KUALA LUMPUR: The plastic-free campaign is seen as failing to meet its environmental goals as the use of this disposable material continues to rise, a report said.
Utusan Malaysia in an article said Malaysians discard a total of 1.07 million tonnes of plastic annually. Consumer Association of Subang and Shah Alam president Datuk Seri Dr Jacob George said although state and local governments charged for plastic bags, the initiative did not help reduce its usage.
Describing the campaign as "self-indulgent", he told the Malay daily that such an approach appeared haphazard, as the majority of states have not implemented the plastic bag-free campaign.
"This campaign has failed and is left as merely a slogan, as there is no monitoring and aggressive implementation to ensure zero plastic bag usage among consumers.
"The public questioned if the campaign was still ongoing because they could still get plastic bags at supermarkets.
"Even more surprising, there are states that do this and states that don't, showing inconsistency in implementing the plastic bag-free campaign," he was quoted as saying.
Currently, Selangor, Penang, Johor and Negri Sembilan are leading states in implementing the plastic-bag free campaign.
Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad had previously said the government aimed to ban the use of plastic bags in for retail purposes across all business sectors nationwide by 2025.
This, he had said, would be done in phases starting with fixed premises before implementing it to other business premises including roadside shops and stalls.
Jacob said therefore, the campaign would only be successful if there was a direction and plan to ensure that its implementation achieved the objectives.
He said the campaign's failure would cause the country to continue facing an accumulation of plastic waste, which in turn impacts the environment.
He also questioned where the proceeds from charging 20 sen per plastic bag were being channelled to, and if it was spent on environmental programmes.
"The government and local governments must be transparent and show what the collected money was being used for, so the public does not have a trust deficit," he added.
Meanwhile, Penang Sustainable Natural Heritage Association chairman Zikrullah Ismail said the government must tackle the issue of plastic imports before focusing on a zero-plastic campaign.
He said the amount of plastic being imported was higher than the amount produced in the country.
"Another big issue is microplastics, a result of the plastic processing activities from the plastic that the country imports.
"This mircroplastic waste goes into rivers, seas, and goes into the food that we eat," he added.