Time Ipoh should begin efforts to reduce usage of plastic bags by implementing a no plastic bag on Saturday campaign

Effective January 1 st this year, the Penang state government has decided to extend its “No Plastic Monday” campaign against the use of plastic bags to three days in a week.

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng revealed that since the campaign kicked off in July last year, Penangites had saved an estimated one million plastic bags.

This is a tremendous success and I wish to congratulate the Penang state government and the Penangites for their commitment in making the world a cleaner and environmentally sustainable place.

Effective January 2010, every Saturday is a plastic bag-free day in Selangor.

Again, it is a Pakatan State government which is in the forefront of wanting to reduce the harm caused by plastic bags.

It is time that Ipoh must begin efforts to reduce usage of plastic bags by implementing a no plastic bag on Saturday campaign.

According to information available on the internet,

1. Plastic bags are made of polyethylene .Polyethylene is a petroleum product

2. Production contributes to air pollution and energy consumption.

3. Four to five trillion plastic bags are manufactured each year.

4. As polyethylene breaks down; toxic substances leach into the soil and enter the food chain.

5. Approximately 1 billion seabirds and mammals die per year by ingesting plastic bags.

6. These animals suffer a painful death, the plastic wraps around their intestines or they choke to death.

7. Plastic bag choke landfills. It takes 1000 years for polyethylene bags to break down.

I am confident that the Ipoh people if made aware of the harm caused by the plastic bags are prepared to support reduction of its usage.

Let Ipoh city take the lead in Perak to reduce environmental harm caused by plastic bags.