Penang: Datuk Seri Phee Boon Poh is probably the man most synonymous with the no free single-use plastic bag policy, which was launched 17 years ago in Penang. As then Penang Health, Welfare and Caring Society Committee chairman, he oversaw the implementation of the groundbreaking policy, which was later adopted in several other states before a similar policy was finally accepted throughout Malaysia in 2022.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, a United Nations Development Programme article at the time highlighted the dangers of microplastics to the environment, which was something Phee and his team felt was very important. As the new state administration, they decided that Penang would take the lead and implement such a policy. The work had already begun before the official launch on July 6, 2009, as they needed to engage with stakeholders, especially the plastics industry, which would definitely be affected by the policy.
Phee explained that the majority of free single-use plastic bags given out at supermarkets were being used for rubbish disposal and not for packing purposes. He also had to allay reservations voiced by supermarkets and hypermarkets, who were concerned over the policy's negative impact on their business, pointing out that it would cut unnecessary costs by reducing the bags given free to shoppers. Monday was used as the initial no-free-plastic-bag day to minimise the impact as there were not as many shoppers at the start of the week.
He remembered how shoppers, who were not thrilled by the policy, voiced their irritation, especially during his team's visits to supermarkets. Phee emphasized the importance of engaging with the public and explaining the policy and its reasons to them, illustrating how plastic bags contributed to bigger issues such as flash floods in the state.
A key factor in going ahead with the policy was being able to provide shoppers with an alternative to the single-use plastic bag. Phee and his team started by providing banner bags as an alternative. Local councils collected illegal banners, which were cut and sewn together to create 'recycle' bags that were given out for free. A grassroots program to produce such bags was set up later on in Seberang Perai.
Phee also encouraged companies and supermarkets to produce recycle bags bearing their brands as a form of advertising, noting how the recycle bag trend has evolved into a local industry offering bags of various designs and quality. Despite the initial challenges, Penang's no free single-use plastic bag policy has become publicly accepted and expanded throughout the country, changing the habits of Malaysian shoppers in under two decades.
Looking back, Phee shared that the policy was something he wanted to do for the good of society and the environment. He expressed gratitude to all stakeholders and appreciated their efforts, acknowledging that without them, the policy would not have been the success it is today. This is the second article of a two-article series examining the no free single-use plastic bag policy introduced in 2009 and its impact on Malaysia's solid waste management landscape.