Charge on Plastic Bags at Supermarkets

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources whether the Ministry will consider imposing a charge on plastic bags at supermarkets.

In Singapore, households generally reuse plastic bags to dispose of their waste in a hygienic manner. In addition, plastic bags which are thrown away are incinerated safely at our waste-to-energy plants before they are landfilled as ash. This is in contrast to many other countries where waste is directly landfilled. In these countries, plastic bags, which are not biodegradable, may remain in the landfills for a long time or find their way into the seas.

Even though Singapore manages the disposal of plastic bags well, there is room for us to cut down on excessive usage. The recent discussions on the plastic bag issue reflect a greater environmental awareness among Singaporeans. I commend environmental groups for raising awareness on the need to curb the excessive use of plastic bags. For instance, ZeroWasteSG conducted a survey among supermarket shoppers and found that only 15% of shoppers were using reusable bags or trolleys without taking plastic bags. I am heartened by recent media reports that major supermarket players in Singapore are open to considering measures to reduce plastic bag usage, such as a voluntary charge on plastic bags if imposed across the industry.

However, some concerns have been raised on implementing a plastic bag charge. For example, will there be unintended consequences, such as the substitution of plastic bags with paper bags or even wastage of reusable bags? Additionally, how can sufficient educational and enforcement measures be put in place to complement the charge and reduce demand for plastic bags by shoppers?

My Ministry and the National Environment Agency (NEA) are looking into the responses to ZeroWasteSG's survey and are engaging supermarket operators to explore potential solutions to reduce the excessive use of plastic bags. NEA has also recently published a tender to study the different types of single-use carriers and how they compare in terms of cost and impact on the environment. These will help in our formulation of any future policies on the use of different types of bags.

Ultimately, the excessive use of plastic bags can only be curbed with the support and participation of the community and retailers. Shoppers can play their part by taking just enough plastic bags for their needs and re-using them for bagging household refuse. They can also utilise re-usable bags as much as possible. With a strong partnership among the public, private and people sectors, I am confident that we can create a more sustainable Singapore together.

Madam, I thank the Senior Minister of State for the response. I thank her also for considering imposing a plastic bag charge. But is there a timeframe before a decision is going to be made?

Secondly, the Senior Minister of State had given some of the survey results from ZeroWasteSG. But can the Ministry also consider the other part of the survey which showed that 65% of shoppers would reduce the number of plastic bags they take from supermarkets, or 58% would actually bring their own reusable bag if there is a 10-cent charge that is imposed by the supermarkets?

What we are calling for here is not a ban on plastic bags, which we know we need to use to bag our rubbish. But I think this is a pretty good middle ground. It is win-win because it is asking people to reduce the wastage, and the survey results so far show that people would reduce the wastage if there is just a 10-cent charge.

I want to thank the Member for his supplementary questions and comments. Let me first note that we recognise the importance and the benefits of curbing the excessive use of plastic bags. In fact, we are looking at further measures to see how we can achieve this, as I have noted in my reply. But let me also note that we need to recognise that our national circumstances are quite unique and different from those of many other countries. Together with the municipal waste, the plastic bags which are thrown away are actually incinerated and not directly landfilled. So, concerns, for instance, regarding the non-biodegradability of plastic bags, which is really the key reason used to justify a levy on plastic bags in many other countries, really is not applicable in our context.

Moreover, we need to also recognise that the large majority of Singaporeans live in apartments, and they dispose of their refuse through the refuse chute, and they use plastic bags to dispose their rubbish in a hygienic manner. It has taken us quite a long time to get this habit going.

The other thing is that if you look at the views on this issue, which is imposing a charge on plastic bags, it is actually quite mixed. Through our consultation as well as through the media and even social media, many are supportive of this, citing, for example, excessive use of plastic bags, as well as the fact that for countries that have used it, there is a significant reduction in the number of plastic bags used.

But there are also others who have objected, citing reasons like hygiene, in terms of disposing food in used plastic bags, as well as some unintended consequences that may arise. For instance, actually substituting the use of plastic bag with paper bags, which is also a resource. In addition, wastage of reusable bags and such.

There are merits in the arguments on both sides. We really need to do a study on this. We need to engage the stakeholders which we are doing. We are also looking at the experiences of other countries, as well as a life cycle assessment study that we are conducting, which will look at the cost and environmental impact on the different types of bags used. This will help us to formulate policies, including on the use of plastic bags.

I think we need to do this in order to come to a decision and we will share with Members the results and outcome of our studies and the decision on whether to implement a charge on plastic bags. If so, in what manner? For instance, is it just major supermarkets or major retailers as well? We need to do this before we come to a decision.

Mdm Speaker, just a quick clarification for the Senior Minister of State. Can I confirm if the Ministry has done a study with regard to the emissions from a biodegradable plastic bag when incinerated as opposed to one which is not bio-degradable?

This is exactly what we are doing. We have recently published a tender and we have commissioned a study – Life Cycle Assessment – on the different types of single carrier bags used, as well as common forms of containers that are used for food and beverage. The idea is to look into how these different types of materials compare in terms of cost as well as environmental impact.