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http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/penang-bans-polystyrene-containers-from-dec-1/
By Opalyn Mok
November 19, 2012
GEORGE TOWN, Nov 19 — Penang will ban the use of polystyrene containers from December 1.
This comes after more than three years of awareness and educational campaigns against the use of polystyrene containers as food packaging by the state government.
This ban will be strictly enforced from December 1 and any business found flouting it will face serious consequences.
The ban on the use of polystyrene containers will also be enforced in all supermarkets and hypermarkets.
“All food and beverage outlets in Penang will have to adhere to this ban or else have their licences revoked,” said state executive councillor for environment, health, welfare and caring society Phee Boon Poh.
The ban will also be enforced in all supermarkets and hypermarkets.
“This applies to all businesses, no exceptions; so for hypermarkets they are not allowed to use polystyrene containers for packing of raw or cooked food items too,” he said.
The state government started its green initiatives in 2009 with the No Plastic Bags campaign.
Since July 2009, the state government has also started an awareness campaign against the use of polystyrene containers.
“In 2010, we started encouraging the public to switch to recyclable containers or to use tiffin carriers to pack food and last year, we appealed to the public for a total change of mindset,” he said.
He said all Penang-based businesses have been given ample time to clear up any old stock of polystyrene containers so they have no excuse not to adhere to the ban.
He attributed the use of polystyrene containers as one of the main polluting factors that choke up drains.
“When we use less polystyrene containers, which are also bad for our health, we see less blocked drains so this brought on a chain effect of lesser flash floods and lesser dengue cases,” he said.
He said the state government will be meeting with the hypermarkets and supermarkets again to tell them to respect the state government’s ban on polystyrene containers.
This ban is part of the state’s Cleaner, Greener Penang initiative to increase the state’s recycling rate, to reduce pollution and to promote a cleaner, greener state for sustainability.
The ban will be effective from December 1 because all traders and hawkers will need to renew their licenses by January so if any of them are found to be still using polystyrene containers, their licences may be immediately revoked.
By Opalyn Mok
November 19, 2012
GEORGE TOWN, Nov 19 — Penang will ban the use of polystyrene containers from December 1.
This comes after more than three years of awareness and educational campaigns against the use of polystyrene containers as food packaging by the state government.
This ban will be strictly enforced from December 1 and any business found flouting it will face serious consequences.
The ban on the use of polystyrene containers will also be enforced in all supermarkets and hypermarkets.
“All food and beverage outlets in Penang will have to adhere to this ban or else have their licences revoked,” said state executive councillor for environment, health, welfare and caring society Phee Boon Poh.
The ban will also be enforced in all supermarkets and hypermarkets.
“This applies to all businesses, no exceptions; so for hypermarkets they are not allowed to use polystyrene containers for packing of raw or cooked food items too,” he said.
The state government started its green initiatives in 2009 with the No Plastic Bags campaign.
Since July 2009, the state government has also started an awareness campaign against the use of polystyrene containers.
“In 2010, we started encouraging the public to switch to recyclable containers or to use tiffin carriers to pack food and last year, we appealed to the public for a total change of mindset,” he said.
He said all Penang-based businesses have been given ample time to clear up any old stock of polystyrene containers so they have no excuse not to adhere to the ban.
He attributed the use of polystyrene containers as one of the main polluting factors that choke up drains.
“When we use less polystyrene containers, which are also bad for our health, we see less blocked drains so this brought on a chain effect of lesser flash floods and lesser dengue cases,” he said.
He said the state government will be meeting with the hypermarkets and supermarkets again to tell them to respect the state government’s ban on polystyrene containers.
This ban is part of the state’s Cleaner, Greener Penang initiative to increase the state’s recycling rate, to reduce pollution and to promote a cleaner, greener state for sustainability.
The ban will be effective from December 1 because all traders and hawkers will need to renew their licenses by January so if any of them are found to be still using polystyrene containers, their licences may be immediately revoked.
