It S Not Easy Being Green Say Street Vendors

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Barista Mohd Akmal says switching to biodegradable cups would be an additional burden on top of the rising costs of raw materials.PETALING JAYA: The high cost of biodegradable plastics and its low availability have prevented street vendors from embracing the government’s plan to put an end to single-use plastics, according to two food hawkers.
Mohd Akmal, 33, a barista with a stall in Bandar Baru Bangi, said many like him have no objections to the government’s ambitions so long as undue burden isn’t placed on them.
He estimates that using biodegradable cups for his coffee would increase his operational cost by as much as 10%.
“Street vendors will have problems transitioning (to biodegradable plastic) amid an unstable economic situation (post-pandemic),” Akmal told FMT.
“Plastic is already costly, not to mention the prices of other goods.”
He also said there are a lack of options on the market and questioned whether the government could offer subsidies to help vendors like him import biodegradable products directly from China to cut their costs.
A local biodegradable plastic product manufacturer told FMT that the average biodegradable plastic product costs 15% more than conventional options.
Through checks, FMT found the price of 100 non-biodegradable plastic cups (500ml) ranged from RM20 to RM70, while 100 compostable cups (500ml) cost between RM120 and RM270.
On Thursday, natural resources, environment and climate change minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said his ministry was concerned about the informal sector’s readiness to subscribe to the government’s initiative to ban single-use plastics by 2025.
When the initiative was launched in May, Nik Nazmi said it would first be enforced in supermarkets, mini-markets and sundry shops before being extended to roadside stalls.
A 43-year old food vendor in Cheras who wished to be identified as Mustafa said some local councils have made the use of biodegradable plastics a criteria for issuing hawkers’ licences for public events, even though most vendors are not able to comply.
He said Hulu Langat had no local suppliers offering the 100% biodegradable products required by some local councils, which had stopped him from being able to cater for certain events.
“When I checked, (some compliant products) could only be found in the US. If we buy from the US the shipping costs alone will be quite high. Malaysia needs our own biodegradable products,” Mustafa said. - FMT

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