Singapore Supermarkets Start Charging for Plastic Bags
Retailers will display signs in English, Malay, Chinese and Tamil alerting shoppers to the new fee.Source: National Environment Agency
Major supermarket chains in Singapore have started charging for plastic bags, a government move designed to encourage shoppers to use reusable totes that is years behind countries including South Korea and Japan.
Beginning Monday 3 July 2023, around 400 outlets — or two-thirds of all supermarkets in Singapore — are required to charge shoppers at least S$0.05 ($0.04) for each disposable bag. The fee applies to bags of any material type, though plastic is by far the most commonly used material at major grocery stores such as FairPrice, Sheng Siong and Cold Storage. “Whether they are made of paper, plastics, or biodegradable materials, disposables have an impact on our environment during their production, transportation, and disposal,” Singapore’s National Environment Agency said on its website. Consumption of disposables will generate waste and carbon emissions, worsening the climate crisis, it said.
Under its Zero Waste Masterplan, Singapore aims to reduce the amount of waste sent to its only landfill each day by 30% by 2030. But compared with other Asian countries, Singapore has been a laggard when it comes to slowing down plastic consumption in stores. In Japan, a mandatory charge on plastic bags in all retail shops was put in place in 2020, while South Korea banned single-used plastic bags at major supermarkets in 2019. Thailand also banned single-use plastic bags at major stores in 2020.
Shoppers still using plastic bags on day 1 of mandatory disposable bag charge cite convenience, habit
Customers bringing reusable bags for groceries at Northpoint City's NTUC FairPrice on the first day of the mandatory disposable carrier bag charge on Jul 3, 2023. (Photo: CNA/Javier Lim)
Shoppers seen still using plastic bags on the first day of the mandatory disposable carrier bag charge at large supermarkets on Monday (Jul 3) said they still did so out of convenience or habit.
From Monday, supermarket operators with an annual turnover of more than S$100 million (US$73.9 million) began charging at least 5 cents per disposable carrier bag. Under the requirement, these operators - which account for about two-thirds of supermarket outlets in Singapore - are required to charge a minimum of 5 cents for each bag. Those that CNA spoke to said they would not charge above 5 cents a bag.
On the first day of implementation, early morning shoppers at Giant, Sheng Siong and NTUC FairPrice supermarkets were seen toting reusable bags and dragging metal trolleys to contain their purchases. Some were seen forgoing disposable carrier bags, opting to carry fresh produce, such as fruits and seafood, out of the supermarket in transparent flat top bags without handles. Flat top plastic bags provided by the supermarkets are not subject to the mandatory charge.
Smooth start to new disposable-bag surcharge at supermarkets, but some grouses surface
Shoppers express mixed reactions to the implementation of a plastic bag surcharge at NTUC FairPrice at Northpoint City, as customers will now be required to pay five cents for each plastic bag they take. (PHOTO: Yahoo Southeast Asia)
The implementation of a disposable bag surcharge at major supermarket chains in Singapore from Monday (3 July) has garnered mixed reactions from shoppers.
While they generally complied to paying the surcharge upon paying for their supermarket items, they also expressed the limitations of bringing reusable tote bags to pack their items instead of using plastic bags.
Under the new mandatory charge, customers will be required to pay five cents for every disposable bag they take. Approximately 400 supermarkets from well-known chains such as NTUC FairPrice, Cold Storage, Giant, Sheng Siong and Prime, will participate in this move, accounting for about two-thirds of all outlets in Singapore. The mandate applies to larger supermarket operators with an annual turnover exceeding $100 million.
Most supermarkets in Singapore will charge 5 cents for each plastic bag from July 3
NEA said it will work with supermarket operators to use the proceeds for good causes. PHOTO: ST FILE
People will soon be paying for plastic at more places, with most supermarkets set to charge at least five cents per bag from July 3.
The move, part of a bid to reduce the use of disposables in Singapore, comes in tandem with efforts to ramp up recycling efforts in homes. About 400 major supermarkets – or two-thirds of all outlets here – will charge for disposable shopping bags. They include FairPrice, Cold Storage, Giant, Sheng Siong and Prime supermarket stores.
Disposable carrier bags of other material types will also carry a charge. While the price on disposable bags was first announced in 2022, the July 3 start date was announced by Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Amy Khor in Parliament on Thursday.
Minimum Charge For Disposable Carrier Bags At Supermarkets To Be Implemented To Encourage More Sustainable Consumption
To strive towards a Zero Waste Nation, a charge for disposable carrier bags at supermarkets will come into effect in mid-2023. The Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) and the National Environment Agency (NEA) hope that this charge, which complements ongoing efforts to promote sustainable consumption like the Say YES to Waste Less campaign, will encourage a shift towards more sustainable habits and lifestyles, including the practice of shoppers bringing their own bags and reducing the use of disposable carrier bags.
Larger supermarket operators will be required to charge a minimum of five cents for each disposable carrier bag[1] provided for purchases at their physical stores. The minimum charge has been kept low to moderate the cost impact on shoppers while encouraging them to be mindful of the number of disposable carrier bags they take. NEA strongly encourages supermarket operators to use the collected proceeds to support charitable programmes or sustainability-related initiatives. NEA will engage supermarket operators on adopting initiatives to lessen the potential impact of the charge, such as encouraging shoppers to bring their own bags. This allows supermarket operators the autonomy to decide how best to apply the proceeds, which may include their ongoing charitable programmes or bring-your-own-bag incentives. To uphold accountability and transparency in the use of the proceeds, supermarket operators will be required to publish information on the number of bags issued, amount of proceeds received from the bag charge, and how the proceeds are used.
The charge will apply to disposable carrier bags of all material types. Whether they are made of paper, plastic or degradable materials, disposables have an impact on the environment during their production, transportation and disposal. In addition, disposable carrier bags used in Singapore are either recycled or incinerated. As they are not landfilled directly, the potential environmental benefits of using biodegradable materials (e.g. paper) cannot be realised in Singapore. Applying the charge only to carrier bags of certain materials (eg plastic) may result in undesirable behaviours which will not benefit the environment, such as switching to a material that is not subjected to a charge. Consequently, we do not differentiate between the types of disposable carrier bags and shoppers are encouraged to reduce their use of all disposable carrier bags.
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