When losing money is winning: Selangor's plastic bag charges plummet

Shah Alam, August 12 — The Selangor Government's collection of plastic bag charges has been steadily declining over the past three years, decreasing from RM13.35 million in 2023 to RM6.97 million in 2025. State Public Health and Environment Exco Jamaliah Jamaluddin revealed that the total collection in 2024 was RM9.04 million, bringing the total for the period from 2023 to 2025 to RM29.36 million.

The drop in collection by nearly half highlights a shift in consumer behavior, with more individuals opting for reusable bags when shopping, in line with the government's efforts to decrease the use of single-use plastic bags. Jamaliah informed the Selangor State Legislative Assembly Session that the state government believes the Plastic-Free Campaign and the Plastic Bag Charge Collection Programme have effectively raised public awareness and promoted the use of reusable bags.

She made this statement in response to a question from Leong Tuck Chee (PH-Pandamaran) about the campaign's effectiveness in reducing plastic bag usage and the volume collected through the Plastic Bag Charge Collection Programme. Jamaliah noted that the Plastic-Free Campaign has been in operation since 2010, while the Plastic Bag Charge Collection Programme was initiated in 2020.

The government has seen positive developments in terms of consumer awareness, participation from private sector entities, and event organizers. Although there is no specific study measuring the overall reduction in plastic bag usage, the government is using the collection trend as an indicator of changing consumer behavior and supports the Plastic Bag Charge Programme as one of these indicators.