Consumer reflections on the usage of plastic bags to parcel hot edible items: an empirical study in Malaysia

The packaging industry offers a wide range of pouching products to their clients in the food and beverage industries, healthcare industries and households as well. It is observed that pouching products are widely used and seemingly making them indispensable. Such practices are commonly found in Malaysia especially to parcel hot or cold food. The use of pouches raises two concerns namely solid waste disposal and food safety. The present study found more than 62% of the consumers purchase hot edible items in plastic bags daily or weekly because of its cost effectiveness and storage convenience. Consumers apparently are unperturbed by public campaigns against the use of plastic bags and neither do government regulations have any influence to reduce the use of plastic bags to parcel hot edible items. On the other hand, consumers are optimistic that the environmental and health hazards from the use of plastic bags to store hot edible items would only see a positive impact in the future.