I'm sure most of you know that in Singapore,there is a campaign going on which aims at encouraging more people to bring their own bags when they are going shopping at a supermarket.In some ways,it has work.Retailers said they have sold 510,000 reusable bags since the campaign started last April and saved up to 20 per cent in plastic bags but there is still room for improvement and that is why it is going to be a weekly affair instead of a montly one starting from tomorrow.
Come June 4 which is tomorrow of course,the popular 'Bring Your Own Bag Day' (BYOBD) will become a weekly affair.Every Wednesday will be designated 'Bring Your Own Bag Day' at participating retailers,which include major supermarket chains.In consumer surveys by the National Environment Agency (NEA),60 per cent of the 1,000 respondents said they support the campaign.However,only up to 20 per cent brought their own bags.This was because the majority were confused as to which Wednesday of the month was 'Bring Your Own Bag Day'.So the Singapore Environment Council and NEA have now decided that the BYOBD movement will be put in place on all Wednesdays.If you still are unsure of the participating retailers,it does include Carrefour,Cold Storage,Giant,NTUC Fairprice,Prime Supermarket,Sheng Siong,Shop N Save,Autobacs,Rehab Mart,Stamford Tyres and more recently Home-Fix.
As much as I support the campaign,I dont really own a green bag because my mum refuse to buy it despite it only cost only a few dollars or so,but I hope she will do it one day.I think it is a good thing to do,as you know,plastics is not easy to decompose has other harmful effects,but if we can reduce the number of plastic bag used,we can make a slight difference in making the world a greener and cleaner place.My mum always argue that changing to green bag is not a good idea as she need the plastic bag to bag household refuse but if we can use the green bag for at least one day,I think that is good enough.My family is not use to go shopping on Wednesday so this decision will not affect me that much but that doesnt mean you cannot use the green bag on other days,so dont try to give that excuse.
I went to an environmental website recently and it was found that in Singapore,of the 5.6 million tonnes of rubbish generated last year,54 % or over three million tonnes was recycled and that an estimate of 2.5 billion plastic bags are used in Singapore a year.Now that is a shocking statistics as far as Im concern but I think more and more Singaporeans are realising that if the trend continues,it will spell disaster for everyone.Therefore,it was good to see that the 'BYOBD' campaign is producing positive results,and I think it will only get better with it being a weekly affair now,who knows if might be introduce to two days weekly instead of just one day.I know some of you might be wondering,what if you forgot to bring your own bag on Wednesday.Don't worry as they will still provide you with the normal plastic bags but you will have to pay 10 cents if Im not mistaken.Still,there are people who are complaining about having to pay for their plastic bag,but we must stop thinking in terms of the price of a plastic bag.Think instead of how much you value the earth that your children and grandchildren must live in.
Just imagine.If each of us reduces our plastic bag consumption by half,this will reduce the number of bags by 1.25 billion each year.A small effort on our part can certainly contribute to conserving our precious resources.So please,let us make a concerted effort to bring our own shopping bags,not only on BYOB Days,but as often as we can.It is a lifestyle habit that needs to be cultivated and practiced daily.Otherwise,the 'BYOBD' campaign,beyond good intentions,will have no impact on the environment that we are trying to save.As for me,I think I am going to buy a green bag the next time I go shopping whether my mother likes it or not.
The article was taken from ChannelNewsAsia.
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