On Nov. 7, Malaysia's Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Nie Nazmi said the government expects to impose a total ban on the use of single-use plastic bags and gradually transition to the use of biodegradable plastic bags in 2026 or earlier.
He said in order to further reduce the use of single-use plastics, the government has adopted a “user pays” policy by imposing a minimum charge of 20 sen on traditional plastic bags at stores.
He said the policy was first implemented in Penang, followed by Selangor, FATA, Perak, Kedah and Perlis.
“The department is reviewing the implementation of the 'user pays principle' and setting a new direction, and the department is considering not providing single-use plastic bags as early as 2026 (or earlier). He said the department had received positive feedback from consultations with nine state and local governments, which would be held next in Pahang, Terengganu Kelantan, Sarawak and Sabah.
He said the states that have implemented the “no single-use plastic bag” policy include Negeri Sembilan Penang and Kota Kinabalu Sabah, while the Federal Territory has largely stopped providing traditional plastic bags and encouraged the use of biodegradable plastic bags.
He was responding to a written reply yesterday in Parliament to a question from Kuaturaman, MP for Kupang Pasir district of the Land Regiment Party (LRP), who asked about the Malaysian people's daily intake of 502.3 milligrams of microplastics and the government's progress in implementing the Zero Plastic Bags Roadmap to 2030.
Nie Nazmi emphasized that promoting the sustainable management of plastics and reducing plastic pollution is a long-term and difficult task, especially in the area of marine pollution, and therefore the government will continue to work with industry, non-governmental organizations and all sectors of society to strengthen public awareness and continuously improve plastic management policies, and make progress towards the goal of “zero single-use plastics” by 2030. The Government will continue to work with industry, non-governmental organizations and all sectors of the community to enhance public awareness and continuously improve its plastic management policy, with a view to achieving the goal of “zero single-use plastic” by 2030.
