On January 1 next year, eateries under the jurisdiction of Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) will stop giving out plastic straws to customers.
The chairman Datuk Tiong Thai King wants the public to cooperate when the council’s “Say No to Plastic Straws” ruling is implemented next year.
Speaking at the launch of the 2019 Love Earth Day in Sibu recently, Tiong pointed out that the move would slowly but surely have a good impact on the environment and lead to a better future for generations to come.
He added that the single-use plastic straws are among the biggest environmental polluters.
Quoting a study published last January, Tiong said it was estimated that as many as 8.3 billion plastic straws were polluting the world’s beaches.
According to him, studies show that Malaysians are using up to 30 million straws per day.
“They can take up to 200 years to disintegrate and that is a really, really long time.
“According to studies by the United Nations, almost every piece of plastic ever made is still on this planet in one form or another.
“Studies have also predicted that by 2050, there will be more plastic waste than fish in the oceans,” added Tiong.
Indeed, according to OneGreen Planet, the role that plastic products play in the daily lives of people all over the world is interminable. Every year, millions of tons of plastic are consumed.
It said a mere walk on the beach could give anyone insight into how bad our addiction to plastic is as straws, bottles, etc, are ever-present. Many animals like sea turtles die after ingesting plastics or becoming entangled in it. However, an overwhelming amount of plastic pollution is not even visible to the human eye, with much of the pollution occurring out at sea or on the microscopic level, said OneGreen Planet.
Citing a study of the Loggerhead species, the organisation said 15 percent of young turtles examined had ingested such enormous quantities of plastic that their digestive systems were obstructed.
It added that a number of studies suggested that the fish that humans continued to consume have at one time or another ingested plastic microfibres, including brown trout, cisco and perch.
There is a famous saying that points out, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”
SMC deserves a pat on the back for taking the first step towards a better environment by deciding to implement its “Say No to Plastic Straws” ruling next year.
For the good of the environment and Mother Earth, it is hoped that members of the public in Sibu would happily support the ruling.
It is hoped that other councils in Kuching and other parts of Sarawak and Malaysia would also ban plastic straws and replace them with more environmentally friendly versions.
When was plastic straws first introduced to Sarawak or Malaysia? I can’t remember and I have been using plastic straws for as long as I can remember.
Instead of plastic straws, what are the alternatives? Well, Disneyland Paris, Europe’s biggest private tourist attraction, has just banned plastic straws to make itself more environmentally friendly. It is replacing the plastic straws with fully biodegradable paper versions that will be distributed only if patrons want them.
The theme park east of the French capital implemented the ruling after a vote in March this year in the European Parliament to ban single-use plastic products such as straws, cutlery and cotton buds from 2021.
The vote came about as pressure mounts on companies and citizens to wean themselves off plastics blamed for clogging up the oceans.
Disneyland Paris, which attracts 15 million visitors a year, produced 19 tonnes of waste last year. It currently recycles paper, glass and 18 other types of materials which accounted for half of all its waste.
Besides banning plastic straws, the theme park has decided to stop handing out free plastic bags; instead, it offers the option of purchasing bags made of 80 percent recycled plastic for 1 or 2 Euros.
In June, the park’s hotels will stop stocking bathrooms with small bottles of shower gel or shampoo; these will be replaced with bigger ones that can be refilled.
The theme park also plans to install solar panels to reduce dependence power produced from fossil fuel.
From Disneyland Paris, there are a few lessons we can learn to reduce our impact on the environment and take better care of Mother Nature. Like going for 80 percent recycled plastic or replacing small bottles of shower gel or shampoo with bigger ones that can be refilled.
Remember, my friends, the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. Every little thing we do now can make a difference to Mother Earth and help protect it for generations to come.
