Plastic Bag Usage by Singapore Topped 820 Million: SEC
The SEC survey notes that only 2% of the plastic shopping bags are recycled by consumers. Nearly two-thirds of the bags are used for waste disposal.
SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The recent survey carried out by the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) hints at alarming rise in usage of plastic bags for shopping by customers at supermarkets. The study commissioned by SEC also reveals that only a small percentage of these plastic materials are recycled by the country. The online survey, conducted with the help of Deloitte, was based on nearly 1,000 inputs covering a six-month period from December 2017 to May this year.
According to the survey, shoppers take 820 million plastic bags from supermarkets every year. This translates to an average of 146 plastic bags per person. It must be noted that the survey did not include the plastic bags given away by shopping and other establishments other than supermarkets. SEC chairman Isabella Huang-Loh noted that Singapore has witnessed alarming growth in use of plastic bags over the recent years. The results of the survey suggest that there exist certain gaps in the plastic ecosystem, Huang-Loh added.
The study found that 49% of the respondents use three or more plastic bags per each visit to supermarket. Surprisingly, 14% were found to use six or more bags on each visit. Only 15% bring own bags for shopping. Women brought reusable bags to supermarket for shopping twice often than men.
The SEC survey notes that only 2% of the plastic shopping bags are recycled by consumers. Nearly two-thirds of the bags are used for waste disposal.
In the light of the survey results, the SEC recommends effective public education campaigns to discourage the use of plastic bags by creating awareness about the dangers of plastic. Towards this cause, it intends to launch a campaign, in partnership with NTUC FairPrice and Coca-Cola, to educate people to use fewer plastic items. It urged Singaporeans to use one less plastic item every day.