KUCHING: Kuching South City Council (MBKS) hopes to continue rolling out its campaign on banning the use of styrofoam packaging at its markets and hawkers centres once the Covid-19 pandemic is under control.
MBKS mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng said the council was currently concentrating on efforts to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.
“At the moment, Covid-19 has affected the economic circumstances of most of the people, so we try not to add more to their burden,” he said, explaining that the ban on styrofoam packaging could incur extra cost to food and beverage providers.
“But of course, protecting the environment to save our earth is also the duty of the local council,” he told New Sarawak Tribune today.
Nevertheless, he said the council was still monitoring such matters and had some plans in mind. He added that they had also started their ‘No Plastic Straw’ campaign.
He pointed out that since 2018, MBKS had started the campaign on banning the use of styrofoam at its markets and hawkers centres.
“Over 90 percent of our hawkers responded to the initiative. Later on, the ban was extended to the food stalls at Kuching Festival and Ramadan bazaars. We were happy to note that most of them complied,” he said, adding that the city council would continue to gradually implement this in due time.
Wee said no penalty was imposed as the council emphasised on cooperation and working together, adding that the campaign commenced with dialogues and health education.
“The benefits of this campaign include the mitigation of environmental impacts from the disposal of such materials, health issues arising from the styrofoam residues in our water, air pollution from the burning of styrofoam products, and so on,” he said.
Through the ban on styrofoam packaging, he said a cleaner environment and living standard could be created.
“There are many alternatives for packaging materials available in the market now,” he added.
