Green Living Column: Joining The Buy Nothing Movement

 

PENCINTA ALAM AUGUST 2021

GREEN LIVING COLUMN

JOINING THE ‘BUY NOTHING’ MOVEMENT

By Wong Ee Lynn <wongeelynn@yahoo.com>

 

The Buy Nothing Project is a movement founded by 2 mothers, Rebecca Rockefeller and Liesl Clark, in 2008, due to their growing concern about the environment and their children’s future in an increasingly materialistic world.

 

It soon grew into a global network of community-based groups, often relying on Facebook, to “gift” (i.e. reuse, donate, or repurpose) goods or services to other members of the group. Buy Nothing Groups are usually successful because they are hyper-local. You can find local Buy Nothing Groups for local residents in your particular neighbourhood and district.

 

Here are reasons why you should participate in a sharing economy, either in your local Buy Nothing group, or on another platform:

1.     Too often, we foist our unwanted items on charity bins and thrift stores after decluttering. Your donations, although well-intentioned, may end up sitting in dusty or dirty storerooms for months and years, and new and valuable items can get mixed up with older, poorer quality items and end up damaged or forgotten. Also, many charities, recycling centres, and thrift stores are not able to operate during the pandemic. Some have stopped accepting donations as they are unable to cope. This means that your donations will not be able to be used to help others in the way you hope it would.

2.     Instead of indiscriminately dumping miscellaneous items from your home on a charity, it is much more satisfying to find each item a good home with a new owner who truly needs it. Some members of Buy Nothing groups are social media savvy but economically struggling fresh graduates who need used furniture for their rented rooms, young parents who need children’s clothes and baby items, administrators of welfare homes or organisations that would gladly accept used clothes and household items for refugees and the homeless, and amateur repairmen who would like to have broken electrical appliances and gadgets that they can then try to fix. Being able to match your donations with the most suitable recipients can be very fulfilling and can greatly assist others.

3.     Participating in a sharing economy prevents waste, helps others avoid unnecessary shopping, and stops goods from going to the landfill, whether you are the one “gifting” the item or the one requesting something specific.

4.     Participating in a sharing economy and in Buy Nothing groups is also a more efficient way of recycling and donating, as you may find local DIY-ers and upcyclers who can find a use for your bubble wrap or old rags or plastic bags, and charities and volunteers who work with underprivileged groups who may need your preloved clothes for the homeless, plant pots to set up an urban farm for the needy, and old towels and rags for rescued animals.

5.     Participating in Buy Nothing groups can help you make new friends and connections and find out about events and charitable organisations in your town or neighbourhood.

 

 

HOW TO GET STARTED:

1.     Before you set up a Buy Nothing Group, search online first for groups in your area. Chances are, there already is an existing Buy Nothing group that will meet your needs. Among the more active groups on Facebook are “Buy Nothing Project Klang Valley Official”, “Buy Nothing – Malaysia”, “Buy Nothing Project Klang Valley & PJ”, “Buy Nothing Project Seremban & Negeri Sembilan”, and “Beli Nothing Project Ipoh”.

2.     If there are no Buy Nothing groups in your city or district, consider first if you are able to handle the administrative duties of managing a Facebook group before you set one up. You may need to see if you have friends who are willing to be co-opted to help out as Group Administrators.

3.     If you do set up a Buy Nothing group, have a look at the rules of other Buy Nothing groups and use them as guidelines to prevent conflict, harassment, and inappropriate language or conduct. You will need to be reasonably active on Facebook in order to approve members and posts, deal with complaints and reports, mediate conflicts, and block or ban offenders.

4.     If you join an existing Buy Nothing Group, be sure to observe all group rules, be polite when offering and requesting for items, and use the group’s codes and language, for example, using hashtags like #gifting when offering items, and #ISO when seeking and requesting specific items.

 

GUIDELINES TO POSTING ITEMS YOU WISH TO GIVE AWAY:

 

1.     Post pictures of individual items. If you have 20 books to give away, post photos of each book, and not the picture of a box or pile of assorted books and the request that “one person takes all”. When you post photos of individual items, you increase the chances of your donations going to people who truly want and appreciate them, and your donations go out to a larger number of recipients. Consider this question: What kind of person would actually want a box of books or a jumble of items without looking at what they are requesting for? Chances are, people who agree to take everything really just want a few items in your photo, and will either dump the other items in the waste bin or in a forgotten part of their home. Either way, some of your donations will end up either in a landfill run by the municipal council or a landfill in a hoarder’s home!

