GEORGE TOWN, Sept 11 — Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow has instructed the Penang Green Council (PGC) to study the sustainability of the plastic industry.

He said there needs to be a rethink of the use of plastics and the plastics industry instead of a blanket ban.

"The usage of plastic is necessary, we can’t do without it, we have to admit that these are necessary products for the modern world,” he said during a press conference here today after officiating the In.Tech Conference 2019 titled "Sustainability Within the Plastics Industry”.

Chow said it was not about banning the use of plastics but more about finding sustainable use to make a real impact.

"While Penang is at the forefront in coming up with various initiatives against single use plastics but it seems only two per cent of the pollution in the ocean are from these while there are other areas that deserve attention,” he said.

What could be looked into included refining processes involved in the plastic industry that can reduce the impact on the environment, he added.

Chow said the state government and the plastic industry will need to rethink the sustainability of plastic usage.

The conference, themed "Going Beyond Reduce”, revealed that the move to reduce the use of plastics is only a temporary solution to a greater problem.

The conference also looked at sustainable solutions that can be adopted by the plastic industry to reduce impact on the environment.