Penang to enforce ban of single-use plastic bags from Sept 1
Penang's No Free Plastic Bag campaign was first announced last year and is currently in the awareness phase.
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PUBLISHED ONApril 02, 2026 7:56 AMBYHelmy Sa'at
Penang will be fully banning single-use plastic bags from Sept 1, the state housing and environment committee chairman Sundarajoo Somu said on Thursday (April 2).
It will be implemented at hypermarkets, supermarkets, convenience stores, department stores, petrol station shops, pharmacies, fast food outlets and other licensed premises, according to The Star.
The policy was first announced on Aug 31 last year and is currently in the awareness phase.
The Malaysian state has been laying the groundwork through public awareness and alternatives, including the roll-out of recycled bags by the Penang Green Council and local councils.
Some 45,000 recycled bags have been handed out at markets and public events, with markets and hawkers given more time to adapt because of a lack of suitable alternatives, reported local publication Buletin Mutiara.
The target is 100,000 recycled bags.
Sundarajoo added that compliance could be tied to renewing business licences.
The policy aligns with Penang2030, the state’s vision of becoming a family-focused, green and smart state.
Penang became the first state in Malaysia to launch a No Free Plastic Bag campaign, requiring hypermarkets and supermarkets to stop giving out plastic bags for free in July 2009.
The policy was extended to cover three days a week in November that year.
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