Another way to reduce use of plastic bags

Chlorin Chew Pei Wah, Today Online Voices, 10 Oct 13;

I refer to the debate in Voices on plastic-bag usage.

I feel there is no need to charge for plastic bags. Instead, supermarkets should simply not give out these bags on certain days, such as weekends.

For example, supermarkets in Malaysia do not give out plastic bags on Saturdays.

I understand that many working families get their groceries during weekends and, like most families, I reuse plastic bags to store my rubbish.

However, I find that I usually have an abundance of these bags from my supermarket trips.

One need not get plastic bags only from supermarkets.

We can get them from convenience shops and coffee shops, and I have seen people throwing away perfectly reusable bags right after their purchase.

A nationwide campaign to reduce their usage will indeed be timely.


Give incentives to those who use own bags
Joseph Lee Kim Huat, Today Online Voices, 9 Oct 13;

I have constantly observed that the recommended solution for reducing the use of plastic bags is for supermarkets to impose a charge.

But it is better to give incentives, like a 10-cent discount, to those who use their own bags, perhaps with a minimum purchase of S$5 a bag.

This could lower the burden on the lower-income group and, with less use of plastic bags, reduce costs for supermarkets too.

Why charging for plastic bags is a zero-sum game
Today Online 12 Oct 13;

Having read the Voices letters on plastic bags, I wish to share why retailers in Singapore should not impose a charge.

I am stationed in central China, in a tier-two city where supermarkets and major modern retailers charge between 0.3 (S$0.06) and 1 yuan per plastic bag. At first, this seemed to reduce consumption.

I have noticed, though, that many shoppers continue to buy supermarket plastic bags, on a need basis, even though they bring their own bag, simply because of the bulk of certain grocery items, planned or unplanned.

Small shops and vendors continue to give plastic bags for free. Waste disposal bags are well-stocked in supermarkets and some consumers buy these black bags to supplement the plastic bags they collect from retailers.

This, to me, is a zero-sum game.

Some consumers prefer not to spend money on any bags and throw their waste loosely in disposal bins, which have become unsightly and smelly in the community area where I reside.

Such public health problems are social costs, which no one would care to measure. Households would then be the ones picking up the tab.

Lifestyle changes needed to curb plastic bag usage
Today Online 11 Oct 13;

The Singapore Environment Council is right to seek a reduction of “wastage arising from taking small bags with low potential for secondary use”, but its recommendations appear to be inadequate. (“Only take what you need for rubbish disposal”; Oct 9)

Most discussions on this issue draw attention to the astronomical number of plastic bags used by Singaporeans, with usage at supermarkets as the whipping boy. Are we barking up the wrong tree, however, given the evidence that most of these bags are reused for rubbish disposal?

Instead, there is some room to reduce the consumption of plastic bags for food items. For example, a major bakery chain wraps bread individually in plastic bags at the checkout counter. These are thrown away after the bread is eaten, as they have no alternative uses.

We should request that paper boxes be used. Most sales of food items involve the use of plastic bags, partly for hygiene reasons and partly to cater to our way of life. If we want a meaningful reduction in plastic bag usage, we must accept some changes to our way of life.

Many have pointed out that other developed countries have controlled the use of plastic bags. However, there are two important differences between Singapore and these countries. First, our warm climate promotes the proliferation of rodents and pests.

Second, food waste from Asian cuisines is generally messier (leftover bones and gravy).

Without enough plastic bags to manage the waste, public health issues might be costlier to address. Are we prepared to change our diet so that plastic bags are not critical to food waste disposal?

As for using biodegradable bags, I feel that they are sometimes a greater waste of resources.

A major IT retail chain here gives out reusable bags for purchases, but ironically, I have little subsequent use for these compared to the supermarkets’ plastic bags.

Singapore should indeed curb wastage of plastic bags. However, we should target scenarios where the usage is non-essential, particularly for non-food items.

Perhaps all retailers should make the effort to first ask consumers if they require a bag. Given a chance to reflect on this, a sizeable number may not take the bags.

Changes to how we use plastic bags can be easily incorporated into daily life
Today Online 12 Oct 13;

I have read all the Voices letters on the subject of disposable plastic bags and, like some of the writers, I have been taking plastic bags for groceries sparingly for years and using reusable bags.

I bring a cooler bag with me for frozen and chilled products, which makes sense in many ways, for example, to keep food from spoiling on the way home. I take only a few minutes to wash it afterwards, if necessary.

As mentioned in “Lifestyle changes needed to curb plastic bag usage” (Oct 11), more retailers could ask customers if they need a bag. Pharmacies and those selling dry goods come to mind. Several already do and some customers put the goods in their own bags if they are reminded.

One furniture and household giant here does not supply free plastic bags, which customers have learnt to accept.

Perhaps what is needed is a mindset change and more effort to use recycling bins/collections rather than throwing everything down the convenient rubbish chute. Then we may not need so many bags.

Other small changes could easily be made, such as draining liquid or semi-liquid refuse to reduce volume and mess before disposal. It may take a little more time, but some convenience can be sacrificed for our fragile planet and our future generations.

Plastic bag reduction and recycling may sound like a small contribution, but it is something the ordinary person could easily incorporate into daily life.