CAP urges management of temples not to use polystyrene to serve food

The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) urged the management of all temples in Malaysia that celebrate Thaipusam not to use polystyrene food containers in their temple surroundings when serving food to devotees.

Its Education Officer, N.V Subbarow said during Thaipusam, charity organisations provide free food as Anna Dhanam and most of them use containers made of polystyrene when serving food.

"Polystyrene plates and cups are widely used to serve food and drinks to devotees citing convenience as the reason to cater to the large crowd. Due to this, many polystyrene garbage is being produced every year. Even shops that sell sweets and prayer items use plastic bags," he said in a statement here today.

He said the use of disposable polystyrene containers created a large amount of garbage and many people were not aware of the fact that polystyrene took about 500 years to degrade in the environment.

"This polystyrene garbage when burned emits dangerous chemicals which again pose a health threat to consumers," he said

In addition, Subarrow also urged the temple management to be firm with stall owners and impose stricter rules to refrain shop owners from using polystyrene packaging or plastic bags.

He said those found flouting the rules should not be the given chance to set their own stalls in the next Thaipusam.

"Lets us strive towards polystyrene free Thaipusam and use this festival as a platform to save and nurture the environment. This will leave behind a cleaner and safer environment for our children," he added.

Thaipusam is celebrated in the month of Thai (which falls between January and February) for Lord Murugan where it attracts a large gathering of devotees to their favourite temples.