Government must take charge of plastic waste

I WRITE in support of and appreciation for two letters, “Malaysia needs to upgrade to 5R” and “Long road to achieving harmony with nature” (The Star, April 23). In the first letter, the writer quoted a study which estimated that in 2010, Malaysia produced 940 million kilograms of mismanaged public waste, of which 140 to 370 million kilograms were washed into the sea! The letter also pointed out that “Marine plastic pollution has impacted at least 267 species worldwide, comprising 86% of all sea turtle species, 44% of all sea birds and 43% of all marine mammal species.” These statistics are indeed shocking.

In the second letter, the writer wrote that “Plastic pollution is now a real threat, injuring marine life, littering beaches and landfills and clogging waste systems” and also informed that Earth Day this year is dedicated to providing the information and inspiration needed to eventually end plastic pollution.