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Reducing the Use of Plastic Bags

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Reducing the Use of Plastic Bags
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The article focuses on the issue of excessive usage of plastic bags in Singapore, and explores the possibility of reducing this usage by levying a fee when large retail outlets issue plastic bags. While some retailers feel that a formal governmental legislation should be passed before proceeding with the charge, others feel that retailers should implement these measures even without such mandatory policies. As this measure may potentially be feasible and effective in reducing the usage of plastic bags in Singapore, the government should consider implementing such measures following the examples of Hong Kong and Malaysia.

Another key idea proposed is that it is beneficial to reduce usage of plastic bags. The need for this reduction is undeniable. Decomposition takes hundreds of years and results in toxic residue being released, infiltrating into soils and oceans, harming various lifeforms (Roach, 2003). These effects are indeed detrimental but may not be as damaging when compared to its alternatives.

Considering local efforts to reduce plastic bags usage, 100,000 plastic bags were reduced and 200,000 reusable bags were sold on the BYOB launch date (Ng, 2007). These statistics seemed encouraging. However, the environment department found that only 12 percent out of 45 percent of these shoppers would remember to bring them (Ram, 2010). This phenomenon is worrying as a study has found that reusable bags have to be reused at least 94 times before it causes less damage to our environment (Agresti, 2012). Furthermore, the US warned that reusable bags are the primary cause of food-borne illnesses due to the spread of Norovirus (Goodman, 2012). This presents a pressing need to assess if reducing the use of plastic bags is viable and favorable to citizens, the country and the environment as a whole.

As the saying goes, “Nature always strikes back”. The case in Hong Kong warns us that actions taken to mitigate this problem may lead to



References: Agresti, J. (2012) Bans on Plastic Bags Harm the Environment, The Wall Street Journal, June 2012, Retrieved on 18 February 2012 from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303822204577468790467880880.html Goodman, B National Environment Agency (2012) Singapore Packaging Agreement, March 2012, Retrieved on 18 February 2012 from http://app2.nea.gov.sg/topics_packagreement.aspx Ng, J. (2007) 100,000 Plastic Bags Saved on Bring Your Own Bag Day, Channel NewsAsia, April 2007, Retrieved on 28 January 2012 from http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/271331/1/.html Olivia (2012) Plastic Bag Production “An Environmental Worry”, The Straits Times, April 2012, Retrieved on 22 February 2012 from http://sggreendrinks.wordpress.com/2012/04/27/the-straits-times-plastic-bag-production-an-environmental-worry/ http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/feb/04/plastic-bag-for-life-recycling REACH Gov (2012) The Successful Experience of IKEA, May 2012, Retrieved on 29 January 2012 from Roach, J. (2003) Are Plastic Bags Sacking the Environment?, National Geographic Bews, September 2003, Retrieved on 21 February 2012 from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/09/0902_030902_plasticbags.html Shread, P. (2012) Want More Customers? Become a Green Company, TIME, June 2012, Retrieved on 18 February 2012 from http://business.time.com/2012/06/15/want-more-customers-become-a-green-company/ Siegel, D. (2009) The Environmental Cost of a Free Canvas Bag, UTNE Reader, September 2009, Retrieved on 20 February 2012 from http://www.utne.com/Environment/Environmental-Cost-Free-Canvas-Bag.aspx Tay, E. (2011) 123 Mobile App in Singapore Helps in Singapore Recycle Waste Packaging Correctly, Zerowastesg, August 2011, Retrieved on 18 February 2012 from http://www.zerowastesg.com/tag/packaging/ Teo, D. (2012) 66 per cent against pay-for-plastic bag law: Yahoo! poll, Yahoo! NEWS, April 2012, Retrieved on 8 February 2012 from http://sg.news.yahoo.com/66-per-cent-against-pay-for-plastic-bag-law--yahoo--poll.html World, V. (2010) Italy bans shops from handling out plastic bags, The Telegraph, December 2010, Retrieved on 18 February 2012 from www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/businessandecology/recycling/8233033/Italy-bans-shops-from-handing-out-plastic-bags.html

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