The Star 13 Feb 10;
KUALA LUMPUR: After years of campaigning against the use of polystyrene food and drink containers, consumer associations and environmentalists feel that the government should introduce more stringent rules to regulate them while raising awareness on their health hazard.
They said the widespread use of polystyrene containers was alarming and alternative materials needed to be introduced.
Federation of Malaysian Consumer Associations (Fomca) chief operating officer S. Peiarapakaran said the use of polystyrene containers could be regulated if the government formulate more stringent rules and laws.
He said the Food Act 1983 and the Food Regulations 1985 governed various aspects of food safety and quality control, including the use of vessel made of polyvinyl chloride.
However, the provisions were not effective to curtail the use of polystyrene containers, which are used widely by traders, he added.
"It is up to the government, if they do not want our environment to be polluted by plastic and polystyrene, they have to promulgate a bill to curtail or restrict the use of polystyrene or plastic containers," he told Bernama.
However, he said the use of polystyrene should be regulated over a period of time as it would affect many who depended on the polystyrene industry, if it was enforced abruptly.
He said polystyrene containers could be replaced with tapioca or oil palm containers though they might cost more.
"Polystyrene containers could be replaced in stages to create awareness among traders and consumers.
Eventually everybody will get use to it," he added.
According to statistics from the Malaysian Plastic Manufacturers Association, the country used 1.8 million metric tonnes plastic (including PS,PP,PE,ABS and PVC) in 2008.
It said 108,000 metric tonnes polystyrene was used in 2007 but it dropped to 106,000 metric tonnes in 2008.
Muslim Consumer Association of Malaysia secretary-general Datuk Dr Maamor Osman said the government should implement a policy to curtail the use of polystyrene containers.
He said if the government was firm in restricting the production of polystyrene and replace them with other material, this would go a long way in creating awareness among the public.
"Public awareness on the use of polystyrene containers is still low. As such the government should introduce other alternatives to raise the awareness," he added.
He said the government should also provide an allocation to NGOs to launch an awareness campaign in schools, with the cooperation of the Education Ministry, and public places.
Malaysian Nature Society president Tan Sri Dr Salleh Mohd Noor said consumers should also play a role in reducing the use of polystyrene containers especially as food packages.
"The simplest way to avoid polystyrene containers is to replace them with quality plastic containers. Take along plastic containers with you when buying food.
"If consumers practise this in their daily lives, eventually the use of polystyrene containers could be reduced," he said, adding that, however, in the final analysis the government had to enforce rules to curtail the use of polystyrene containers. - Bernama
