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Free plastic bags from supermarkets do not go to waste

I refer to the report “An idea to charge for plastic bags on weekends” (Oct 1).

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caSlin lee Hui ling

I refer to the report “An idea to charge for plastic bags on weekends” (Oct 1).

I would like to share my views on the Singapore Environment Council’s idea of charging for plastic bags provided by supermarkets on weekends.

As someone who is working, I typically plan my grocery shopping at supermarkets on weekends. This is also the time I get my supply of plastic bags, which I reuse daily for disposal of refuse produced from chores like food preparation.

If supermarkets start to charge for the bags, it is likely that people like me may have to resort to buying our own plastic bags to store our rubbish.

To me, this does not promote the National Environment Agency’s message to reduce, reuse and recycle. Using a brand-new plastic bag to contain waste does not make sense to me when I can reuse those from grocery shopping.

In Singapore, plastic bags are a necessity for us to manage our refuse in a hygienic and orderly way. This helps to contribute to the safety and ease of clearing rubbish.

If people started to throw things directly into rubbish chutes in Housing and Development Board blocks due to a lack of plastic bags (as they did not get any from supermarkets or buy their own), would that pose a threat to environmental cleanliness as well as the safety of cleaners?

We should look at the root cause of the issue and continue to educate people about reusing and recycling plastic bags, so as to do our part in contributing to the long-term good of our environment.

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