LETTER | Plastic pollution needs to be overcome for a better world

LETTER | In the present-day globalised world plastic pollution is possibly the most serious environmental problem and nations, multinationals, SMEs, and other industries need to take initiatives to counter this pollution for the betterment of mankind.

The palm oil industry in Malaysia can help reduce plastic pollution in the country by insisting that only recycled plastics be used for polybags, big and small.

Every year, the palm oil industry uses millions of polybags in nurseries where the oil palm seedlings are grown. They are kept in the nurseries for about a year before they are transplanted in the field. The smaller polybags are used for the growth of the seedlings for about three months before they are placed in the larger bags until about a year old.

The black polybags are convenient and durable and can last for more than a year. The polybags and sheets can be used by others also, especially in the horticultural and landscaping industries.

The polybags can be made from recycled materials. This will create a big demand for recycled plastics, as one of the major impediments to recycled plastics is the lower demand, as many manufacturers prefer plastic resin for cleaner and easier manufacturing. Plastic resins are made from fossil fuels, which contribute to environmental pollution.

Since Malaysia’s palm oil industry is the second-largest in the world, using a huge volume of recycled plastics to manufacture polybags, plastic sheets for weed control, and for other applications, will enable the industry to be more environmentally friendly. It will be a positive gesture that will be taken note of by palm oil critics, especially the EU and multinational food manufacturers. 

One of the best ways to control plastic pollution is to reuse or recycle plastics on a large scale and impose higher taxes on the import of plastic raw materials such as polymers and plastic resins.

When a higher price is offered, the collection of used plastics by municipal workers and others can increase manifold, and there will be more firms recycling plastics.

Basically, those collecting plastics and other discarded items should be able to get a higher price, which will motivate them to collect more. Some may regard this as gainful employment.

Presently, the price of recycled plastics offered by the recycling firms is too low and this is the reason for the high volume of plastics and other discarded materials heading to landfills, which are filling up fast.

It must be noted here that recycled plastics cannot be used to manufacture all kinds of plastic items in which higher quality and durability are preferred.

Malaysia now has a large recycling industry dealing with a multitude of recyclable products. The recycling industry needs to be more vocal and make their needs and problems known to enable the government to provide some incentives during the tabling of the budget. 

The long-deferred waste separation scheme needs to be implemented urgently in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, which are running out of landfills. Token gestures such as charging 10 or 20 sen for plastic bags are not enough. 

Large rubbish landfills such as the one in Bukit Tagar in Northern Selangor should have a team of workers to retrieve whatever recyclables or reusables at the dumpsite before the garbage is bulldozed to be buried.

The landfill authority can sell the salvaged items to local recyclers. It is also time for more retail outlets to sell second-hand items, especially construction hardware materials like planks, beams, scantlings, doors roofing, tiles, zinc, etc.

These can be bought by construction firms for their various temporary needs which will save them money. Just take a look at the ro-ro bins in the new housing estates and one will be amazed at how brand-new doors, frames, windows, sanitary ware, cabinets, and others are dumped into the bins.

Just 30 years ago Malaysians would not have done this but due to increasing prosperity, many costly items are simply disposed of during renovations.

Some time back, the Malaysian Insititute of Road Safety Research (Miros), which is looking into ways to make resurfacing of roads cheaper, more durable, and safer, had stated that its efforts were handicapped by the lack of the availability of a single-type of recycled plastic.

This can be overcome by using the millions of soft drink, water, and mineral water bottles that are mostly discarded after drinking the contents. In fact, the main discarded and polluting plastics in the country at present are plastic water bottles, as millions of locals and foreigners use them due to convenience and safety.

Furthermore, these water bottles are the least collected of the plastic discards as they are light, and even a large sackful hardly fetches more than a ringgit! If the rate is about 5 sen per bottle, not a single plastic bottle will be discarded and found littering public spaces and drains, where they create a massive problem by blocking drains and ending up in rivers and the sea. A huge amount will be collected and sold to the recyclers.

Selangor, KL, and Penang, which are more urbanised and are the main consumers of bottled water, can come up with an incentive such as paying a few sen each for plastic water bottles.

They can also impose a “prevention of pollution” tax on bottle manufacturers to recoup the cost. This will reduce litter and pollution in public spaces and waterways. Miros can then be assured of a ready supply of bottles from recyclers who will supply them to the bitumen manufacturers.

As far as I know, this is one of the ways Miros can get a large supply of single-type plastics to be utilised in the bitumen manufacturing process. The resurfacing of roads is getting costly nowadays and Miros can easily pay a higher price for plastic bottles for a ready and stable supply, and also indirectly help check environmental pollution. 

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.