10-06-2025
Initiative to reduce straw usage at outlets
Published on: Tuesday, June 10, 2025
Published on: Tue, Jun 10, 2025
By: Sidney Skinner Text Size: This coffeeshop patron in Inanam was compounded for haphazardly disposing of his rubbish. KOTA Kinabalu food operators, including hawkers, risk having their licences suspended if they are found to be providing plastic and polystyrene straws with their beverages after the next four months. A spokesman for the agency's Solid Waste Management Department (SWMD) said such action would be enacted in the worst-case-scenario.
Advertisement 'City Hall licence-holders will initially be served with notices of non-compliance,' he said. 'Should they continue to disregard our formal request to refrain from handing out plastic and polystyrene straws to their customers, then we will have no choice but to suspend their licence.' 'Plastic and polystyrene straws cannot be recycled. On top of this, they contain compounds which are harmful to the human body. 'We want eatery and stall owners to switch to using paper straws or those made from organic material, like corn starch.' He said City Hall intended to do away with the use of plastic and polystyrene straws within its rating area from October 1 onwards. The spokesman said senior City Hall officials, including its Director General of Operations Robert Lipon and SWMD Director Leong Tze Fui, met with 150-200 individuals in the food and related sectors on Friday to make them aware of the agency's intention. He said personnel from local plastic manufacturing companies, as well as representatives from the Sabah branch of the Standards and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (SIRIM) and the Local Government and Housing Ministry were also present during the engagement session. 'By and large, the food operators and hawkers were supportive of our plan. But some asked if we could push back the October 1-start to a later date. 'We have given all those concerned between now and September 30 to fulfil our requirements. Four months should be more than enough time for them to deplete their existing stock of plastic and polystyrene straws.' He explained that the move to 'zero-ise' the use of these straws was a natural evolution of City Hall's 'No Plastic Bags' policy which was launched last year. 'We are not the first local authority in the country to prohibit the use of plastic and polystyrene straws in the country. Several in Peninsula Malaysia have already made done this, as has the Sarikei District Council in our neighbour State, Sarawak.' Meanwhile, litterbugs around the State Capital could find themselves RM10,000 poorer, if they persist in disposing of their rubbish, including cigarette butts, indiscriminately. The spokesman said this was the maximum fine which could be imposed under City Hall's (Anti-Litter) By-Laws 1985 (Amendment 2005), if the offenders were found guilty in court. He said legal action was initiated by the agency in extreme cases. 'A total of 81 wrongdoers received Anti-Litter compounds from SWMD inspectors during 29 'Ops Bersih' inspections carried out last month,' he said. These checks involved properties within the City Centre, as well as those in areas ranging from Likas to Manggatal, according to him. 'A compound of up to RM500 can be imposed for anyone caught contravening the By-Laws.' He said those in Kota Kinabalu, included the shophouses in Bandaran Berjaya, Kg Air, Sinsuran and Segama, as well as Centre Point Sabah. Checks were also made of the public areas on Jalan Gaya and Jalan Tugu, according to him. 'The highest number of litterbugs was nabbed around Kg Air (13), followed by Center Point (10) and Segama (9). When it came to areas outside the City limits, the spokesman said the SWMD team went to Inanam and Manggatal towns, as well as several commercial centres including Damai Plaza, Plaza Juta, Kingfisher Plaza, Inanam Taipan, Manggatal Plaza and Sulaman Sentral. On top of this, inspections were also carried out at Mini Putrajaya and the shops at Universiti Apartment, according to him. 'Inanam town and Taipan tied for the locations with the most offenders, in this instance, with a total of six litter-bugs caught in these areas. 'This was followed by the Kingfisher Plaza where four errant individuals were nabbed. Three each were taken to task around Sulaman Sentral and Damai Plaza.' * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
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