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CITY OF GEORGE: Humanity can eventually win the fight against Covid-19, but victory will come at a high price.
The ban on eating out has required takeout and, by extension, the use of polymeric material, or plastic bags and other food packaging, and these are not biodegradable. They end up polluting the ocean floor.
An estimate from the Penang Consumers Association (CAP) shows a 10-fold increase in the use of these plastic bags in just one month.
In addition to food, plastic bags are also used to hold groceries.
The movement against the use of plastic bags has gained momentum elsewhere, such as in several states in the United States, for fear that these bags will inadvertently become carriers of the coronavirus that causes Covid-19.
It is still unclear whether this risk is real or unfounded.
Back in Malaysia, some street vendors and merchants are increasing pollution by insisting on using plastic bags.
CAP Senior Research Officer Mageswari Sangaralingam said they have refused to use customers’ tiffin containers or biodegradable plastic containers, preferring to dispense plastic bags with the food they serve.
“If all merchants, street vendors, and grocery stores insist on using environmentally friendly plastic bags, the number of plastic bags in our landfills will be multiplied by ten,” said Mageswari Sun.
He added that the problem, he said, is the fact that some personal protective equipment (PPE) is also made of plastic, from durable face masks to medical scrubs.
“The amount of that waste is also expected to increase,” he said.
Malaysia has already been ranked as the leading importer of plastic waste in the region.
In a recently released report, WWF Malaysia stated that Malaysian consumers were the largest users of plastic packaging.
A report by the country’s environmental authorities shows that Malaysia produced 940,000 tons of “poorly managed” plastic waste in 2018, of which 140,000 to 370,000 tons could have ended up in the oceans.
Mageswari urged the government to pressure street vendors and merchants to opt for biodegradable containers or allow customers to bring their own food tiffin transporters.
He also urged coffee chain franchisees to allow customers to use their own mugs to reduce dependence on plastics.
Based on US fears. USA For plastic waste to become a carrier for the coronavirus, Mageswari said those whose livelihood depends on collection would be at high risk of contracting Covid-19. “This should not be allowed to continue.”
Read this story on our iPaper:
Environmental cost of takeaway food
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