STRINGENT RULES NEEDED TO REGULATE USE OF POLYSTYRENE CONTAINERS

By Geetha Ganesan

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 13 (Bernama) -- 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 quarters, 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 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 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