We have now gone into the 3rd month after the official launch of JASA Eco and there have been a substantial amount of development but also a large amount obstacles and frustration.
Having spoken to so many corporates, the MBPJ, the MPPP, and hypermarkets, it is obvious no one is opposed to the idea of going Green, but the fundamental question lies as to how we are to go Green.
No one can criticise you for going Green. In fact, they will praise you and say that's the way to go, that's the future etc. But when it comes to crunchtime and the time to change, how many people are actually willing to go ahead with it?
The problem is that people don't want to pay more to go Green. At the present time, as the material is already more expensive than current plastic, how can the price come down to the same as plastic? In terms of the word 'cheap', how much are we talking about? Is RM5 too expensive and RM1 acceptable? Or is 20 sen a bearable cost but 50 sen is too much? How much does 50 sen matter to us nowadays?
Change can only come about when there is a change in mentality. 50 sen is really not a lot of money, but there is a psychological barrier which has hardwired into our conscience that 50 sen is a lot of money! Once we can associate the fact that we are doing good for the environment, people's perceptions don't change.
Preferences are selfish or emotional, and to part with even 5 sen without seeing the cause is something we would rather not do. It is our job now to change this perception, and more people would be able to see that the environment is really something worth saving and worth putting our 50 sen towards.
