These plastic bags were not the shopping bags which currently were "control items" under the "No Plastic Bags Day" campaign launched by the Penang State Government and the Selangor State Government. They are the packaging bags used to pack various household consumer goods : - instant drinks, biscuits, detergent, handwasher, instant mee, junk food so and so on.
By looking at the thickness of these packaging bags, definitely they are much much thicker than the shopping bags. You hardly can find these plastic bags indicate type of the plastic - either they are PET, PC, PP.
In Malaysia, "Don't litter, Cintailah Kebersihan dan Kehijauan Bumi Kita" (photo left) is the most common found logo printed on plastic bags. Whereas in many countries, indicating the plastic type is compulsory (photo right). .
Penang State has made a significant leap by increasing the number of days to "ban" plastic bags in high volume shopping departmental stores. I strongly belief that the government will soon look at the packaging bags. In fact the plastic bags contributed by consumer goods are even much higher than shopping plastic bags.
How the Penang State Government can influent the manufacturers of these consumer goods when the goods are origined from all over the country? In fact it is not a hard job. The local council can impose certain requirement on the trade license of retail outlets. The items sold in these outlets must comply to the requirement under the environment concern. They can also request certain products sold in the outlets to be packed in alternative packaging. Beside that, indicating the type of plastic can even be implemented instantly.
Shopping is an-hour event, consuming these goods may be 1 week to a month. After that all these will be ended in the garbage dump.
Shopping is an-hour event, consuming these goods may be 1 week to a month. After that all these will be ended in the garbage dump.
Let us stand together with the DAP and Pakatan Rakyat government. We can prevent the landfill buried by these plastic instead of burying the plastic.
Businessman are smart in marketing their products attractive to be brought by consumer.
ReplyDelete1) Their plastic packing is much too big for the little stuff inside. eg. ground nut, only half filled? How to control them to make the bag just good enough to pack the quantity, will be very much reducing the plastic usage.
2)Please be aware! No shopping plastic bags provided may ended up the manufacturer made their plastic packing bag with ear for easy carrying, so that the customers can carry more. They will make the plastic bag bigger and more plastic being used. If I can think of that, they will as well. Hope this doesn't happen.
3) Some customers alrady making use of vegetable plastic bags to carry other tiny stuff.(which is provided free and freely by Tesco)
concern: Steven Chee