BUTTERWORTH: Local authorities can better deal with the problem of plastic wastes by working with the people and empowering them rather than depending on the use of technology.
This was the common theme put forward by various local governments at the two-day International Zero Waste Cities Conference in Penang that began today.
They advocated continuous engagement with the local communities to ensure that they discarded wastes responsibly. They also encourage a reduction in the production and use of plastic bags or even an outright ban of the item.
This, they said, could reduce the need for equipment such as incinerators to get rid of wastes.
Penang state executive councillor Phee Boon Poh, who heads the environment committee, said the state’s efforts included a move away from single-use plastic bags and the setting up of a green council to ensure sustainability became part and parcel of all development projects.
He said the people could be enticed to do their part for the environment if they were rewarded for recycling and severely punished for polluting.
“The approach may be different but the outcome is the same – to reduce waste and to find ways to recycle,” he added.
The conference is jointly organised by the Consumers Association of Penang, the Global Anti-Inclinator Alliance (GAIA) and the Break Free from Plastic Movement.
Plastic wastes became a major problem for Asean nations after China stopped importing such wastes from developed countries for recycling. The wastes are now being sent to Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia and the Philippines.
GAIA Asia-Pacific executive director Froilan Grate said local authorities of different cities could share their solutions. He cited the example of San Fernando in the Philippines and Bandung in Indonesia that have helped one another become zero-waste cities.
San Fernando Mayor Edwin Santiago and his Bandung counterpart Oded Muhammad Danial said the cost of treating wastes could be reduced significantly by just reducing or banning the use of plastics.
