SIBU: The ban on Styrofoam containers at food outlets here takes effect today.
Minister of Local Government Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh said this green initiative would be introduced to other areas in the state.
“We will look into it as I think it is a good thing,” he told The Borneo Post recently.
Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) decided to go ahead with the ban following positive response from the public during the recent Borneo Cultural Festival (BCF).
Council secretary Hii Chang Kee had said that Styrofoam containers were not bio-degradable and posed an environmental concern.
“They had also been identified as a major component in the clogging of drains,” he said.
Styrofoam takes about 500 years to decompose, and production of Styrofoam containers releases greenhouse gases into the environment.
Short-term side effects include eye, cardiovascular, skin and gastroenteritis ailments.
The containers could also collect water and become breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
Council chairman Datuk Tiong Thai King launched the `Say No to Styrofoam’ on Oct 18, 2013. During the opening of the 1Malaysia Food Fair here last month, Tiong repeated his calls to operators to do away with such containers.
Meanwhile, Sibu Central Market Hawker’s Association chairman Yiing Chung Ming said: “This initiative is for the good of everyone. The measure will help preserve and conserve our environment.”