GEORGE TOWN – Penang has urged ratepayers in the state to switch to reusable containers and face masks to help reduce the rise in plastic waste due to the pandemic.
State Local Government, Housing, Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo said if ratepayers and food vendors reduce their reliance on plastic bags and containers, Penang will head in the right direction to better waste management.
“If cleanliness in the community is adopted as the main driver in the war against Covid-19 – aside from face masks, hand sanitising and physical distancing – we may have a chance to reduce waste, particularly plastic items,” he told The Vibes.
Admitting that household and healthcare waste will triple due to lifestyle changes brought about by the pandemic, Jagdeep said he wants the community to embrace a high standard of personal and collective cleanliness.
He said the state’s two city councils will be instructed to find ways to manage the rise in plastic and healthcare waste, while incentivising ratepayers.
He added that the “reduce, reuse, recycle” policy is still being practised despite the need to wear masks.
“We are fighting not only the war against the pandemic, but also against indiscriminate littering and dumping of dangerous chemicals.” – The Vibes, February 20, 2021
