• 7 months ago
Despite efforts to reduce the use of plastics with the "no plastic day" almost daily and charges imposed for plastic bags in shops, Selangor is still facing with high usage of plastics, says Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari.

After launching the Bumi Kita Festival and Selangor Earth Day 2024 on Sunday (April 28) the Selangor Mentri Besar said efforts need to be stepped up in order to reduce its use, that it was important to build a whole generation that was no longer dependent on the use of plastics, which has long-term and detrimental effects on the environment.

On the continuous use of the banned polystyrene containers in the state, he said the issue now is to find an alternative and cheaper options available to them.

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Transcript
00:00The important thing is that the first item they need to emphasize is clean.
00:05The plastic bags have three types. What do you use?
00:12This is a yearly event, usually organized by the environmental group.
00:16This time we organized it here.
00:18The place is near the urban area.
00:21Because the theme is planets and plastic.
00:26Plastic is not only found in villages.
00:30In reality, we are still facing the high usage of plastic.
00:36Even though we have been using No Plastic Day almost every day.
00:41With regards to trash and so on.
00:43But I think we need to step up our strategy.
00:47So that it won't repeat what we achieved 8-9 years ago.
00:53No Plastic Day, they can pay $0.20 or $0.30.
00:58When I go to this new country, to buy things and so on.
01:04We still carry our own bags.
01:09Because the culture is already there in our country.
01:14Like I said, rainwater harvesting, recycling.
01:18This is one of the things we will move forward after this.
01:21So that we can improve.
01:23Besides this, we need to discuss with the agricultural and environmental groups.
01:29How to improve the quality of our forests.
01:32At the moment, the usage of plastic is still high.
01:35So what are you going to do to reduce it?
01:38We will use the funds that we received from the plastic sales.
01:42Before this, we didn't use it.
01:45But we want to use it more in the campaign.
01:47We want to increase the reward.
01:50That's why we need to step up our strategy.
01:53Step up our strategy means, not only the campaign.
01:58But we need to reach the school level and the lower level.
02:02So that the next generation won't depend on plastic.
02:06And not only depend on the campaign.
02:09So I think that's one of the strategies we will try to improve.
02:13So that we can avoid the next generation.
02:17So that they won't be trapped or continue to use plastic.
02:21Which will have a long lasting effect on the environment.
02:32That's all, both.
02:34I think that the campaign is more about the surprise.
02:39When we say, don't use it.
02:41So that's the surprise.
02:42Now, the second issue is, what are the options to replace the products.
02:49Approximately, it's cheaper to use polystyrene.
02:52And they still have to use it to increase the cost.
02:55But we want to see suggestions or options.
02:59The second is education.
03:01So I think there are more programs in schools.
03:03There are more programs in education.
03:06Because that generation has to be a generation that doesn't use plastic.
03:10So they become a generation that doesn't want to use plastic.
03:16And they think that using plastic is sinful to the environment.

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