No More FREE Plastic bags and Polystyrene at Local Council Hawker Centres

If you are visiting Penang, this is useful information for when you go shopping. Do bring along your own shopping bag.

Penang's ruling on ‘No Free Plastic Bags’ and ‘No Polystyrene at Local Council Hawker Centres’ will come into effect tomorrow, Jan 1, 2011. This is in line with Penang's objective to reduce the state's carbon footprint as announced earlier by Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng when tabling the 2011 Budget at the state legislative assembly.

The ruling will cover all hypermarkets, supermarkets, departmental stores, pharmacies, fast food restaurants, nasi kandar outlets, convenience stores including petrol kiosks and chain stores.

Mini markets and sole proprietorship businesses will have to adhere to the plastic ruling on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in order to ensure the renewal of their licences.

Shoppers will be charged 20 sen for each plastic bag requested. Money collected from the sale of plastic bags will be channelled to ‘Partners Against Poverty’ Special Fund to help the state’s hardcore poor.

For shoppers who buy in volume, used cardboard boxes and paper bags will be available at shopping outlets and hypermarkets.

Random checks will be conducted by government department officers to ensure adherence to the ruling.


Source: All set for double ban..The Star