BUTTERWORTH: Penang has introduced a daily no-plastic-bag campaign starting on Saturday (March 1), compelling consumers to use only reusable bags for their purchases.
The campaign, known as "No Plastic Bag 2.0," involves supermarkets, department stores, convenience stores, hypermarkets, fast food restaurants, petrol station convenience stores, retail chains, pharmacies and other business premises.
Checks by Bernama found that most consumers were already aware of the initiative and brought their own reusable or alternative bags for their shopping.
Participating businesses also no longer provide plastic bags and instead offer recyclable bags for sale to facilitate customers' needs.
Muhammad Muslim Ahmad Faizal, 34, a factory worker in Perai, said he and his wife were already used to bringing their own reusable bags, as Penang had implemented such campaigns for some time, though previously only on specific days.
However, Muhammad Muslim noted that some customers appeared unaware of the new policy, probably because they were tourists or from outside the state.
"Previously, there were no plastic bags from Monday to Wednesday, so we locals are used to bringing our own reusable bags when shopping at supermarkets. It’s a good initiative to protect the environment," he said.
Nur Afizah Mazlan, 31, a convenience store employee, said some customers still asked for plastic bags and were even willing to pay for them, but she informed them that they were no longer available.
"Maybe they didn't know about the campaign starting today, so we, as staff, inform them. Our store also sells reusable bags to make things easier for customers," she said.
Meanwhile, Penang Green Council (PGC) general manager Josephine Tan Mei Ling said a survey by her team found that some consumers were confused about the campaign, believing that plastic bags could still be purchased.
She said that to address this, PGC would intensify awareness efforts during the first six months of implementation, including distributing information leaflets through Penang Island City Council and Seberang Perai City Council counters.
"We understand that some people are confused about the campaign, so we are ramping up awareness efforts over the next six months to ensure everyone is informed. At the same time, PGC will also distribute reusable bags to the public," she said.
Previously, State Housing and Environment Committee chairman Datuk Seri S. Sundarajoo announced that reusable bags would be distributed free across the state to encourage their use and help residents transition to more sustainable practices to protect the environment.
He also stated that a six-month grace period for lenient enforcement would be in place from March 1 to Aug 31, allowing businesses and the public to adapt to the new rules, with full enforcement starting on Sept 1.
The state government introduced the "No Free Plastic Bags" initiative in 2009, making Penang the first state to mandate that businesses stop providing plastic bags for free.
Previously, the policy prohibited plastic bags from Monday to Wednesday, while on Thursdays and Fridays, each plastic bag was charged RM1. Since 2009, the state government has collected RM8mil through the initiative. - Bernama
