Ban on plastic straws in the offing

The plastic straw may be banned in the future

IT WAS NOT easy when the no-plastic-bag ruling on Saturdays came about in 2010 for Selangor, and I often paid 20 sen for a plastic bag just for being forgetful.

But guess what? Plastic straws are next, as the authorities step up the battle against plastic pollution, with Penang talking about a possible ban.

We will likely get used to it, like the way I eventually refrained from making any purchases if I did not bring my own bag when the plastic bag ban came into effect.

The full plastic bag ban in Selangor was introduced in January last year, with Kuala Lumpur following in September.

It was tough, because soon the 20 sen “lifeline” was no longer available at department stores.

I remember wanting to purchase a few shirts on sale and the cashier informing me they were not handing out plastic bags anymore – even if I wanted to pay 20 sen.

Since I forgot to bring mine, I ended up buying a woven bag instead.