No More Single-Use Plastic Bags At 99 Speedmart, Mydin & Other Retail Chains From 1 Oct
The move is part of the government's 'Say No to Single-Use Plastics' campaign.
A total of 16 retail chains, which have close to 8,000 outlets nationwide, will no longer be providing single-use plastic bags to customers starting 1 October
According to the New Straits Times, Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming said the move is part of the ministry's 'Say No to Single-Use Plastics' campaign.
"If customers do not bring their bags, they can purchase recyclable bags at the stores," he said while launching the campaign in Petaling Jaya yesterday, 26 September.
Image via KPKT Malaysia (Facebook)
Nga said the retail chains have signed a pledge towards the government's goal of eliminating single-use plastics nationwide by 2030
The 16 retail chains that will no longer be providing plastic bags from 1 October are:
- 99 Speedmart
- 7-Eleven
- AEON and AEON Big
- Econsave
- Giant
- Cold Storage and Mercato
- KK Mart
- Lotus
- Lulu
- Mydin
- TF Value-Mart
- The Store
- emart24
- NSK Trade City
- Watsons
- Guardian
Aside from the retail chains, the Malaysia Retailers Association, Malaysia Retail Chain Association, Malaysia Complex Management Association, and 1 Utama Shopping Centre have also pledged to join the campaign.
Nga said the effort will help reduce as many as 200 million plastic bags nationwide per year, thereby reducing waste and extending the lifespan of existing landfills
He said the government is also working towards reducing its dependence on landfills, and is already bearing high costs for solid waste management and public cleaning, amounting to RM2 billion annually.
"At present, Malaysia has 114 non-sanitary landfills and 22 sanitary landfills. The opening and upgrading of landfills require very high costs," he said.
Yesterday, Nga also announced that repeated littering offenders will soon be punished with community service:
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