Our plastic love affair
a recent survey reveals that, while Malaysians think the environment is important, we continue to use environmentally unfriendly single-use plastic items like straws.
WHENEVER public relations manager Victoria Brown says she doesn’t want a straw when she orders a drink, she always gets asked why by the waiters.
“Some waiters don’t understand ‘no straw, please’ or ‘tak nak straw’.
“Despite me saying no plastic straw, I would still receive one.
“I guess it is almost a habit for them to pair a plastic straw with a cold drink!” says Brown, who remembers watching the now much-viralled video of a turtle with a straw stuck up its nostril.
The eight-minute long video – which has chalked up 34 million views on YouTube so far – shows a marine biologist removing a straw from one of the sea creature’s nostrils.
“I remember seeing the clear look of pain on the poor turtle.
“It was then that I felt that I had to do something to reduce my use of single-use plastics – and eliminating straws is one of the easiest ways to do that!
“So I bought some metal straws with straw cleaners that I keep in a pouch in my handbag to use when I’m out of the house,” says the animal lover who says she bought her metal straws online from Lazada in 2017.
Brown is probably one of the rare few Malaysians who have decided to reduce their use of plastic straws.
In fact, the former multimedia journalist even spearheaded her own video on the local Tak Nak Straw (No Straws) movement taking root in 2017.
Since then, however, Malaysians’ love affair with single-use plastics like straws and shopping bags has continued unabated.
While the government has vowed to wage war against illegal recycling factories importing millions of tonnes of plastic waste into the country – earning the country the dubious reputation as the world’s waste capital – Malaysians are also contributing to the heaps of trash, pictures and footage of which have aired in international news.
A recent study by survey agency YouGov Omnibus showed that at least one in five – or 22% of the 1,013 Malaysians polled – still use plastic straws daily. There are even some – one in 10 – who admitted to using straws several times a day.
Poll results on plastic shopping bags are even more dismal: One in four Malaysians, or 24%, confessed to using at least one daily.
Ironically, at the same time, almost everyone in the survey – nine in 10 or 91% – believed that conserving the environment is important, with almost half – 44% – thinking that the government has the biggest role to play.
Only 9% thought that businesses should take the lead in environmental conservation.
The government is aiming to reduce single-use plastics under its Roadmap Towards Zero Single-Use Plastics, starting with the 20 sen pollution charge levied on shopping bags and a no-straw default policy in eateries to be enforced by local councils from this year until 2021. Its ambitious plan is to eventually see the scourge done away with by 2030.
However, the poll results cast doubt on whether this goal is achievable and even whether such measures will have any impact at all on the country’s environment (and reputation).
Currently, only fixed premises – hypermarkets, pharmacies, and convenience and department stores – in Penang and Selangor are charging customers 20 sen for plastic bags. A few local and municipal councils, including Kuala Lumpur City Hall, have implemented the no-straw policy in eateries.
Koo Wee Hon, who started a Facebook community called Collect, Reduce and Avoid Waste for Living (CRAWL), certainly does not think the measures are enough.
“From the poll, straws (to be) given only on request has not stopped many from still frequently using them,” says Koo, adding that he read the survey results with “disappointment and despair”.
He points out that the imposition of the pollution charge at hypermarkets and department stores is voluntary depending on the individual states; and under the Roadmap, straws on request and the 20 sen charge will only apply to non-fixed premises like traders and hawkers in 2022 and 2025 respectively.
“But (this) remains sadly voluntary,” he says.
Even the move to get traders in the Federal Territories to charge their customers 20 sen for each biodegradable plastic bag beginning March 15 is voluntary, as clarified by Federal Territories Minister Khalid Samad.
Referring to the federal government’s recent strict enforcement of the no-smoking law in eateries nationwide – even in states not under Pakatan Harapan control – Koo believes that such a similar drive is necessary against singleuse plastics.
“Unpopular though to some, the nationwide smoking ban has been enforced successfully and widely accepted.
“The Roadmap should be escalated to the federal level and jurisdiction, just as the smoking ban was, and its implementation not be left at the state level,” he argues.
There must be legislation and enforcement by the federal government against single use plastics for the Roadmap to work, stresses Koo.
However, the no-smoking ban’s successful implementation is not just due to the work of federal enforcement agencies alone.
Despite initial hesitation by some coffeeshop and restaurant operators over the possible loss of customers and income – with some even holding protests – many businesses eventually rallied behind the policy.
The question now is whether they will do the same and start saying no to straws and plastic bags as well.
At the moment, only some of the bigger fast food chains have such a policy in place.
Malaysia-Singapore Coffee Shop Proprietors General Association president Datuk Ho Su Mong says his members welcome the government’s move to eventually enforce the no-straw policy in eateries as such a move would be good for the environment.
However, he urges the government to do more to create awareness among customers.
“Even though we are game for it, we hope the ministries concerned will have more road shows to create awareness among customers.
“Such awareness cannot be just among businesses,” he says.
Ho says some of his members have already started providing recyclable straws, with some even selling them on their premises.
“But some of our customers don’t understand this. We try to explain to them but old habits die hard,” he says.
Malaysian Indian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association president Ayoob Khan Muhamad Yakub says, from a business point of view, banning plastic products would definitely be a challenge for both business owners and consumers.
“Restaurants may be affected but the government’s intention is good,” he says.
Malaysian Nature Society president Prof Dr Ahmad Ismail thinks it is only understandable that businesses may be reluctant to jump in on the policy against single-use plastics.
“Businesses need customers. Not providing straws or bags may cause them to lose customers.
“The government needs to solve the problem by helping businesses as well as protecting nature,” says Prof Ahmad, calling for more aggressive educational programmes to discourage the public from using single-use straws and plastic bags.
There is some encouraging news. Before coming across the Tak Nak Straw movement, Brown never thought about just how many straws she used whenever she had a cold drink outside her home.
“And I would never have thought about where my used plastic straw would end up, and the environmental impact it would have,” she confesses.
And although some people are curious at first when Brown whips out her metal straw, nobody has ever judged or criticised her.
“They didn’t know metal straws existed. I’ve been asked a couple of times where I got the straws from.
“Most family and friends have, in fact, been very supportive,” she says.
Which shows that Malaysian consumers are capable of change – they just need a push in the right direction.