Plastics - To Ban or Not to Ban?

While all the environmental gurus and 'green' aficionados in Malaysia are hell bent about banning the use of plastics, one personality from the plastic industry, Lim Kok Boon of the Malaysian Plastics Manufacturer Association (MPMA) and chairman of the The Malaysian Plastics Forum is going the opposite direction to prove his detractor's 'wrong' stance about its harmfulness.

Contrary to popular knowledge, Lim Kok Boon said that the Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association and Malaysian Petrochemicals Association-Plastic Resins Producers Group has reason to believe that studies (mostly government-backed) have proven that there is no justification to the claim that plastics is detrimental to human health. He maintained that the allegation that high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic bags, used mostly to pack hot or cold beverages and food, are unsafe is misleading.

All these and a host of other 'proof' were revealed in a letter to NST (3 August). This was in a response to another letter "How safe are these bags" which condemns the use of plastic bags in school canteens written by Dr Zorina Khalid from Sandakan (NST July 23).

Last month, the Penang State Government took the initiative to reduce the use of plastic bags in a state-wide campaign banning its use in supermarkets and hypermarkets in Penang every Monday. The "No Plastic Bags Day" kicked off on July 6, with the Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng going out on a road tour to officiate the campaign proper in major hypermarkets in the state.

However, on July 14 the Star carried a report that MPMA was against the move (No to 'No Plastic Bags Days'). The MPMA also sent in a memorandum to Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng to reconsider its decision of making Monday a "No Plastic Bag Day". It said instead of banning the use of plastic bags every Monday, the state government could consider the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) campaign. Mr Lim Kok Boon, representing the organisation also did not think the current initiative was the answer to a greener environment.

During a public forum on April 19, Lim Guan Eng said the state government had discussed and considered the pros and cons before making the decision to reduce the use of plastic bags every Monday. "We do not completely ban the use of plastic bags on Monday, we just want to reduce it to save the environment," he said. Lim said Penang was the first state in the country to come out with the idea in a bid to become Malaysia's first "green" state. (Bernama, July 13)

On a related matter, today, (4 August) NST carries a report on singer Zainal Abidin from the popular band Headwind announcing his intention to set up a 'green' political party which concentrates on environmental and humanitarian issues. He and his friends - environmentalists who did not want to be named - were dead serious about setting up the political party. Zainal said the group was concerned that the authorities "could not even take the simple step of banning the use of plastic bags".

"We don't want to rule the country. What we want is just one seat in Parliament to make a difference and the necessary noise to make a change in such issues," he said at the launch of the Climate Change Convention 2010 themed "101 ways to save and make a change".

So, if this 'green' party do materialises and members of the party get nominated to contest in the next GE, lets vote for Zainal and his friends, names or no names.

Go, Go GREEN!

Izaham
Imagining Zainal campaigning, singing his flagship song 'Hijau' at the beginning of his speech.