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Charging 20 sen for plastic not effective, review likely
Date 30-May-2018 | Category | Author The Star Online, Metro, Grace Chen
https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2018/05/30/review-charging-for-plastic-consumers-seem-happy-to-pay-20sen-for-nonbiodegradable-bags-instead-of-b/

 

THE Selangor government will review the practice of charging 20 sen for plastic bags as it has been found ineffective in reducing its demand.

State Environment, Green Technology and Consumer Affairs committee chairman Hee Loy Sian said there were also questions on who benefited from this and whether the collection was being monitored.

“As such the state government will review this practice to find a fair solution for all.

“Consumers are used to paying 20 sen for a bag. For RM1 they get five plastic bags. People don’t seem to mind absorbing the cost,” he said.

He was speaking to reporters after launching the Sepang Municipal Council’s (MPSepang) sustainable Ramadan bazaars programme at Kipmall in Kota Warisan.

The programme encourages visitors to bring their own shopping bags and food containers instead of using plastic bags and polystyrene boxes for takeaways.

Hee, who was accompanied by MPSepang president Datuk Puasa Md Taib and Sepang district officer Mohd Yazid Sairi, walked around the bazaar to distribute bubur lambuk to traders.

During the event, the public who turned up to buy food for breaking fast were treated to a nasyid performance by students of the Baitul Hikmah religious school followed by a talk by ustaz Abdullah Khairi Harun.

Hawkers in Ramadan bazaars within MPSepang are encouraged to use biodegradable containers.

The council also has a programme to buy back used cooking oil from vendors.

MPSepang Licensing Department director Noor Halif Noorzan said its collection team would start gathering used oil from the vendors by the third week of Ramadan.

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