By Joachim Ng
Eco-conscious Perakians may remember that two years ago the state executive council thought of launching a campaign to ban the use of plastic bags and polystyrene containers, with reusable bags to be introduced as substitutes. But just about the only place where the campaign saw quick action was SMK St Michael in Ipoh.
Shortly after the campaign was deliberated, the school informed its canteen operators to start preparations. After banning plastic bags, all eight stalls were banned from using plastic plates, cups and utensils, including polystyrene packaging. Canteen operators switched to using 100% recyclable packaging for food.
However, single-use plastic bags shouldn’t be our focus of attention as they are not the main culprits – they are just a convenient target. These thin grocery bags are common in wet markets, makan stalls, sundry shops, and supermarkets because they are cheap, lightweight, and water-resistant. They are made of High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE), one of the least toxic plastics that doesn’t contain phthalates or bisphenol A (BPA) unless intentionally added.
However, their safety depends on additives and usage. Dangers also rise should UV stabilisers (e.g., benzophenones) are added to prevent degradation from sunlight. Colorants in them may contain heavy metals (e.g., cadmium). These additives may leach into foods carried in them.
As HDPE bags are cheaply made, they degrade easily and break into small bits that degrade further into tiny particles called microplastics less than 5mm in size. If you have kept plastic bags in a stack for some months, check the stack and you will find that the bottom layers have turned into fragments.
While it is a good start to restrict single-use plastic bags, a better move is to introduce suitable alternatives such as polypropylene, biodegradable/compostable plastics (e.g., PLA or polylactic acid) reusable bags (cotton, jute, or thick recycled plastic), and paper bags (biodegradable). We have, as usual, not planned to introduce alternatives but just want to target single-use plastic bags as this public relations exercise helps divert our attention from the real culprits.
Another spoiler diverting our attention is the blacklisting of paper that some ignorant NGOs are deep into. Paper nowadays does not come from trees that grow wild; they are harvested from commercial forests specially planted for this purpose.
The dangers from single-use plastic bags can be minimised by legislating that no additives can be added at any stage of manufacture. Also, legislation must ensure that all discarded HDPE bags must be sent to the incinerator for burning and not buried in landfills where they can enter sub-surface water that flows into rivers. Anyone caught throwing a plastic bag on a walkway, roadside, street, or drain must be punished with community service work.
Malaysia is ranked the highest among 109 countries for consuming or ingesting microplastics at an estimated 494,000 particles a day per person or an average of 502.3mg. This comes from three principal sources: food, garments, and traffic.
FOOD POLLUTION:
The main target of our wrath should be plastics made with toxic chemicals such as bisphenol A (BPA) which leak into ecosystems and human food sources. Some studies show that BPA exposure leads to increased risks of breast, prostate, and other cancers in lab animals and cell cultures. In the last two decades, the production of toxic plastics in Malaysia has doubled.
Polystyrene is a cheap material commonly used for making food containers (like disposable cups, takeout boxes, and trays). You find them in food stalls and restaurants, canteens, and catered functions. Polystyrene can leach styrene, a possible human carcinogen, especially when heated (e.g., microwaving). Some polystyrene products contain additives like BPA or flame retardants, which may disrupt hormones. Like HDPE, polystyrene breaks down into tiny particles or microplastics that contaminate water and soil.
Microplastics in rivers and seas are mistaken for food, leading to ingestion by marine species such as fish, prawns, crabs, mollusks, and cockles that end up on our plates. Floating on the water, microplastics also block sunlight reaching algae and plankton that other marine animals feed on.
Tea bags have been found to release millions of microplastics and the much smaller nanoplastics that are absorbed by intestinal cells and pass into the bloodstream. If this finding by scientists is confirmed, shouldn’t tea bags be placed in the ban list?
An immediate ban on polystyrene is necessary and safer alternatives put into use such as paper-based containers (wax-coated or compostable); plant-based plastics (PLA) and glass or stainless steel for reusable storage; silicone – good for food containers and baby products (look for 100% food-grade silicone); bamboo – safe for utensils plates, and cups (ensure they’re formaldehyde-free); and beeswax wraps – a natural alternative to plastic wrap.
However, a ban is impossible because here again there are no plans to introduce alternatives.
GARMENTS POLLUTION:
Polystyrene is one of the two main culprits in popular use by food outlets and households. The other main culprit is – surprise – the clothes you wear and many other fabrics in your house.
What happens when you put your clothing, bedding materials, and curtains made of synthetic fabrics into the laundry machine? They shed microfibres which are strand-like particles of microplastics. Where does the machine water go? Into sewage treatment plants or drains that push the water into rivers that pour these microplastics into the ocean. Each wash can release 6 million microfibres.
Are you going to put those freshly cleaned garments into a dryer? Know that dryers release a far greater amount of microfibres into the air than washing machines into water. Another risk – and it’s right in your bedroom – is hanging synthetic clothing in the open instead of tucking them away in wardrobes.
Next time you buy that polyester or nylon or some other synthetic garment, tell yourself that you are wearing death. A better alternative is to go for cotton or some other natural fabric. It may cost more but you safeguard your health.
It is the Government’s responsibility to legislate against the heavy use of garments or cheap food containers that threaten the environment. The movement away from toxic plastics shouldn’t be left to individuals as a voluntary effort. Do we let motorists decide whether to stop at the red lights or speed through? If just 1 out of 5 motorists dash through the red lights, ambulances will be racing around daily. Nobel laureate Ronald Coase wrote in 1937 that effort generally produces more returns if exerted collectively rather than individually.
Three years ago, a Hull York Medical School team found polypropylene and PET (polyethylene terephthalate) in lung tissue, identifying fibres from synthetic fabrics. Your clothes may give you lung cancer. The Government can easily ban these dangerous materials as cotton and other natural fibres have long been available.
Two months ago, the nation received shocking news from the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry that Malaysia was among the top five nations worldwide found to have mismanaged plastic waste. A 2022 report by WWF-Malaysia estimated that the nation produced over 1 million tonnes of post-consumer plastic waste annually. Additionally, a 2024 study indicated that each Malaysian is mismanaging some 25.49 kilograms per year.
Every day, the equivalent of 2,000 garbage trucks full of plastic is dumped into the world’s oceans, rivers and lakes. A 2023 academic paper supported by The Ocean Cleanup non-profit organisation ranked Malaysia as the third largest contributor to plastic waste in the oceans.
Some of the plastics that we discharge sink to the depths of rivers and lakes or float on the surface, with the balance reaching the ocean where they float close to shore or sink in deep. Notable levels of microplastics have been found in four key river basins across Malaysia – Sungai Langat, Sungai Kelantan, Sungai Klang, and Sungai Sarawak.
TRAFFIC POLLUTION:
The next article will deal with the growing microplastics danger from heavy motorised traffic such as we see daily in the Klang Valley.
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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Ipoh Echo
