Plastic Bags

22 Nov 2010 - In the last seven years I have seen how Hong Kong slowly moved from being completely plastic indifferent to somewhat plastic aware. The Government struggled to introduce a levy of HKD 0.5 to be paid for every plastic bag used by the consumer, but succeeded in the end. It turned out that Hong Kong people can actually remember to bring their own back when they have to pay for the plastic one. Now in Malaysia, the situation is worse than I have ever seen in Hong Kong. Consumers are not required to pay for the plastic bags they use. Shop assistants tend to hand them out like candy, bundling wares two or three times over, no matter how small. Hey Malaysia, if you are shopping frozen goods, souvenirs or small items, or are just running your errands, please bring along your own bag, and do tell salespersons not to give you one if it is not necessary.