2.     Be specific with measurements and conditions of the items you are giving away. You don’t have to write a thesis. “Men’s shoes, average-good condition, leather a bit cracked, size 7” will do. You don’t have to provide a reason why you are giving it away or communicate with the other members any more than you are comfortable with.

3.     Specify that requestors are to collect the item from you themselves. You are not a courier, delivery, or postal service. If you go out of your way to deliver your donations to their new owners, you will very quickly find yourself burnt out and resentful, and the group will not be a fun and positive experience for you anymore. Specify if you are able to hang on to the item and wait for the recipient to collect it, say, after lockdown is lifted.

4.     Set clear rules for who will be your chosen recipient. You may choose to give your item to the most deserving and needy requestor. In that case, specify in your post that you may choose the recipient that you feel is the most deserving and the item will not automatically go to the first requestor. On the other hand, you may decide to simplify matters by offering your items to the first requestor. In that case, set the rule that they have to comment directly on the photo of each item, and that you will not be entertaining private and direct messages unless they have commented on each photo first to request and reserve the item. This makes it fair to the other requestors, so they can see that someone else has requested it first.

5.     Once you have decided on the recipient of each item, let other group members know by changing the caption of the photo to “GIFTED” or “RESERVED”. Some group members may then ask to be put in the “queue”. The first person to ask to be put in the queue will be the next person in line to receive the item if the original requestor changes his/her mind.

 

KEEPING YOURSELF SAFE IN BUY NOTHING GROUPS:

1.     Do not give out your phone number or any more personal information than you are comfortable with disclosing. If you live in an apartment complex or gated community, you can arrange to meet the recipient at the guardhouse instead. Alternatively, choose your workplace or a public place, e.g. a bank or restaurant, that is convenient to you as the meeting point. Trust your instincts – you may feel completely comfortable giving a senior citizen, young mother, or friend-of-a-friend your phone number and home address.

2.     If at any point you no longer feel comfortable about giving an item to a particular recipient, for example, if his or her queries seem excessively personal and intrusive, you can tell them that you don’t wish to answer his or her questions, or you can just leave the questions unanswered and hand over the items without feeling obligated to make conversation or disclose personal information. If the requestor makes you feel so uncomfortable that you change your mind about meeting up and handing over the item, you can inform him or her that you have changed your mind and block him or her on your phone or social media. Such occurrences are very rare, but as public groups tend to attract many types of people, meeting weirdos is a possibility that cannot be dismissed outright. If you are harassed or if the requestor says or does anything inappropriate, you can report him or her to the Buy Nothing group admin to have him / her blocked. Take screenshots of any messages that you may be able to use to support your allegation of harassment or impropriety.

 

WHAT IF I AM NOT ACTIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA?

1.     You may not feel comfortable joining public groups and meeting up with strangers, or you may prefer to give the items to people you know. In that case, you can create a photo album or post in your own social media account offering your items only to your Friends or Friends-of-Friends. You can also post them in your own Whatsapp groups. Unclaimed items can then be donated to a charity, sent for recycling, or handed over to a friend or family member who is active in Buy Nothing groups and is willing to post on your behalf.

2.     If taking photos of each individual item, writing a caption about it, and responding to messages and requests seem like too much work to you, seek the help of a friend or family member who is active on social media and in Buy Nothing groups to take photos and create posts on your behalf. They may also need to handle the items on your behalf to make collection and delivery easier. Depending on the workload, you may want to give them a small stipend or treat them to a meal for helping you.

 

 

ALTERNATIVES TO BUY NOTHING GROUPS:

1.     You may feel that you are not ready to part with an item that you paid a lot of money for. In that case, the alternative is to sell them on groups offering secondhand and preloved items. These include Facebook groups such as “Used Items For Sale – Malaysia”, “KL Second Hand”, and “Second Hand Market Malaysia”. Be specific and truthful on the condition of the item so that buyers know if they are getting a good price for the item you are offering.

