singapotato Stir-fried Articles

No more aunties clamouring for plastic bags

A customer leaving an NTUC FairPrice supermarket, with a trolley full of groceries that are packed in plastic bags. Plastic bag production in Singapore has been singled out as an environmental worry because of the amount of crude oil it uses.
Plastic bags are made from crude oil and natural gas – fossil fuels that contribute to climate change. They are also a major cause of pollution worldwide – dealing particular damage to our oceans and seas.

If you still didn’t know, Fairprice is running a month-long trial starting 16 Sep at seven of its outlets.

Shoppers will need to pay $0.20 per transaction if they need plastic bags. ($0.10 instead, if you are buying from the participating Cheers or Fairprice Xpress outlets.)

This is of course, in a bid to encourage shoppers to reduce the use of plastic bags (and waste of course).

The amount collected from the plastic bag charge will go towards the Singapore Children’s Society and the Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund.

These seven outlets are namely:

  • FairPrice Xtra at Hougang One
  • FairPrice Finest at Zhongshan Park
  • FairPrice at Tai Seng
  • FairPrice Xpress at 384 Lorong Chuan
  • Cheers at 1 Create Way
  • Cheers at 1 Anchorvale Street
  • Cheers at 611 Aljunied Road

Alongside this, Fairprice also launched a $1million Fairprice Sustainability Fund, to address sustainability and environmental issues. This fund will be used to sponsor local projects that help to reduce packing, food or plastic waste.

It’s time to mobilise your family to start breaking out those reusable bags (hello even NDP bags and trolleys) when you’re grocery shopping.

If we don’t start now by reducing our plastic waste, who is going to help us protect the environment for the future? It might all be too late then.

What’s your take on the issue. Do you think we should charge for plastic bags?