“Bring Your Own Bag” campaign is ridiculous

Published in March 11th, 2008

Posted by Adam Zhang in School, Thoughts

Like anywhere else in Singapore, Nanyang Technological University is following the trend to promote people bringing their own shopping bags.

According to an email sent to all students, each plastic bag will be charged for $0.10 in the week starting from 10 March 08 at all shops and markets in NTU.

First of all I doubt what is wrong with using plastic bags. In many other countries, littering and improper waste treatment of plastic bags are causing a lot of problems, and plastic bags hanging at the roadsides would literally become ‘National Flag’ at some places. But it’s very different in Singapore. Quoting the National Enviromental Agency website, “Our operations over the years have resulted in Singapore having one of the most efficiently operated refuse collection services in the region.” With 92.7% of total waste (including plastic bags) incinerated in 2007 and used to generate 3% of electricity in Singapore, I don’t see a strong relationship between saving plastic bags and saving the environment here.

Yes, I understand Singapore is targeting Zero Landfill and also to increase the Recycling Rate from the current 51% to 60% by 2012, but shouldn’t people focus on other issues such as waste sorting collection?

Not providing free plastic bags would cause a lot of inconveniences too. I personally use as few plastic bags as I can. In the supermarket, I always ask the counter staff to put goods in the same bag although some of them feel the items should be put separately. It doesn’t make sense to pay $0.10 for a plastic bag, as that is high above its cost price. Interference of free market causes inefficiency, it is always for some better purpose such as protection of local economy or energy conservation. For saving plastic bags? I don’t think so.

More over, shopping plastic bags don’t go to waste easily. Like most people around me, I keep the plastic bags from supermarkets and use them as trash bag. I face a big problem when there’s no more ‘NTUC bags’ as buying plastic bags purposely for putting garbage would cost more. Most of the more formal paper bags or plastic bags from shops are always reused many times for carrying things before they are thrown away. You can encourage people to bring their own bags for shopping, but where do they find garbage bags then?

The email mentioned that “apparent economically-free status resulting in over-consumption”. I disagree with this. The bags are not economically-free, they are kind of ‘bundled’ with the foods you purchase in markets. I have purchased goods in your shop, of course you should provide carriers for me to bring them home. The costs of the bags are hidden in the product prices too. Just like Goods and Services Tax (GST) in Singapore, it is charged to the seller, but at the end of the day it is added up to the cost of the products. Neither is it likely for ‘over-consumption’ to happen. Why would people want extra plastic bags unnecessarily? Even if they do, it might be for other purposes like putting garbage, and will not go to waste.

Disposable plastics bags are not major environmental issues in Singapore, most people do recycle them, and charging for plastic bags causes inconveniences, so what’s the rationale behind the “Bring Your Own Bag” campaign? I would agree if they ask people to use plastic bags wisely, which I believe most people are already doing so, but charging for bags? Not for me. I think people should ask more questions before deciding to promote certain things, instead of just following the trend.

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Update: 13 Mar 2008 9:45pm

Just for variety, here is a very detailed response from NTU Earthlink after they have read my blog entry.

Dear Adam,

Thank you for your feedback. If you don’t mind, we would like to highlight a few points that you raised in your article:

1. Though it is true that Singapore has an extremely efficient refuse collection system, littering is still a problem - a study conducted last year by NEA showed that about about 5% of the people think that littering is a socially acceptable behaviour. Each plastic bag improperly disposed of is one too many, considering the effects that they can potentially cause, such as the collection of stagnant water and the spread of dengue.
2. Although the incineration of waste generates energy, plastic bags are not meant to be fuel, and the burning of plastic bags to generate energy does not mean it is used efficiently, as arzhou has similarly pointed out in his comment on the blog.

3. The best way to work towards zero landfill is through waste minimization. Undoubtedly, waste sorting collection is important, however to control the problem at the root is to reduce basic consumption patterns. Recycling and waste management should come in secondary, after controlling the consumption of resources.

4. Furthermore, the current recycling rate of 51% is relatively low compared to other countries such as Germany and Japan, and is also driven by industrial waste recycling (which is regulated by the government). Recycling rates in the residential sectors are much lower (20%-50% given on SULO website).

5. It is encouraging to know that you request for the cashier to put goods in the same bag when possible, to reduce the number of plastic bags used. However, most customers feel too shy to ask, or do not see the need to correct the cashier. It is a better engineering solution for the supermarkets to control the distribution of plastic bags unless the customer requests for more, rather than distribute them for free and depend on the customer to decline them.

6. From our observations, it is not clear that plastic bag are reused many times before they are thrown away. In most cases, they are used for garbage only once and thrown away. The number of plastic bags that an average Singaporean gathers typically far exceeds the number required for garbage, thus excess bags collect over time and are also eventually thrown away without being reused.

7. It is a common scenario for customers to think that “since I already paid for the plastic bag, why not take it?”. This mentality leads to an equilibrium where people are taking more than necessary, leading to overconsumption. However, plastic bags given in this manner does not mean that it is needed, and extra bags, as mentioned previously, go to waste.

