LETTER TO
THE EDITOR:
IT’S TIME
TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT SINGLE-USE PLASTICS
The
purported plastic straw ban has been in effect in KL, Putrajaya, and Labuan
since Jan 1, and in Selangor since July 1. Yet, apart from signs in eateries
stating that straws are only available upon request, there has been no marked
decline in the number of straws used and disposed of. In many eateries, straws
are given by default, and when I asked the eatery staff why plastic straws
continue to be inserted into beverages by default, the response is that
customers often scold the eatery staff and demand straws, so inserting straws
by default will save them the additional trip back to the drinks counter.
This
clearly shows that the purported straw ‘ban’ is not a ban but merely an
advisory. It will have no actual impact on reducing plastic production, consumption
or waste in Malaysia, and is merely a publicity exercise by governmental
agencies to create the impression that they are doing something about the issue
of plastic waste. There is no binding force to this advisory, no enforcement of
the restriction against plastic straws, and no penalties or charges for those
who wish to continue using plastic straws. It neither reduces the demand for
plastic straws nor increases the demand for reusable alternatives such as steel
or bamboo straws or compostable alternatives such as plant-based or paper
straws, since no alternatives to plastic straws are offered at eateries, and no
fee is charged for those who insist on being given straws.
The
risible advisory is also ineffective because plastic straws, as well as other single-use
disposable plastic and styrofoam products, are still available for sale in
retail outlets and supermarkets. Further, the purported ‘ban’ does not extend
to cover hawker stalls, catering services, or even beverage shops such as the
mushrooming bubble tea shops.
A March
2019 survey by YouGov Omnibus reports
that although 91% of Malaysians expressed the opinion that environmental
conservation is important, 22% admitted to using plastic straws daily and 24%
use plastic bags daily. From the survey, it is also clear that although the
survey participants were aware of the need to reduce the use of single-use
items such as plastic bags and straws, 44% believe that the onus is not on them
but on the government to protect the environment. This survey, as well as the findings
from outreach work done by various environmental NGOs in Malaysia, reveals that
there is no lack of environmental awareness in Malaysia, only a lack of a sense
of responsibility. Knowing this to be the predominant mindset amongst
Malaysians, the government’s half-hearted attempt to limit the use of plastic
straws is doomed to fail.
However,
recalcitrant and apathetic consumers are not even the main reason the ‘no
plastic straw’ campaign is doomed to fail. This campaign, like the one against
the free distribution of plastic bags, is and will remain ineffective because
the focus is almost entirely on consumers and end users. The onus is on
consumers to give up straws and single-use plastics and find their own
alternatives. Compliance is higher among urban and educated populations, but
for lower income individuals, any charge or ban on plastic bags and straws is
seen only as another burden.
In the
battle against plastic waste, the government’s focus needs to shift from the
end users to producers and businesses. There is currently insufficient pressure
on plastics manufacturers to declare their plastic use, set plastic reduction
targets, and redesign products and packaging to use less plastic. The existing
governmental campaigns have no effect on plastics manufacturers’ production levels
or profit margins. Plastics manufacturers love these types of ‘awareness’ and ‘voluntary
reduction’ campaigns, because there is no obligation on them to reduce
production. If a campaign or initiative fails, they can blame consumers for
failure to comply with advisories, for littering, for being ignorant or
recalcitrant, and for not recycling enough. Plastics manufacturers also love
initiatives such as beach cleanups and recycling drives, because it creates the
impression that they are doing something to address the issue of plastic waste without
actually reducing production or changing the way they do business. More and
more resources will then be poured into awareness and education campaigns and
recycling drives in schools, when the crux of the problem is that our planet
cannot cope with the amount of plastics already in the biosphere and the amount
of plastics that will continue to be produced.
The World
Economic Forum reports that we use 20 times as much plastic as we did 50 years
ago, and this will continue to rise with incomes and industrialisation. Worldwide, plastic production and
use is growing at a 10% rate, but in the developing world and most Asian
countries, it is growing much faster than that, and this is more than the
existing waste management infrastructure can handle, leading to over 9 million
tons of plastics dumped into the oceans each year.
What
the plastics industry does not want us to know is that recycling is not the
solution, because most single-use plastics are never designed to be recycled.
They are designed for low cost, light weight and convenience. As a result, even the best global
efforts can only achieve a 10-20% recycling rate. Even when
collected and separated for recycling, the low grade and low recyclability of
these single-use plastic items means that they will be landfilled and burned. Existing recycling technology isn’t good enough, largely because
of limitations in how plastics can be sorted by chemical composition and
cleaned of additives. Most plastics that are recycled are shredded and
reprocessed into lower-value plastics, such as polyester carpet fibre. Only 2%
are recycled into products of the same quality. As long
as decision-makers keep the focus on consumer behaviour, plastic manufacturers
can continue carrying on business as usual and flooding the market with more
and more low-grade, non-recyclable plastic packaging and products.
The
Pakatan Harapan government started off their term saying the right things and
showing determination to end the scourge of plastic waste in Malaysia. Despite
many promising-sounding announcements, there has been no concrete and
measurable action taken to reduce plastic production and waste in Malaysia
apart from yet more ‘awareness’ campaigns. For awareness and educational
campaigns to work, there must be a corresponding ban on the production, import,
sale and use of single-use plastic packaging, a higher focus on and incentive
for switching to reusable and compostable alternatives, and a setting of
reduction targets for manufacturers and businesses.
Science journal reported in 2015
that Malaysia is among the top 8 highest offending ocean plastic polluters
globally. Malaysia then signed the December 2017 UN Resolution on microplastics
and marine litter, but has not really treated the issue with urgency or done
anything with measurable outcomes to date. Consumer awareness campaigns and “request
a straw only if you really need one” advisories are not measurable because no
targets can be set or measured for such campaigns. Holding X number of
roadshows and issuing X number of public service announcements cannot be
translated into X tonnes of plastic waste reduced.
One of
the most effective ways to bring about an actual, measurable reduction in
plastic waste within a definite timeline is to get manufacturers and businesses
to set and meet reduction targets. Due
to consumer and investor demands, many companies including Nestle and Pepsico
are under pressure to disclose their annual plastic packaging use, set
reduction goals, and transition to recyclable, reusable or compostable
packaging and products. Nestle and Unilever have already pledged to make its
plastic packaging fully reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025, Adidas and
Dell are manufacturing products and packaging using recycled ocean plastics, and
new start-ups are introducing everything from edible cutlery to sauce and
seasoning sachets made of seaweed that will dissolve in water. Companies should
not just be focusing on facilitating and encouraging recycling, but on reducing
the amount of plastics used and designing their products and packaging out of
recycled plastics or compostable materials in the first place. This is the kind
of measurable reduction target we want to see in Malaysia. We should
incentivise these kinds of innovation, by increased consumer support, or through
governmental tax rebates and Research and Development funds.
We have
only a small window of time left to deal with plastic pollution and its harmful
impact on biodiversity, climate, human health, and the economy. Malaysia cannot
achieve pollution and waste reduction targets by waiting for consumers to do
the right thing and by protecting manufacturers and the plastics industry. Karnataka
State in India has banned several types of single-use plastic items and banned
manufacturers from producing these products. Kenya has implemented a nationwide
ban on plastics bags, which also covers distributors and producers. Vanuatu has
outlawed plastic bags and many single-use plastic items, and is moving towards
banning disposable diapers. Malaysia must move beyond advising customers to ask
the waiter or go to the counter if they need a straw, and calling this measure
a ‘ban’.
WONG EE
LYNN
PETALING
JAYA, SELANGOR
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