Local councils should compete in phasing out single-use plastic, says minister

 

Natural resources, environment, and climate change minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said he wants local councils to help the government achieve its goal of phasing out single-use plastic by 2030.

KUALA LUMPUR: Natural resources, environment, and climate change minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad has urged local councils to engage in friendly competition in implementing initiatives aimed at eliminating single-use plastic.

He noted that while some local councils have recorded significant achievements in rolling out such programmes, the pace of their progress largely depends on the level of development in their respective areas.

“You can’t expect what can be done in Kuala Lumpur to be done in another town in the country. The level of development is different, and that’s fair… But you need a minimum standard,” he said at a press conference here.

“You need to nudge local councils for them to move along (with such initiatives). You cannot have some local councils working fast while the rest are left behind.

“We are working together (with the state governments and local councils), and we also encourage the local councils to compete (with one another) so they can show what they are doing to overcome this problem.”

He said the overall aim is for the councils to help the government achieve its goal of phasing out single-use plastic by 2030.

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