KENNETH CHENG Today Online 31 Aug 17;
SINGAPORE — A national campaign kicks off today to get Singaporeans to use their own reusable items such as bags and food containers when they shop or dine outside. This is to cut back on the use of plastic disposables, which are harmful to the environment, and to reduce waste.
Those who support the campaign will be offered incentives such as discounts and free food items at supermarkets, cafes and food outlets.
There are 14 retailers, which together operate more than 220 shops in Singapore, taking part in the Bring Your Own (BYO) Singapore campaign. It was launched on Thursday (Aug 31) by non-governmental organisation Zero Waste SG, in partnership with the labour movement’s youth wing Young NTUC, office-equipment company Ricoh Asia Pacific, and the National Environment Agency (NEA).
Participating retailers include supermarket chains such as Cold Storage and NTUC FairPrice, and food establishments such as Paul bakery outlets and Joe & Dough cafes.
At FairPrice’s 141 outlets, for example, shoppers who use their own reusable bags will get 10 cents off their shopping bill with a minimum spending of S$10.
At eatery Aloha Poke’s five branches, customers who take away food in their own reusable containers get an extra serving of a “superfood” item worth S$1, for free. Homegrown cafe chain Joe & Dough will take 50 cents off the bill when customers use a reusable cup or bottle at its nine outlets.
The campaign, which runs till the end of the year, hopes to get 500 retail outlets on board, and to reduce the use of disposables by one million pieces this year.
Retailers taking part will keep track of the number of plastic disposables that they manage to cut back.
Mr Eugene Tay, executive director of Zero Waste SG, said that rewards are being used at the start to get the momentum going and to cultivate the “BYO habit” among more Singaporeans. “After some time, this habit should hopefully continue, even without retailers providing incentives.”
Lawyer Lynn Poon, 28, who patronises Aloha Poke every fortnight, agreed: “It will get the ball rolling. Eventually, it should become a habit for people.”
However, one executive, who gave her name as just Ms Ann, 26, said that she supports using fewer plastic bags, but she would not use her own reusable containers to take away food because washing up is a hassle.
Mr Tay said that at the end of the campaign, the organisation will study the need to extend it if the target is not met, or look into other ways to cultivate the habit of reducing plastic waste among the population.
Plastic waste, which includes take-away cups and plastic bags, is one of the most common forms of waste found at Singapore’s incineration plants. Last year, there were 822,200 tonnes of plastic waste generated here, with just 7 per cent of it being recycled, NEA figures showed.
Burning plastics produces carbon dioxide, which contributes to climate change, Zero Waste SG said.
Plastic disposables are also detrimental to wildlife, human health and the environment. Being light, they wind up in waterways and the sea as litter, harming marine creatures that ingest them. Small plastic fragments could also find their way into the food chain of humans.
Lukewarm response from retailers to support BYO campaign
KENNETH CHENG Today Online 31 Aug 17;
SINGAPORE — Over the last five months, non-governmental organisation Zero Waste SG tried to draw some 200 retailers to be a part of the Bring Your Own (BYO) Singapore campaign. In the end, only 14 came on board.
They are to be involved in the nationwide movement to help Singaporeans use less plastic, whether it be plastic bags or food containers.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday (Aug 31), Mr Eugene Tay, executive director of Zero Waste SG, said that the organisation was “definitely not satisfied” with the numbers.
"The big retailers have to step up their efforts in not just educating consumers to (cut down the use of) disposables, but also in leading the way to show (the) small and medium enterprises that the big players are ready to (do this),” he added.
While some of the 200 or so retailers approached had not made up their minds, Mr Tay revealed that others did not want to take part because they were afraid that offering incentives to motivate consumers to use fewer plastic products might end up raising their operating costs.
Mr Tay explained that by cutting back on disposables, retailers save on some material costs. The hope is for the campaign to drive more traffic to the shops, making up the shortfall that comes from offering rewards to the customers.
Then, the retailers were also concerned about the varying sizes of reusable receptacles customers may use. There might be complaints from customers that “they are receiving less”, they said.
Two eateries, Indian restaurant chain Muthu’s Curry and Percolate cafe, which were not among the retailers approached by Zero Waste SG, told TODAY that they explored or started a similar initiative.
Last year, Muthu’s Curry considered giving discounts to encourage patrons to use their own take-away containers. However, rising rental rates and food costs were among the barriers to making it work.
The chain also could not reach out to customers in “large numbers” to promote such a move, Mr Srinivasan Ayyakannu, 39, its operations director, said.
Earlier in August, Percolate cafe in Bedok North began shaving 50 cents off coffee bills for patrons who choose the reusable Sol Cups sold there. Co-founder Avin Tan, 30, said that the cafe was slightly concerned the incentive might trim margins for certain drinks that have costlier ingredients.
