Plastic bag A plastic bag, polybag, or pouch is a type of packaging made of thin, flexible, plastic film, nonwoven fabric,

, or plastic textile. Plastic bags are used for containing and transporting goods such as foods, produce, powders, ice, magazines, comic books, chemicals and waste. Most plastic bags are heat sealed together. Some are bonded with adhesives or are stitched.

Bag Types 1. Packages Plastic bags of gardening supplies fresh produce, snack foods, hardware, gardening products, etc. They are often made from a single roll of film on a horizontal or vertical form fill sealing machine. Several design options and features are available. Some bags have gussets to allow a higher volume of contents. Some have the ability to stand up on a shelf or a refrigerator. Some have easy-opening or reclose-able options. Handles are cut into or added onto some. Plastic bags usually use less material than comparable boxes, cartons, or jars, thus are often considered as "reduced or minimized packaging". 2. Plastic shopping bag Open bags with carrying handles are used in large numbers worldwide. Stores often provide them as a convenience to shoppers. Some stores charge a nominal fee for a bag. Heavy-duty reusable shopping bags are often considered environmentally better than single-use paper or plastic shopping bags. 3. Waste disposal bags 4. Flexible intermediate bulk container Flexible Intermediate Bulk Containers (Big bags, bulk bags, etc.) are large industrial containers, usually used for powders or flow-ables. How are plastic bag harmful to the environment? Plastic bags litter the landscape Once they are used, most plastic bags go into landfill. If they are burned, they infuse the air with toxic fumes.

Plastic bags kill animals About 100,000 animals are killed every year due to plastic bags. They are dolphins, turtle whales, penguins, etc. Many animals ingest plastic bags, mistaking them for food, and therefore die.

Plastic bags are non-biodegradable The decomposition of plastic bags takes about 400 years.

Petroleum is required to produce plastic bag To make plastic, 60-100 million barrels of oil are needed every year around the world.

- This precious resource should not be wasted on producing plastic bag, should it? Food contamination - Food kept in plastic containers is not safe and is prone to cross contamination - The use of polycarbonate bottles (such as hard plastic drinking bottles and baby bottles) may cause health risks. - The chemical bisphenol A (BPA) is often released into the liquid contained in such containers. What can be done about the use of plastic bag? A tote bag can make a good substitution for holding the shopping items. We can keep the bag with the cashier, and then put your purchases into it instead of the usual plastic bag. Recycling the plastic bag you already have. These can come into use for various purposes.

For example, reuse the plastic bag you have to hold your garbage, instead of purchasing new ones. The various other alternatives: Use biodegradable bags made from fabrics. Ladies can fold a cotton bag or two into their purses which can be used to quench the sudden urge for shopping. Donate old newspapers and magazines to small scale institutes that cut these old papers into paper bags and packets. Use a wicker basket.

Educate the local on the ill effects of the use of plastics.

Guan Eng: Ban on plastic bags stays The people should look on the positive side of the move, which stood to benefit the future generation in the long run, said Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng. The current No Plastic Bag Day campaign in shopping centre and hypermarkets every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The ruling also covered departmental stores, pharmacies, fast food restaurants, Nasi Kandar outlets, convenience stores in petrol kiosks and chain stores. Various responses from the public: The older generation angry with the state government for not providing them with plastic bags Housewives are worried about running out of plastic bags to contain their rubbish when the ban starts. Younger generation: Benefit the future generation in the long run. State Health, Welfare, Caring Society and Environment Committee: A woman called me up to ask what she was going to use to wrap her used sanitary pad. I told her to wrap it up in a newspaper instead The problem could be solved by reducing rubbish and minimising food wastage. On whether the ruling would affect plastic bag manufacturers, the authority says that they have the avenue to make thicker plastic bags with beautiful prints and sell them as shopping bags. (Biodegradable) Such bags are now imported and sold at an average RM1 each. The local manufacturers can produce and sell the same bags at a fraction of the price, What is biodegradable bag? Biodegradable bags are bags made from materials that are able to decompose under specified conditions of light, moisture, and oxygen. (Photo-degradation) Every year approximately 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are used worldwide. Often composting conditions or exposure to sun, moisture, and oxygen are needed: degradation is slow in landfills. Many stores and companies are beginning to use different types of biodegradable bags to comply with perceived environmental benefits.

Biodegradable plastics ? Biodegradable plastics are plastics that will decompose in natural aerobic (composting) and anaerobic (landfill) environments. Biodegradation of plastics occurs when microorganisms metabolize the plastics to either assimilable compounds or to humus-like materials that are less harmful to the environment. They may be composed of either bio-plastics, which are plastics whose components are derived from renewable raw materials, or petroleum-based plastics which contain additives.

