Before I forget

Sometime ago I watched an episode of Edisi Siasat Mandarin on NTV7, covering on plastic bag pollution that is happening in Malaysia. Do you know that:

1. Malaysians are generating waste products at a rather alarming rate? Every year, the amount of plastic bags thrown by Malaysians can easily fill up a building the size of our world-renowned Petronas Twin Towers!

2. Most of the plastic bags use in Malaysia are non-biodegradable? Because these bags are not just cheaper but can withstand more weight.

3. A non-biodegradable plastic bag takes AT LEAST 1000 years to degrade? Just imagine if plastic bag existed since the ancient china kingdom, the plastic bag used by Shi Huang Ti to tapao his kopi-peng, can still be found NOW!!

4. Very few department store or hypermarket in Malaysia uses biodegradable bags? Jusco is one of the very few. I think TESCO too, and TESCO MELAKA is giving 1 point (which is equivalent to RM1 spent) to every plastic bag you reuse for the things you bought.

5. Using biodegradable bags is not the solution to the problem? Because they still take a few years to decompose completely. Looking at the amount of plastic bags Malaysians throw away each day, the biodegrade process of these “environmental friendly” bags will generate massive carbon dioxide which is not so friendly anymore are they?

So I am now in a mission to reduce plastic bag waste in Malaysia (dare not say the word WORLD). I am bringing my own bag whenever I go for my grocery shopping! I kicked start my plan last Monday and look what happened.

I am definitely not the first person to bring my own shopping bag because the cashier immediately asked for my bag when I approached the counter. BUT my mission created commotion among the customers lining up behind me.

First they thought the shopping bags were FREE GIFTS and wonder how come they didn’t get it (typical kiasuness). And they tried to whisper but failed miserably lar. I heard every word of their conversation. THEN, they sent one of them to peek. Can you believe the man stood so near to me and tried to look at the logo printed on my bags (I got the bags from this free movie event hosted by a company lar). He was so near I could smell his breath, EEWWW! Ok lar his breath doesnt stink but STILL?!

And he spoke to his “convoy” loudly in cantonese, “Oh, lee ko koi zee gei dai lei geh…” (DUH!)

Then the “convoy” replied “Oh, hai wo hor, zhou meh ngo lam mm dou geh?” (cos you sei-chon lar, DUH!)

Another “convoy” said “hai lor, plastic kam sai…” (ok at least i created some awareness)

Haih, why our fellow malaysians so sua-ku one? Go watch edisi siasat lar!

But I must admit that I was enjoying the attention, cos when I walked away with my bags I could still feel their eyes following me, wondering why they never thought about helping to reduce the plastic pollution thats happening around the world!!!

So bringing your own shopping bags don’t just help to reduce waste BUT ALSO MAKES YOU LOOK COOL!!!! But this only happen in Malaysia lar I think. ANYWAY, fellow Malaysians, I urge you to do the same NOW to enjoy this INSTANT CELEB STATUS before everybody starts bringing their own bags and this is no more COOL.

Start bringing your shopping bags TODAY!!

Oh and also, since my shopping bags look so not glamourous, even the credit card promoter hesitated to approach me. LOL! So DING! One points for bringing your own bags to shop. You become UNTOUCHABLE by the promoters!!

I repeat, BRING YOUR SHOPPING BAGS TODAY!! (or whenever you shop la, adoi!)