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Month-long ‘no plastic bag’ trial at seven NTUC FairPrice outlets comes to an end

SINGAPORE — NTUC FairPrice is evaluating a month-long “no plastic bag” trial at seven FairPrice and Cheers outlets, which ended on Wednesday (Oct 16).

A shopper with a reusable bag at  the FairPrice Xtra outlet at Hougang One mall on Sept 16, 2019 as the 'no plastic bag' trial got under way.

A shopper with a reusable bag at the FairPrice Xtra outlet at Hougang One mall on Sept 16, 2019 as the 'no plastic bag' trial got under way.

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SINGAPORE — NTUC FairPrice is evaluating a month-long “no plastic bag” trial at seven FairPrice and Cheers outlets, which ended on Wednesday (Oct 16).

It is too early to provide data on plastic bag usage during the trial or overall reactions from consumers, a FairPrice spokesperson told TODAY on Thursday, adding that updates will be provided in November.

During the trial, which started on Sept 16, shoppers at the seven outlets involved were encouraged to bring their own reusable bags.

Shoppers who needed plastic bags had to purchase them at S$0.20 per transaction at FairPrice, FairPrice Finest and FairPrice Xtra stores or S$0.10 per transaction at Cheers and FairPrice Xpress outlets.

From Thursday, shoppers at the seven stores involved in the trial no longer have to pay the surcharge for their plastic bags, the spokesperson said.

FairPrice said it is conducting a study to better understand consumer behaviour and reactions to the trial.

It will analyse the findings along with customer feedback “to develop a well-informed and sustainable action plan to reduce plastic bag use”, the spokesperson added.

The trial was announced in early September, along with the launch of a S$1 million FairPrice Sustainability Fund to address sustainability and environmental issues.

The month-long trial, consumer survey and fund are extensions of the FairPrice Plastic Bag Management Programme that was launched last year. The aim is to save 30 million plastic bags a year by 2030.

The proceeds of plastic bag sales during the trial will go to the Singapore Children’s Society and The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund.

TODAY visited some of the seven outlets on the first day of the trial in September and spoke to shoppers to find out what they thought about the initiative.

Most of the 10 shoppers who spoke to TODAY said that they supported the move, even though it brought about some inconvenience.

FairPrice’s trial is part of a wider push to reduce single-use plastic usage in Singapore amid rising awareness of the devastating effects of plastic waste in the oceans, for example.

In July, fashion retailer H&M announced a S$0.10 charge for shopping bags. Fast-food outlet Kentucky Fried Chicken has stopped issuing straws, while food delivery company Foodpanda gives customers the option to say no to disposable cutlery.

The seven stores involved in the NTUC FairPrice trial were: FairPrice Xtra at Hougang One, FairPrice Finest at Zhongshan Park, FairPrice at Tai Seng, Cheers at Create Way in the National University of Singapore, Cheers at Sengkang Community Hospital, Cheers at 611 Aljunied Road and FairPrice Xpress at 384 Lorong Chuan.

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NTUC Fairprice plastic bag environment pollution

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