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Thursday, July 02, 2009

pay for your plastic

The story about BYOB (Bring Your Own Bag) seems like never-ending. While supermarkets in Singapore are still providing shoppers with free plastic bags, those in China have long stopped giving out free plastic bags. And Hong Kong is going to join in.

From July 7 onwards, shoppers in Hong Kong have to pay 50cents for plastic bag whenever they shop at registered retail shops. Shops that provide free plastic bags will be fined. I remember some time back there was some hoo-haa when ParkNShop, a local supermarket, decided to charge for plastic bags and got quite bad response from the public. Seems like you need legislation for things to happen. But then, being quick to respond, some convenient stores are giving handle-less plastic bag (those you use for freshies) in place of the normal plastic shopping bag, and the authority can't fault them for that.

I experienced what is meant by no-means-no in China. I went to a supermarket to shop for ingredients for cooking, but didn't have a shopping bag with me. I wasn't willing to pay for the 10cents plastic bag, so in the end I was carrying (literally) bloody fish and some veggie, walking out of the supermarket.

While I am not suggesting Singapore to follow suit and have legislations for giving out plastic bag, but I think cashiers can start asking if shoppers need a plastic bag instead of handing them out like SOP (Standard Operating Procedure). As a shopper, when asked, at least I would spend the extra nanosecond to think whether I really need the plastic bags. Or if I decide to walk out of the supermarket with bloody fish.

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posted by chillycraps at 9:45 PM | Links

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10 Comments:

  • What they do in the UK is quite a good balance. They sell lots and lots of reusable bags at the counter, and the bags are not automatically given out you have to ask and then they'll give. But then the Cashiers don't bag for us...

    By Anonymous Jerrick, at 7/02/2009 10:30:00 PM  

  • wow, it sure discourages people from taking things for granted!

    By Blogger chillycraps, at 7/02/2009 10:38:00 PM  

  • We do pay for the plastic bags in Taiwan. I don't know why. it supposed to make shoppers bring their own bags, but no, they just paid, why not? cost only 1 NT$. Maybe those stores shouldn't providing any plastic bags, they can sells reusable bags, expensive one. i'm sure the shoppers won't forget to bring their own bags next time.

    By Anonymous jojo, at 7/02/2009 10:47:00 PM  

  • Sounds like a good idea. Its the same here in Rome too. Its 10 cents euro per plastic bag and 30 cents euro for a biodegradable plastic bag.

    I cant imagine seeing you carrying fish and vegetables without the plastic bag ... hehehe

    By Blogger rinaz, at 7/02/2009 11:37:00 PM  

  • oooh. if it's ready in Singapore, someone will definitely make a move in Malaysia. for sure!

    lol

    By Blogger FarA, at 7/03/2009 12:55:00 AM  

  • jojo: haha yes, when I went to Taiwan and visited the 7-11, they didn't give me plastic bag!

    rinaz:: wow sounds ex! I wonder if people would opt for the more expensive biodegradable bags?

    fara: HAHAHA! I'm sure not all will obey~

    By Blogger chillycraps, at 7/03/2009 07:14:00 AM  

  • If no free plastic bags given out, where to place our rubbish?

    Most of us do reuse plastic bags given out at supermarkets, with clean ones kept inside some drawers and more dirty ones used to contain rubbish.

    I don't agree that supermarkets here charge $0.10 or more for plastic bags, I mean at least in Singapore, you don't know where the $0.10 go to. I just afraid that it is another revenue generating exercise like ERP.

    If all the proceeds from charging plastic bags extra cents can be channeled to research and development for reducing the cost of biodegradable plastic bag, then it may be better to charge $0.10.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 7/04/2009 08:50:00 AM  

  • hi anon! Yup I'm not suggesting we should be charged for the plastic bags, more of use what is required. Sometimes I observe that cashiers are giving out more than required to do the job.

    I myself reuse all my plastic bags. The only time I throw them away is when I use them as trash bags.

    What you said make sense too, but it's always the case in taxing.

    By Blogger chillycraps, at 7/04/2009 12:13:00 PM  

  • i do hear that ppl can use newspaper folded bags to replace the plastic ones, but that's just for the dry stuff. how to throw left over curry then?

    By Blogger Mei, at 7/04/2009 10:04:00 PM  

  • HAHA I can't imagine using old newspaper to wrap stuff at supermarket, and when you reach home nothing is left cos the wet newspaper has a hole :P

    By Blogger chillycraps, at 7/05/2009 08:03:00 AM  

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