Channel NewsAsia 4 Jun 08;
SINGAPORE : The 'Bring Your Own Bag Day' campaign became a weekly affair, starting Wednesday. The Singapore Environment Council and the National Environment Agency hope that by making 'Bring Your Own Bag Day' a weekly, rather than monthly event, greener habits can be formed.
Hardware chain Home-Fix is the latest retailer to join the campaign, bringing the total number of participating retailers to 14, double that from when the campaign first started in April 18 last year.
The anti-plastic bag campaign is also picking up pace in several parts of Asia. In Bangladesh for instance, polythene bags have been banned since 2002, while in Taiwan, consumers are charged for the plastic bags upon request.
In Singapore, the 'Bring Your Own Bag' (BYOB) campaign has been in place for over a year now, but studies show that only 1 in 5 actually bring their own bags while grocery shopping. Inconvenience or forgetfulness are the main reasons cited.
"When you are shopping for the whole family, it's hard to bring like 10 bags. As you can see, my trolley is so full," said one female shopper.
"I do bring my own bag, but today, I forgot to bring it," said another shopper.
NTUC FairPrice said those who forget to bring their own bags can buy reusable ones. It added that it has sold over 250,000 of them since April 2007.
Fortunately, some customers have been more enthusiastic about the campaign. "Today is Wednesday, so I should bring my own bag," said a shopper.
Over at Home-Fix, store assistants will tie up bulky items with a string to make them easier to carry.
The hardware chain, which has 17 outlets, is the latest to join in the campaign. It estimates that by taking the more eco-friendly option, it will cut down on the use of over 330,000 plastic bags. - CNA /ls
