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| Image credit Earthfire Institute |
The ban on plastic straws will start on 1st of January in 2019 in the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan.
The decision in implementing this ban is yet another move from the Malaysian government as a continuing effort to reduce the overall nationwide usage of plastic. With that said, Malaysians are steadily becoming more plastic conscious as the adoption of plastic ban policies in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Melaka have been enacted as well as Penang’s plan to ban single-use plastics on January 2019.
To ensure the success of the bar on plastic, the Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Adnan Mohd Ikhsan has taken further steps by having businesses’ licensees risk being terminated if they’re found to be using plastic straws in 2019. "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).”
He declared. “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.” He adds.
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| Marine bioligists in Costa Rica were horrified to discover an endangered sea turtle with a plastic straw lodged in its nostril. |
It’s unbelievable to think how something so small and harmless such as plastic straws could have far-reaching implications on our environment and marine life. It takes up to 200 years for a plastic straw to decompose and they can’t be recycled in most places. Its negative impact is evident in the 100,000 marine life and the 1,000 000 seabirds that die from ingesting plastic each year.
Still want to use straws after the ban? No problem! There are dozens of other alternatives such as metal, bamboo and even shatter-resistant glass straws in a variety of styles and color. Let’s all do our bit for the greater good of the environment.
Written by Eve Bandusena | Writer at Parents Avenue
