacies.

Phase 2 runs from 2022 to 2025 which will witness the campaign include other types of businesses such as grocery stores and wet, night and farmer markets as part of the Malaysia Roadmap Towards Zero Disposable Plastic 2018 to 2030.

Despite this campaign, in the latest statistics in 2022 by the Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation, rubbish generated in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya was 796,795 metric tonnes, of which plastic made up 210,966 tonnes.

But, nevertheless, the campaign is making an impact and this is why the UPM lecturer is suggesting that it is taken a step further by incorporating a federal policy to ban charging for biodegradable plastic bags.

-THE MALAYSIA VOICE