STARTING January next year, Selangor will ban the use of polystyrene containers and extend the No Plastic Bag Day on Saturdays to seven days a week.

Green Technology and Environment committee chairman Elizabeth Wong said all official events and buildings of the Selangor state government would stop using plastic bags and polystyrene by next month to get the ball rolling.

The current 20sen charge to buy a plastic bag on Saturdays as part of the No Plastic Bag Day campaign will be extended to every day of the week while polystyrene containers will be banned.

She said the new ban would be enforced through the by-laws of each local council, where those applying for or renewing their trading licence must agree to the terms forbidding them to use polystyrene and give out plastic bags for free. So far, there are four local councils - Shah Alam, Petaling Jaya, Subang Jaya, and Sepang - that have passed these by-laws.

(Image and content source: The Star)