SMC specifies 3 days in a week as no-plastic day from October

SIBU: Sibu Municipal Council ( SMC) will designate three days in a week for businesses not to provide plastic bags to shoppers beginning next month, from the present two days.

Council deputy chairperson Rogayah Jamain said yesterday this was in accordance with the ‘Say No To Plastic Bags 2.0’ campaign, which will be launched this October.

Presently, the public is required to bring their own bags on Saturdays and Mondays when no plastic bags is provided.

“The additional day will be Sunday to make it three days in a week,” she told The Borneo Post yesterday when asked on the number of days to be designated for non-usage of plastic bags in a week in view of the campaign.

Asked if shops still provide plastic bags on the designated days, she replied: “We (SMC) are yet to finalise on the enforcement.”

She said the ‘Say No To Plastic Bags 2.0’ campaign will be fully implemented in January next year.

In addition, Rogayah also said SMC will roll out more campaigns to raise awareness public about bringing their own bags when shopping.

When chairing the full council meeting last month, SMC chairman Datuk Tiong Thai King said the council would launch the ‘Say No To Plastic Bags 2.0’ campaign in October.

According to Tiong, all retail stores and enterprises shall replace plastic bags with biodegradable bags or paper boxes, while the public are encouraged to bring their own bags when shopping.

He said plastic bags are not environment-friendly and is the main contributing factor to climate change and river pollution among others besides causing ‘ white pollution’ as they are thrown away indiscriminately.

Based on a 2010 survey among major towns in Sarawak, food perishables constitute the highest composition of wastes at 35 per cent followed by paper (19 per cent), soft plastic (11 per cent), hard plastic (five per cent), garden waste (five per cent), nappies (five per cent), glass (three per cent), wood (two per cent) and metal and construction waste.