2.     An alternative to buying and selling is to rent items, especially if you have big ticket items that you use infrequently, such as power washers and party costumes. You may need to request the personal information of the person renting from you and a cash deposit in case of loss or damage. This enables you to get a return on investment on expensive items, rent from others items that you use infrequently, avoid unnecessary shopping, and prevent the wastage of resources. Local rental groups (note: NOT property rental) include “Rent Something KL”.

Greening Your Work-From-Home Routine

 

PENCINTA ALAM DECEMBER 2020

GREEN LIVING COLUMN

GREENING YOUR WORK-FROM-HOME ROUTINE

By Wong Ee Lynn wongeelynn@yahoo.com / gl.mnselangor@yahoo.com

 

As the world grows more accustomed to the idea that the Covid19 pandemic is here to stay and that the precautions we have adopted as part of “the new normal” are gradually becoming an essential part of our lives and daily routines, we will need to make arrangements for working and studying from home, either as a permanent arrangement, or as something we may need to do intermittently for certain periods of time whenever there is an outbreak and a Movement Control Order and a school closure order is declared.

 

If you are working from home, you may find that it is not as sustainable and economical a lifestyle change as you initially thought it would be. You may find that your electricity use has gone up, or that you are still driving almost daily to eat out or run errands, or that you are accumulating a lot of unwanted plastic and paper packaging from online shopping and food deliveries.

 

Here are ways you can make your work-from-home and online learning situation more sustainable and less wasteful:

 

1.     CARVE OUT A WORKSTATION OR HOME OFFICE FROM YOUR EXISTING SPACE.

 

Ikea and other popular home furnishing stores are full of shoppers buying cheap desks and chairs so that they can create workstations and home offices for working and studying from home. This increases consumption and waste. In addition, we should not be spending money unnecessarily at a time of global economic uncertainty. Cheap furniture is often not built to last and is constructed out of plastic, laminated fibreboard, or Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF), all materials that are not durable, compostable, or biodegradable, and may contain toxic or harmful compounds such as formaldehyde.

 

Instead of buying new furniture, carve out a workspace in your home by decluttering, tidying up, and organizing your existing space. A dining table, dressing table, or breakfast nook will provide you with the space you need once the clutter has been cleared. “Shop” your home for boxes, binders, writing materials, scrap paper, and other office supplies. Choose a spot that already has lighting and a fan, so you don’t have to buy a table lamp or standing fan.

 

 

2.     HAVE A SHARED WORKSPACE WITH FAMILY MEMBERS OR HOUSEMATES.

 

It is only logical that your home energy consumption will increase if each family member is working in his or her own bedroom or a separate workstation, as all the lights, fans, and air-conditioning units will be switched on. Try to see if you can agree on working in a shared space to cut down on energy consumption. Perhaps the dining table or a large table in the living room can be cleared and designated as the family workstation where everyone does their work. Earphones or headphones can be used by those who need to listen to music or webinars as they work. Alternatively, separate workstations can be carved out in areas such as the family room, living room, or dining room, and the bedrooms can be designated as work-free zones, except when someone needs to attend a zoom meeting in a room with the door closed.

 

3.     LIMIT YOUR WORK AND STUDY HOURS.

 

As there are no restrictions as to what time we need to commence and stop working, we may find that we are working late into the night, or on the weekends. This is not only physically and psychologically unhealthy for us as we are then mentally constantly switched on, it can also be bad for the environment if our devices and appliances are constantly left running.

 

Decide on the major tasks you need to complete before the day is over and block off the time for work. Stop when the tasks are complete, and tidy your space and switch off your devices, screens, and appliances entirely. Setting clear boundaries on work hours and rest hours will be better for your health, as well as reduce your energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.

 

4.     VENTILATE, NOT AIR-CONDITION, YOUR SPACE.

 

 

The biggest energy vampire in our homes as we work from home more frequently is almost certainly air-conditioning units.

 

A window air-conditioning unit runs on 1.2 kilowatts. A ceiling fan uses only 30 watts. A fan, therefore, uses less than 1% of the energy it takes to run an air-conditioning unit! Switch to using a fan instead of air-conditioning.

 

If your fan does not feel cool enough, remove clutter out of its way, clean your fan blades regularly, and place your workstation under a ceiling fan or in front of a standing or tabletop fan.

