Plastic bags pollute Brunei

By Rosli Abidin Yahya The move made by the government through the Environment Unit of the Development Ministry to protect the environment here could be further boosted if traders in supermarkets, wet markets and shopping establishments are fully advised to utilise biodegradable carrier bags instead of the conventional plastic carrier bags. It is estimated supermarkets, wet markets and shopping establishments in Brunei use some 5 to 10 million pieces of biodegradable plastic bags annually. The used plastic bags are usually thrown away, clogging landfills, and polluting rivers, beaches and oceans. A reliable consultant even said that the Brunei River is inches thick with plastic bags which will biodegrade only after several hundred years. The polluting of rivers and oceans also kills fishes and turtles as the non-biodegradable plastic bags get entangled in their stomach after accidental swallowing. All over the world, a report said, hundreds of billion pounds of plastic wastes are generated by consumers each year while a US environment report stated some 30 billion pounds of non-biodegradable plastic wastes are generated by American consumers alone. On Monday, an enterprising local company, Azzieadah Enterprise as well as its sole agent, Prestique Marketing Services and the Environment Unit co-organised a formal introduction of such products at the Ministry of Development. Various government departments who normally utilise plastic products such as the Municipal Board, Public Works Department, the Agriculture Department, BINA and the District Offices attended the function. In fact, the Environment Unit, Ministry of Development even experimented the products when last Sunday Her Royal Highness Princess Majeedah Nuurul Bolqiah led the ministry's staff in planting young plants which had been nurtured inside such bags. Should there be legislation on wider usage of biodegradable plastic bags is up to the relevant authorities to decide but such usage would definitely create a positive impact to the community and environment.

 

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