Plastic pollution is a significant environmental issue affecting land and water ecosystems globally. It involves the accumulation of plastic matter in the environment, which adversely impacts wildlife, marine life, and human health. Most plastics take hundreds of years to degrade, leading to long-term contamination of soil and water bodies. Marine animals often ingest plastic, mistaking the large items or particulate matter for food, which often result in injury or death. Additionally, the presence of microplastics in the food chain poses significant health risks to humans.
In Malaysia, plastic pollution is rampant. As of 2024, Malaysia ranked the highest among 109 countries for the consumption of microplastics, with 50% of that coming from ingesting fish. However, the country has not sat idle. Over the years, Malaysia has implemented two roadmaps to help reduce plastic consumption. You can learn more about these roadmaps below:
As a global movement, Plastic Free July was created in 2011 to enable millions of people to participate in reducing their plastic consumption. It aims to encourage individuals, communities, and organisations to take a stand against single-use plastics and commit to a month-long challenge of reducing their plastic consumption. People are also urged to extend these practices beyond July, integrating them into their daily lives for lasting impact.
Steps to reduce single-use plastic in your everyday lives
Carry a Reusable bag
Use a refillable Water Bottle
Buy in Bulk
Recycle Properly
YTL Group’s “Say No to All Plastic” (SNAP) campaign journey
Launched in 2019, Say No to All Plastic (SNAP) is a campaign that aims to reduce the usage of avoidable single-use plastic (SUP) in YTL’s operations, with the end goal of reaching zero usage by 2025. Below are some details of our performance and progress:
Office operations
- Encourage no use of SUP during events.
- Distributes reusable water bottles and lunch boxes to employees.
- Reduce use of single-use water cups, bottles, plastic cutlery, and containers.
- Implemented several solutions such as bulk purchasing, purchasing recyclables, and installing water dispensers, etc.
Hotel operations
- Tanjong Jara Resort (TJR) collaborated with PULIHARA on coastal cleanup events at Tahu Tiga Beach.
- Distributes reusable water bottles and lunchboxes to employees and local communities.
- Recycles coffee capsules.
- Changed to more environmentally friendly amenities, toiletries, takeaway cutlery, and containers instead of disposables.
- Installed water refill systems.
Water operations
- Released a plastic position statement detailing Wessex Water’s commitment to reducing its plastic footprint as well as supporting initiatives to help customers reduce their reliance on SUP.
- Conducted assessment of plastic waste generated and removed at offices and depots.
- Worked with local authorities and town councils to install water refilling points and promote drinking of tap water and use of refillable bottles.
- Installed 24 water refill stations across the region as of 2023, providing free water and preventing more than 245,000 single use plastic bottles going to landfill every year.
Other operations
- Reused and recycled chemical containers at the power plant through suppliers for the same chemical application.
- Beach cleaning activities.
Despite our best efforts and significant progress in reducing SUP and implementing sustainable alternatives, achieving absolute zero may be difficult without compromising essential operations. We are continuously intensifying our reduction and recycling efforts, ensuring any essential SUP use is managed responsibly and is aligned with our sustainability goals. Our commitment to sustainability remains steadfast.
