KANGAR – All food and beverage premises, including those of hawkers, within the Kangar Municipal Council area are prohibited from using styrofoam and polystyrene-based food containers effective July 15.
Council president Affendi Rajini Kanth said that if traders are found to fail to comply with the directive, they can be subjected to action under the Local Government Act 1976, which is a maximum compound of RM500 or a fine not exceeding RM2,000 by the court if convicted.
“Failure of traders or premises owners to comply with this directive may result in enforcement action being taken against them,” he said in a statement today.
Affendi said the council’s ban on the use of such food containers is among steps to conserve the environment for the long term and ensure that the health of the people of Perlis is always assured.
“A study shows that the styrene and benzene materials found in polystyrene can have a negative impact on humans, including disruption of the nervous system, in addition to the impact on the environment through ozone layer depletion and it cannot be recycled,” he said.
The World Health Organisation’s cancer agency, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, classifies styrene as a group 2B carcinogen, which is a cancer-causing agent. – June 8, 2024