 

Take a cold shower before you start working to keep you alert and feeling refreshed, as well as cool your body down.

 

You can also DIY a “poor man’s air conditioning unit” by putting bottles of ice water in front of your table fan so that it blows cold air in your direction.

 

If the room really is too stuffy and warm without air-conditioning, switch the air-conditioning unit on for around 1 hour until the room cools down. Then switch off the air-conditioning unit and let the fan circulate the cool air in your work area.

 

 

5.     REDUCE TAKEOUTS AND FOOD DELIVERY.

 

Having food delivered to you can save time, especially when you need to focus on work, but it can also have a large carbon footprint and generate waste. Food delivery riders consume fuel to deliver food to you, and the food often comes in excessive plastic and paper packaging. While paper and cardboard food packaging may be compostable and less harmful to wildlife, their production process consumes a lot of land, water, and resources, and requires the cutting down of trees.

 

Practice prepping food in advance for the week, e.g. by cooking larger portions of pasta, rice, soups, and curries, and freezing them (in freezer-friendly reusable containers, not in plastic bags!) so that they can be reheated and consumed throughout the workweek.

 

Freezing food for reheating later also works for when you are buying food from restaurants. Make one trip out to run errands and purchase food every 3-7 days and bring your own containers with you to take out food from your favourite restaurants and food courts. Label your food containers before putting them in the freezer so you remember what you have available and when it was purchased. Leave a note to yourself on your refrigerator door or whiteboard to remind you to eat the food in the freezer or refrigerator.

 

If you have no other choice but to have food delivered to you, choose restaurants that are nearest to you to reduce the amount of fuel used by the delivery riders or drivers. Since you are working from home, be sure to inform the restaurant or delivery platform that you will not be needing disposable utensils. Try to order from restaurants that use compostable food packaging. Plastic takeout containers that are undamaged and have been used only for halal food can be donated to What A Waste Malaysia for their food rescue missions. Wash and dry the containers and match them with their lids, and drop them off at any of What A Waste MY’s designated collection points (Check their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/whatawasteMY/).

 

 

6.     LIMIT DRIVING AND RUNNING ERRANDS TO DESIGNATED DAYS.

 

We should not be driving as much as we used to when we were working in offices, yet here we are, driving out to run errands each day. Combine your errands and get them done on the same day. Instead of driving out to the shops when you need a break from work, do some gardening, engage in housework and home improvement projects that require physical exertion, or take a walk and go plogging when you are bored. Designate at least 1 day a week as a No-Drive or Car-Free Day.

 

 

 

If you found these tips useful and have feedback to share, or if you have ideas of your own on how to make working from home more sustainable, email us at wongeelynn@yahoo.com and gl.mnselangor@yahoo.com!

Breaking Free From Online Shopping

 

PENCINTA ALAM NOVEMBER 2020

GREEN LIVING COLUMN

BREAKING FREE FROM ONLINE SHOPPING

By Wong Ee Lynn wongeelynn@yahoo.com / gl.mnselangor@yahoo.com

 

(Original artwork by Ju Lienne Seet, reproduced with permission. Visit: https://www.facebook.com/cupofju1)

 

When the Movement Control Order was declared as a measure to contain the COVID-19 outbreak, many people found themselves resorting to online shopping on platforms such as Lazada and Shopee in order to purchase items that they were not able to obtain due to the closure of shops. 6 months later, the environmental impact of our online shopping habit is all too apparent as news portals around the world report of an increase in packaging and unwanted consumer goods being disposed of in landfills or dumped in donation bins and charity shops. We know that having an online shopping habit is not good for our wallets or for the environment. What can we do to reduce our reliance on online shopping, and to reduce shopping in general? Here are some tried-and-tested tips that may work:

 

1.     CONSIDER THE ENVIRONMENT FIRST.

Before you click on the checkout button, think first – what is the impact of this item on the environment? How many times do you think it will be used? What happens to it at the end of its useful life? Can it be easily composted? Is it generally accepted for recycling? Can it be repaired? Is it absolutely essential?