Other difficulties include patrons who ask to store the glass cups at the shop. Allowing other reusable mugs could also mean having to manage customer expectations about “under-filling” the cups, so confining it to the “cafe-standard” Sol Cups negates this problem, he added.
However, Mr Wiltian Ang, 35, owner of The Matcha Project X Copper Espresso takeaway kiosk at Marina Boulevard, which is part of the BYO Singapore campaign, said that it would not incur extra costs with the discount it is offering.
“We just earn less … there’s more than enough margin to cover (the cost of the incentive),” he said.
Eatery Aloha Poke’s co-founder John Chen, 38, said that giving an extra serving of a food item (worth S$1) for every reusable container presented is a “very small contribution to help save the environment”.
BYO movements have been around for years. The Singapore Environment Council (SEC) and the National Environment Agency ran the Bring Your Own Bag Day campaign between 2007 and 2010, involving about 300 retailers.
In 2013, furniture giant Ikea stopped making available disposable plastic bags.
Over the years, the SEC has also taken steps to nudge consumers to use their own bags when shopping. Since July, for instance, it has joined hands with green group Plastic-Lite SG to send volunteers to supermarkets, where patrons are given reusable bags and educated on how to cut waste at home.
Discounts and free food for bringing your own bag, bottle or containers at 14 retailers
Samantha Boh Straits Times 31 Aug 17;
SINGAPORE - From supermarket chains to a German sausage stall in Dover, 14 retailers will be dangling small discounts to encourage their customers not to use plastic bags, bottles and containers from Friday (Sept 1) to the end of the year.
Customers who bring their own bag, bottle or container will, for instance, get 10 cents off at NTUC FairPrice if they spend $10 or more, or get 50 cents off at German sausage stall Wuerstelstand. Other participating food outlets are also offering discounts of 50 cents to $1. (See below for a complete list.)
The retailers are acting to reduce plastic waste in Singapore, as part of the Bring Your Own (BYO) campaign launched on Thursday by environmental non-governmental organisation Zero Waste SG.
While 822,200 tonnes of plastic waste was generated in 2016, only 7 per cent was recycled, making it one of the most common types of waste disposed at the incineration plants in Singapore.
The burning of plastic produces carbon dioxide which contributes to the warming of the planet.
Zero Waste SG executive director Eugene Tay said his goal is to sign up 500 retail outlets and reduce the number of disposable items by 1,000,000 pieces by the end of the year.
Besides the discounts, other customer incentives include cash rebates, free top-ups for food or drinks bought, gifts and reward points.
Retailers who sign up have to display posters, stickers or wobblers on the campaign and track how much they have reduced their use of plastic items such as cups and plates.
"After some time, this habit should hopefully continue even without retailers providing incentives," said Mr Tay.
Mr Erich Sollbock, 56, owner of Wuerstelstand, said: "I have independently made it my SOP (standard operating procedure) not to automatically provide plastic disposables to my customers."
He added that the amount of savings from the reduction of disposables will pay for the 50 cent incentive he provides to customers.
The BYO campaign is also being organised in partnership with Young NTUC, office automation equipment supplier Ricoh Asia Pacific, and the National Environment Agency (NEA).
An NEA spokesman said it is encouraged by the ground-up effort, adding that its study on how different types of disposable food packaging materials compare in terms of cost and impact to the environment is expected to conclude in the second half of this year.
Ms Melissa Tan, chairman of the Waste Management & Recycling Association of Singapore, said the campaign could not have come sooner.
She noted that some local waste collectors and recyclers collect plastic waste, but export them to other countries for recycling.
"Unfortunately, even some of these countries are finding it hard to cope with so much plastic waste going to them that they are also putting up barriers to these plastic waste imports that harm their environment," she said.
"To discourage Singaporeans from over-relying on such disposable plastic items, shops can charge more for them or like some supermarkets overseas, (and) not even provide them to customers."
Participating retailers:
Aloha Poke - Additional superfood (worth $1)
Cold Storage - Free reusable bag with at least $20 purchase; valid only on Mondays in September 2017; show BYO logo to cashier
Happy Salad - 2 free toppings
Joe and Dough - 50 cents discount
Kopi Ong - One chop; free drink after 10 chops
NTUC FairPrice - 10 cents discount with at least $10 purchase
Paul - 10% discount on bread items
The Lokal Singapore - $1 discount
The Matcha Project X Copper Espresso - 50 cents discount
The Sugar Fairy - 20 cent discount (for bag and container); 10 cents (for bag)
Verdure Cafe - 50 cents discount
Wuerstelstand - 50 cents discount
Well Dressed Salad Bar - 50 cents to $1 depending on the type of reusable
Yellow Cup Coffee - 50 cents discount