Produk dan Perkhidmatan Pelancongan Bagi meningkatkan keunikan tarikan terhadap produk dan perkhidmatan pelancongan di Malaysia, Kerajaan terus mempromosi kelebihan tradisional negara iaitu kebudayaan dan warisan semula jadi. Penekanan bagi mempromosi budaya dan warisan sejarah serta ekopelancongan dan agropelancongan telah mempopularkan destinasi seperti Melaka, Pulau Pinang, pantai timur Semenanjung Malaysia, Sabah dan Sarawak. Produk pelancongan lain termasuk membelibelah, liburan, aktiviti sukan serta acara berkaitan perniagaan khususnya segmen persidangan, insentif, konvensyen dan pameran (MICE). Ekopelancongan, Agropelancongan dan Program Inap Desa. Dalam tempoh Rancangan, Kerajaan terus menggalakkan dan membangunkan ekopelancongan seperti yang digariskan dalam Pelan Ekopelancongan Kebangsaan yang mengenal pasti 48 kawasan utama. Malaysia mendapat faedah dalam penyenaraian Gua Mulu dan Taman Kinabalu dalam Senarai Warisan Dunia oleh Pertubuhan Pendidikan, Saintifik dan Kebudayaan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu (UNESCO) serta kawasan alam semula jadi lain seperti taman marin di Pulau Tioman dan Pulau Redang yang kaya dengan pelbagai sumber semula jadi dipromosi sebagai daya tarikan pelancong. Program Inap Desa telah meningkatkan penyertaan penduduk luar bandar dalam aktiviti berkaitan pelancongan serta memberi peluang kepada isi rumah luar bandar untuk memperoleh pendapatan sampingan. Dalam tempoh Rancangan, sebanyak 463 pengusaha inap desa telah dilatih dan diberikan lesen menjadikan jumlah keseluruhan pengusaha 1,089 orang dari 79 buah kampung. Pelancongan Kebudayaan dan Warisan. Sebilangan projek telah dilaksanakan sebagai usaha untuk memelihara tempat kebudayaan dan warisan serta memenuhi minat khusus pelancong yang akan melawat. Lebih daripada 60 monumen dan 25 tempat bersejarah telah dinaik taraf sebagai tarikan pelancong. Pusat kebudayaan sedia ada dan baru menyediakan saluran untuk mempamerkan seni dan kraf tradisional Malaysia termasuk batik, pua kumbu dan songket. Acara Bertema. Usaha yang lebih giat diambil untuk sebagai mempromosi negara destinasi yang menganjurkan sambutan dan pesta secara berterusan sepanjang tahun. Acara yang dijalankan termasuk Citrawarna, Pesta Makanan dan Buah-buahan, Pesta Air Kebangsaan serta Persembahan Tahunan Fesyen KL yang memperagakan tekstil Malaysia termasuk batik dan songket. Memandangkan membeli-belah merupakan satu produk pelancongan yang menarik dan berpotensi besar, Karnival Jualan Mega dipromosi dengan lebih giat dan dilengkapkan dengan pelbagai acara untuk menarik pelawat antarabangsa dan domestik. Pasaran Persidangan, Insentif, Konvensyen dan Pameran adalah satu sumber pertumbuhan penting bagi sektor pelancongan kerana berupaya menarik ahli perniagaan yang mampu berbelanja besar. Dari segi bilangan acara dan hasil, sumbangan ketara diperoleh daripada peserta tempatan dan luar negara dalam segmen MICE adalah seperti ditunjukkan dalam Jadual 8-2.

Pelancongan Sukan dan Rekreasi. Malaysia akan terus menjadi tuan rumah bagi acara dunia tahunan seperti Petronas F1 Grand Prix, Raja Muda International Regatta, Le Tour de Langkawi dan World Amateur Inter-Team Golf Championship serta Putrajaya Boat Championship. Bagi membangunkan potensi industri pelayaran dan pelayaran persiaran, 10 marina baru dibina di lokasi strategik seperti Pulau Langkawi, Pulau Pangkor, Pulau Pinang dan Pulau Tioman. Menyedari potensi pelancongan pendidikan sebagai satu segmen pasaran baru untuk meningkatkan pendapatan tukaran asing, langkah telah diambil untuk mempromosi Malaysia sebagai pusat kecemerlangan pendidikan serantau. Sehubungan ini, pendapatan tukaran asing dari pasaran baru muncul meningkat daripada RM220 juta pada tahun 2000 kepada RM450 juta pada tahun 2005. Sebagai usaha untuk menggalakkan pelancongan pendidikan, lima Pusat Penggalakan Pendidikan Malaysia didirikan di Beijing, Dubai, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta dan Jeddah untuk mempromosi peluang pendidikan yang terdapat di Malaysia. Bagi pelancongan kesihatan, aktiviti promosi dan pemasaran secara intensif diteruskan untuk meletakkan Malaysia sebagai destinasi penting untuk perkhidmatan penjagaan kesihatan berkualiti. Pendapatan tukaran asing daripada pelancongan kesihatan dianggar mencapai RM925 juta pada tahun 2005. Program Malaysia Rumah Keduaku yang diperkenalkan untuk menggalakkan rakyat asing, pasangan dan tanggungan mereka memilih Malaysia sebagai rumah kedua telah menarik seramai 7,308 peserta dalam tempoh Rancangan. Program ini paling popular di kalangan warganegara China yang merangkumi 24 peratus daripada jumlah peserta, diikuti oleh Bangladesh 15 peratus, Britain 8 peratus dan Singapura 6 peratus. Satu pusat setempat ditubuhkan pada tahun 2005 untuk memudahkan dan mempercepat kelulusan.