 

2.     REPURPOSE AND REPAIR BEFORE YOU SHOP.

Online shopping is attractive because the items are often so very cheap. This is because someone else is paying the price of these goods. Mother Earth pays the price when items are manufactured without pollution control and environmental quality safeguards. Low-income workers -- often migrants, convicts, and refugees – pay the price with their health and safety by accepting work for very low wages and without health insurance or protective equipment in order to produce cheap toys, clothing, ornaments, and household items. Before buying something new, consider first if the item it is meant to replace could be repaired, and if another item could be repurposed and reused. Electrical and electronic appliances and devices can often be repaired. Glass jars, storage boxes, linens, and clothes can all be cleaned up and given an upgrade and reused around the home.

 

3.     CONSIDER IF YOU ARE ENGAGING IN EMOTIONAL SHOPPING.

People usually shop when they are bored, stressed out, or feeling anxious or depressed, not because they actually need something new. If you find yourself gravitating towards online shopping apps and websites when bored or feeling down, you may need to uninstall the apps, unsubscribe from newsletters and catalogues, and remove websites from your bookmarks and browser. Recognise your emotions for what they are – you are feeling frustrated with work, and a new pair of shoes or set of curtains will not solve your work problems with you. Learn another way to cope with difficult emotions. Find another activity that is pleasurable, and each time you find yourself mindlessly browsing shopping apps or sites, stop yourself and gravitate towards the other more wholesome and productive activity instead. Read a chapter of a book, take a walk, have a cup of tea outdoors, walk your dog, do a puzzle or brain teaser on your phone, do 10 minutes of language practice on a language learning app, or tidy a box or drawer instead.

 

4.     CONSIDER THE NUMBER OF YEARS YOU HAVE EXISTED WITHOUT NEEDING THAT PARTICULAR ITEM.

Advertising is designed to appeal to our insecurities. After viewing an online ad, we often feel as though owning a said item will improve the quality of our lives tremendously. This is often not true, and we know it based on our past experiences. The people around us rarely notice or admire our new clothes, hairstyle, or shoes. Our homes become cluttered once more. Exercise machines end up becoming expensive towel holders and toe-stubbers. Chances are, if we have existed for 30+ number of years without a particular item, we can survive the rest of our lives without it.

 

5.     RESEARCH AND READ ONLINE REVIEWS BEFORE ORDERING SOMETHING.

Do your research and look up reviews of items (down to the brand and model) online  before clicking on the Add To Cart button. Many products fail to deliver on their promises. Many non-medical devices promise to correct your posture, bunions, overbite, poor eyesight, or dry skin, and almost none of them work. You can avoid falling for false advertising with a little diligent research.

 

6.     MAKE YOURSELF A 30-DAY PROMISE

For example, make a deal with yourself that if you run 5 km a day, 5 days a week, for one month, you may finally buy yourself those new running shoes or a treadmill. If you make yourself a healthy breakfast at home every day for 30 days, you may buy the juicer or bullet blender you have been eyeing. By the end of 30 days, you may find that you have succeeded in establishing a new habit without the help of the item you wanted to buy, and decide to forgo buying it altogether.

 

7.     GIVE YOURSELF A ONE-MONTH ONLINE SHOPPING MORATORIUM

Tell yourself: November is No Shopping Month. Inform a partner or close friend as an accountability partner if necessary. This may help you break out of the habit of browsing shopping sites when bored and adding things to your cart simply because they are cheap and may come in useful at a later stage.

 

8.     STOP HOARDING PURCHASES AS GIFTS OR JUST-IN-CASE ITEMS

Many of the things we hoard or pre-buy often end up becoming clutter. Gifts bought months ahead of birthdays and special occasions become obsolete or irrelevant as the date draws closer. Canned food expire before being consumed. Quilt covers and sofa protectors bought in advance turn out not to fit the new quilt or sofa. Buy things as and when they become needed, not in advance just because it is cheap. If something is useful and popular, it will probably still be available when you need it and search for it again.

 

9.     IDENTIFY WHAT YOU ASPIRE TO ACHIEVE WITH A NEW PURCHASE.

Most purchases are aspirational. We buy things for the person we hope to be – we want to be fitter, slimmer, or more well-read, or we want to cook at home more, entertain guests more often, or hike more, so we buy things that we think will help us achieve those goals. But often we can achieve those goals without buying something new. We can go hiking and jogging in the shoes we already have, cook with the utensils we already have, entertain in the home we already have, and read the books we already have. Focus on your goal and the journey, not on the things you do not have that you believe will bring you closer to your goals.

