Cut plastic waste with tax incentives for private R&D, says NGO

Free Malaysia Today

A consumer group says bans on drinking straws and charging for plastic bags have had limited effect in curbing the use of plastic.  Read More: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2024/02/21/cut-plastic-waste-with-tax-incentives-for-private-rd-says-ngo/   Free Malaysia Today is an independent, bi-lingual news portal with a focus on Malaysian current affairs.    Subscribe to our channel - http://bit.ly/2Qo08ry   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Check us out at https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com Follow FMT on Facebook: http://bit.ly/2Rn6xEV Follow FMT on Dailymotion: https://bit.ly/2WGITHM Follow FMT on Twitter: http://bit.ly/2OCwH8a  Follow FMT on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2OKJbc6 Follow FMT on TikTok : https://bit.ly/3cpbWKK Follow FMT Telegram - https://bit.ly/2VUfOrv Follow FMT LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/3B1e8lN Follow FMT Lifestyle on Instagram: https://bit.ly/39dBDbe ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Download FMT News App: Google Play – http://bit.ly/2YSuV46 App Store – https://apple.co/2HNH7gZ Huawei AppGallery - https://bit.ly/2D2OpNP  #FMTNews #PlasticWaste #Environment

Transcript

00:00 [MUSIC]

00:01 Walking past rivers and streams covered in trash,

00:04 you might find yourself thinking,

00:06 "What a shameful sight."

00:08 But you may have contributed to the pollution yourself.

00:11 A study has revealed that each Malaysian throws 2.29 kilograms of plastic,

00:16 which ends up in the oceans every year.

00:19 That's equivalent to 458 plastic bags per person.

00:23 To reverse this unwelcome practice,

00:25 several states have experimented with measures

00:27 aimed at reducing our reliance on plastic,

00:30 including by charging for plastic bags and banning drinking straws.

00:34 But those measures have not had the desired effect.

00:37 Plastic bags and containers are still used by many supermarkets,

00:40 restaurants and hawkers to package food.

00:44 Undeterred, the government recently ramped up its war against plastic

00:48 by targeting a nationwide ban on single-use plastics by 2025.

00:52 But with previous measures showing limited effectiveness,

00:55 what is the best path forward?

00:58 Tarmizi Anwar of the Consumer Choice Centre Malaysia says

01:01 the government should offer incentives to the private sector

01:04 to encourage research and development into sustainable alternatives to plastic.

01:09 Traditionally, those incentives have taken the form of government grants,

01:12 but Tarmizi says there are other alternatives.

01:15 It's not necessary to give grants,

01:17 but what they can do is,

01:19 if a company or private sector

01:21 invests in research and innovation,

01:25 the government should consider it as one of the ways to reduce tax.

01:31 Or at least reduce tax on the private sector.

01:37 Tarmizi also called on the government to reduce trade barriers,

01:40 slash red tape, and simplify patent processes

01:43 so that sustainable alternatives are more readily available.

01:47 Tarmizi also believes consumers should be rewarded for going green.

01:51 I think one of the ways is to reduce tax.

01:56 We can show proof that using waste products

02:02 in combination with alternative products that are more sustainable

02:06 can be one of the ways to reduce tax.

02:11 Mageswari Sanggara Linggom,

02:12 Honorary Secretary of Sahabat Ala Malaysia,

02:15 suggests encouraging people to bring their own food and drink containers and cutleries

02:19 when they purchase their food and drink.

02:21 Stores can offer discounts for those who bring their own containers.

02:26 From our experience, when we bring our own containers,

02:29 you want to take our food, sometimes we get more food.

02:34 She also believes bringing back the traditional practice

02:36 of using cloth sanitary pads and diapers

02:39 will significantly reduce plastic waste.

02:41 With a 2021 study ranking Malaysia

02:44 the third highest disposer of ocean plastic waste,

02:47 much needs to be done by the government.

02:49 The private sector and consumers to ensure our environment

02:53 stays clean and fresh for the future generations.

02:56 Danish Rajareza, FMT News.

Category

Transcript

Recommended