Plastic bags to be banned as Myanmar government acts on pollution

Ye Lwin, Myanmar Times 2 Nov 09;

THE cheapest and most common type of plastic bags will be banned in Yangon Division from December 1 for environmental reasons, officials announced last month.

Businesses will be banned from manufacturing, importing, trading or distributing high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic bags from the end of this month, the Yangon Division Peace and Development Council said in an October 21 announcement.

However, two other kinds of plastic bags currently in use – low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and polypropylene (PP) will not be banned, traders said.

“The ban is just for HDPE plastic bags which are commonly used in Yangon. But there is no affect on the other types of plastic bags – PE and PP,” said U Ohn Than, who runs a plastic factory in Yangon’s Hlaing township that employs about 10 people.

The higher density of HDPE bags means they take longer to break down than both PE and PP, which generally disintegrate within 90 days if placed in landfill.

“It takes about 100 years for HDPE bags to break down, due to their high density. It is a major cause of environmental pollution,” U Ohn Than said.

Yangon will be the third city in Myanmar to introduce such a ban, after Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw.

Globally, many cities and countries have introduced regulations governing the use of plastic bags, from outright bans to taxes and levies. Several of Myanmar’s neighbours, including Thai-land and China, have also introduced laws restricting the use of HDPE plastic bags.

Last month’s announcement, which was also distributed to manufacturers, was welcomed by many residents in downtown Yangon, who often have to suffer severe flooding in rainy season because drains are blocked with discarded plastic bags.

“We welcome this action as it will help to reduce pollution in the city and greenhouse gas emissions to some extent,” said U Ko Maung, 40, from Kyauktada township.

Local environmental groups have lobbied for several years for the introduction of such a ban. Dr Phone Win, from Mingalar Myanmar, an NGO that runs several environmental projects, said the campaign’s success depended on providing a viable alternative to HDPE.

“There are pros and cons when it comes to using plastic bags.

From the consumer’s point of view, they are handy for carrying things. From the environmental point of view, they cause environmental pollution and contribute to global warming,” Dr Phone Win said.

“We need to take into consideration consumers; we have to replace HDPE bags with another convenient form of packaging that they can use,” he said. “Only when people participate actively will the program be successful.”

While many in the manufacturing industry acknowledge HDPE bags are an environmental problem, U Ohn Than said it would have “serious repercussions” for the sector.

“This is a good decision from an environmental point of view. But there will be serious repercussions for HDPE manufacturers and employees will bear the brunt of this decision,” he said.

Manufacturers range in size from workshops with five to 10 workers to large factories with up to 100 employees. The majority, perhaps 70 percent, of workers are women.

The machines that produce HDPE bags cannot be converted to produce more environmentally friendly alternatives. Each machine costs from K4 million to K10 million and the larger factories employ up to 20 machines.

There will also be ramifications in the retail sector, as low density polyethylene bags are significantly more expensive. In other countries, this cost is normally passed on to the consumer through a bag “tax” or charge.

The government has touted natural alternatives to plastic, such as bags made from banana leaves, lotus leaves, paper or reeds. Some retailers have already made attempts to wean consumers off HDPE plastic, with varying success. In January 2008, Orange super-market, which has branches in Yangon and Mandalay, introduced “Go Green Bags”, made from spunbond, a durable, nonwoven polyester material, at a cost of K1500 each.

A spokesperson from City Mart Holding, the largest retailer in Myanmar, said that since August 2009 the super-market chain has introduced bags made of cloth and paper as an alternative to HDPE bags.

However, customers have to pay about K500 for the bags, which are reusable and washable. The spokesperson would not comment on the impact of the new rules.

In response to the ban introduced in Mandalay in June, some supermarkets started to use paper bags but the K500 fee was not popular with customers.

“I think most consumers are not prepared to pay additional fees to the supermarket just for a bag to carry their shopping,” said Daw Sein Sein from Mandalay.

U Ohn Than agreed it could take some time for consumers to get used to the changes.

“Using HDPE plastic bags is deeply rooted in our society, we have been using them for many decades. We will find something effective to replace them sooner or later but for the time being, local authorities are suggesting to use banana leaves or the broad leaves of the inn tree,” U Ohn Than said.

While it isn’t clear what action will be taken against anyone who defies the ban, the authorities said no import licenses for HDPE raw materials will be issued from December 1.