 

10.  BRING YOUR OWN ENTERTAINMENT.

We often browse shopping sites when bored. To break out of this habit, bring your own book or magazine with you when going to places where you may have to wait. Download brain training games, audiobooks, podcasts, and e-books onto your devices. Browse websites related to nature and the environment instead of shopping sites.

 

11.  SAVE THE PICTURES OF THE THINGS YOU WANT TO BUY.

It is natural to like and want new things and beautiful things. But we don’t have to buy and own everything we see. Sometimes, having the pictures to look at and admire is enough to satisfy your need for the particular item. Maybe as time goes by and your tastes change, you will delete the photo from your device without feeling the urge to want to buy it any longer.

 

12.  DIY YOUR OWN.

Many things can be easily DIY-ed with a little creativity. Old furniture and plant pots can be painted and decorated, clothes and tote bags can be jazzed up, and posters can be found online, printed out and framed. DIY-ing your own items will also give you a sense of pride that shopping can’t.

 

If all the tips above fail and you still end up purchasing certain things online because you need them and cannot find them anywhere else, remember to at least recycle the packaging. Black out names and addresses on the package labels. Remove plastic wrapping and bubble wrap carefully so that they can be reused by others. Flatten cardboard boxes for recycling. Offer plastic bags, cardboard boxes, and bubble wrap to local shops, especially zero waste stores and small home-based businesses, that can reuse them. Donate bubble wrap and courier bags to organisations such as Hara Makers and Reimagine Plastic so they can reuse the plastic wrap and bags in their upcycling projects. Donate bubble wrap to craftsmen and artisans, for example, woodcarvers in the Orang Asli community and local potters and sculptors, so they can wrap up fragile purchases for their customers.

 

If you found these tips useful and have feedback to share, or if you have ideas of your own on how to limit online shopping, email us at wongeelynn@yahoo.com and gl.mnselangor@yahoo.com!

Visit-and-Volunteer Session at Karun Hijau Recycling and Urban Carbon Store

 

PENCINTA ALAM NOVEMBER 2020

GREEN LIVING ACTIVITY REPORT: VISIT AND VOLUNTEER SESSION AT KARUN HIJAU RECYCLING AND URBAN CARBON STORE

 

6 participants visited the Karun Hijau Recycling and Urban Carbon Store in Taman Seri Sentosa, Kuala Lumpur, on Oct 4 for a visit-and-volunteer session and repair workshop. Karun Hijau is a recycling centre that accepts unwanted items including electronic waste for repairs, upcycling, and finally, recycling, once an item reaches the end of its useful life.

 

Participants learned what items are accepted and not accepted for recycling by Alam Flora, and how even items consisting of different materials, such as Pringles potato chip cans, can be separated into its different elements for recycling (Tip: the can lid is HDPE plastic, the bottom is aluminium, and the can or tube is made of cardboard lined with aluminium foil).

 

Volunteers from Hara Makers and Reimagine Plastic then showed us how they upcycled plastic packaging into useful items such as pouches and tote bags by ironing 6 layers of plastic bags and sewing them into new items.

 

Repair heroes from KakiDIY conducted a repair workshop at the end of the session and showed us how to diagnose problems with electrical and electronic devices and carry out repairs on fans, clocks, lamps, a Bluetooth speaker, and an iron.

 

We are grateful to Karun Hijau, Hara Makers, Reimagine Plastic, KakiDIY, and KakiRepair for extending their hospitality to us and sharing their knowledge so generously. For your information, Karun Hijau also has door-to-door collection services for recyclables and unwanted items such as furniture, and they provide moving and cleaning services.

 

To learn more about the initiatives named above, click on the links below:

Karun Hijau Recycling and Urban Carbon Store’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/myhijau.com.my/

Karun Hijau’s Pay2Pick recycling collection services: https://www.karunhijau.com/pick-up-service/

KakiRepair (by KakiDIY)’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/kakirepair/

Reimagine Plastic (by Hara Makers)’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/reimagineplasticharamakers

 

Letter to the Editor: It's Time To Get Serious About Single-Use Plastics

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