Polystyrene containers...should we ban?

Selepas menghantar anak ke sekolah tengahari tadi, saya dan suami singgah sebentar di UIA Gombak. Sekolah Rendah Islam Al-Amin terletak berhampiran dengan UIA. Kami singgah untuk makan dan jalan-jalan melihat aktiviti yang terdapat di sana.

Apa yang ingin dikongsi ialah berkenaan dengan penggunaan bekas makanan dan minuman dari jenis polystyrene. Polystyrene containers ini digunakan sepenuhnya di cafe UIA di kawasan berdekatan dengan MAsjid UIA. Bermakna pinggan atau cawan plastic atau kaca lansung tidak disediakan. Mungkin untuk memudahkan pengurusan mereka supaya tidak perlu membasuh, boleh berjimat dari segi penggunaan air, sabun dan tenaga kerja. Sudah tentu penggunaan bekas polystyrene ini lebih menguntungkan untuk penjual....tapi pada hakikatnya bagaimana pula kesannya kepada pengguna.

Kemungkinan ramai yang tidak menyedari bahawa polystyrene ini adalah satu bahan yang merbahaya pada kesihatan dan alam sekitar. Namun bagi yang mengetahui termasuk diri sendiri yang menulis ini, belum ada kemampuan dan pengorbanan dalam diri sendiri untuk memboikot penggunaan bekas ini.

Saya menyedari bahawa sekitar beberapa bulan yang lepas saya pernah melihat gambar-gambar kenyataan yang terpampang di sekitar cafe di kawasan yang sama untuk menggalakkan pelanggan menggunakan bekas yang biodegradable...bekasnya diperbuat dari bahan seperti kertas dan berwarna coklat. Ada bekas untuk take away dan juga pinggan yang boleh digunakan di cafe di sana. Pelanggan mempunyai pilihan ketika itu, iaitu membayar tambahan sebanyak 20 sen untuk bekas biodegradabale. Memandangkan sudah agak lama saya tidak ke sana, saya tidak pasti bila dan kenapa kempen penggunaan tersebut telah ditarik balik. Yang nyata kini penggunaan polystyrene containers digunakan secara maksimum. Tidak dapat dibayangkan berapa banyak longgokan sampah hasil buangan bekas2 tersebut setiap hari.

Baca petikan berita yang saya copy dari Malaysiakini berkenaan topik ini. Sama-sama kita renungkan samada kita ingin terus menggunakannya...dan apa pilihan yang kita ada, kerana di mana-mana sahaja bekas ini sahajalah yang ada digunakan di setiap gerai dan kedai.

"The government will not ban polystyrene products because of the all powerful business lobby. Therefore it is up to the people to ban it themselves."

Moga kerajaan lebih friendly kepada pengguna dari hanya memberi keuntungan kepada penjual..."PEOPLE BEFORE PROFIT"..penjual juga adalah pengguna. Apa-apa yang kita cuba lakukan dan perjuangkan hari ini adalah untuk keselesaan anak-anak dan keturunan kita yang akan datang...Fight Now...for your right!

Public should impose ban on polystyrene containers
Athi Veeranggan Jan 16, 09 1:57pm

The public should refrain from using polystyrene-made containers which have been discovered to be a cancer causing agent, the Consumer Association of Penang (CAP) said today.

Besides being a health risk, CAP president S M Mohamed Idris said polystyrene was also detrimental to the environment since its disposal generates huge amount of garbage.

"Research reveals that polystyrene takes about 500 years to degrade in the environment," he told a press conference in George Town.

He said since the government would not institute a ban, the public must self regulate themselves.

Like cigarettes, alcohol, gambling and gaming machines, Mohamed Idris said, the government had shown a lukewarm attitude in banning polystyrene products even though the World Health Organisation (WHO) has classified styrene as a cancer agent.

"The government will not ban polystyrene products because of the all powerful business lobby. Therefore it is up to the people to ban it themselves," he said.

Authorities must assistReferring to the coming Thaipusam and Chinese New Year festivals, he called on the relevant communities to avert using the polystyrene containers to serve food and drinks.

He also urged the relevant authorities to assist the public by banning the use of polystyrene containers at religious functions.WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified styrene as a Group 2B carcinogen or cancer causing agent, possibly a human carcinogen.

Styrene is also a mutagen (that causes genetic changes). Mutagens in turn may have a cancer risk and may also potentially cause reproductive damage.

Studies have shown that exposure to small quantities of styrene can cause low red blood cells count.

Women exposed to low concentrations of styrene vapours in the workplace have a variety of menstrual disorders.Polystyrene packaging can sometimes be identified by the number '6' surrounded by chasing arrows or letters 'PS' usually moulded in the bottom of a food container.

Polystyrene packaging normally contains some residual styrene because the manufacturing process is not 100% efficient.Chemicals from polystyrene can migrate into food when it is new (because they have not fully polymerised or become part of the plastic) and when it is old because it breaks down from heat, sun or wear.

"The styrene migrated into food will end up in the body and eventually affect our health," said Mohamed Idris.

In Malaysia, cancer is the second biggest killer after road accidents, with some 40,000 new cases detected annually.

According to the National Cancer Registry, one in four Malaysians is at risk to contract cancer in his or her lifetime.

"Cancer has become like an epidemic now. Eliminating styrene in the diet would help reduce cancer risks among Malaysians," said Mohamed Idris.