8. Plastic bags are not accepted by Sembenviro, the recycling vendor in NTU, for recycling. The high volume to weight ratio of plastic, coupled with the fact that there is a very wide range of plastics to segregate, makes plastic bag recycling highly uneconomical.

All said, we thank you again for your feedback. One of the intentions of this campaign is to test the reaction of the student population, in order to prove to ourselves and the school administration that NTU students might not be as immature as we are led to believe. If overall feedback is positive, it will be an encouragement for us to push for other campaigns in the future.

Regards,
Earthlink NTU Feedback Team

16 users responded in " “Bring Your Own Bag” campaign is ridiculous "

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DK said, in March 11th, 2008 at 1:49 pm

My biggest concern is, who takes the 10cent? If they are going to donate it to charity, I’m pretty fine with it.

Adam Zhang said, in March 11th, 2008 at 1:50 pm

According to the email, “A separate container at the cashier will be set up to collect this money. All proceeds collected from plastic bag charges will be donated to Environmental Challenge Organisation (Singapore). “

Daphne Maia said, in March 11th, 2008 at 3:52 pm

i understand what u mean, about needing plastic bags to contain our trash. afterall, if we dont have enough plastic bags, the consequence would be even more disastrous than the consequence of using them. people will start throwing rubbish directly into the rubbish chutes at hdb, without properly disposing of them in plastic bags.

however, i do also feel that singapore is using too many plastic bags. look at shops like pharmacies, book stores, gift shops etc. those plastic bags can actually be done away with.

c’mon, how many of us actually do not even bring a bag out? especially for us girls. we most usually will bring a hand bag out, right? even for guys. carrying a backpack or slingbag isn’t so difficult, right?

so if each of us jus agree to put our small purchases into our own bags, a lot of plastic can be saved!

think about it. do u really need a plastic bag for that pen u just bought? or that tube of facial wash?

Adam Zhang said, in March 11th, 2008 at 4:14 pm

Daphne Maia:

It is good to encourage people using lesser plastic bags. But when they start charging for every single bag, even those who already use plastic bags selectively also suffer.

You wouldn’t want to put spring onion or frozen chicken wings in your LV bag, do you?

Shop assistants should be advices to provide plastic bags only when requested by customers. Sometimes bags are not necessary, but since the sales assistant already put purchased items in the bag, most people just accept.

Customers should also bear in mind to use lesser plastic bags.

These things should be taught, not regulated.

Daphne Maia said, in March 11th, 2008 at 6:44 pm

i understand that plastic bags are a must for groceries, but if u buy only a packet of biscuits from the supermarket, and u already have ur own bag, i think its only right if u jus put the packet of biscuits in ur bag, and save that plastic bag.

i’ve seen cashiers / checkout assistants put a small item like (a bar of chocolate) in a big plastic bag. normally, even if they have already put it in, i will take it out and tell them, “I don’t need a bag for this, thanks” and just return the bag to them.

however, educating the public in this has, so far, not produced any significant results.

we then have to question the authorities:
- is enough being done to promoted this campaign?
- is there any better way to educate the public?

i believe that a better way of doing is not to simply deter people from using plastic bags by charging them for it, but rather, give them an immediate discount for NOT using plastic bags. this will encourage people to bring their own shopping bags.

makes sense?

Adam Zhang said, in March 11th, 2008 at 6:47 pm

Daphne Maia:

Yes, pretty good suggestion.

But where does the fund for immediate discount come from? Will it be by per transaction or per item? or by amount spent in the shop?

People would abuse if rules are not well written.

arzhou (adrian) said, in March 11th, 2008 at 6:53 pm

Just a point to note, just because the plastic bags are burnt to provide electricity does not mean it is used efficiently.

After all plastic bags are produced as a petrochemical product and those processes are rather polluting.

I believe the main point, which daphne brought up, is that we should use such plastic bags wisely and if we can help it, not use them at all.

If you look at it from an economics point of view, one of the best ways to reduce plastic consumption is to really hit the consumers where it hurts, their own pockets. But that is another point to debate on.

Daphne Maia said, in March 11th, 2008 at 7:09 pm

Arzhou said: “one of the best ways to reduce plastic consumption is to really hit the consumers where it hurts, their own pockets”.

>> I agree, but this would only result in general public unhappiness, and people will start doing what they do best: Complain.

Adam said: “where does the fund for immediate discount come from? Will it be by per transaction or per item? or by amount spent in the shop?”

>> I think the simplest and most straightforward way would be to give discounts on total amount spent in the shop.

If the government really wants this to work out, they should give funding to supermarkets and shops for doing this. The amount paid out to consumers for saying no to plastic bags, can then be claimed from the Ministry of Environment at the end of every month, but of course, there should be receipts and reports to show how much has been paid out. It’s a simple transaction, really, to provide an overall rebate to each bill.

tstar said, in March 11th, 2008 at 8:41 pm

Actually NTUC don’t charge for every plastic bag, it’s only every first wednesday of the month that they charge. And regarding that rebate point, apparently if you spend over $10 and bring your own bag, you’d be entitled to a 10cents rebate.

As for schools, I think it’s quite ok to actually charge there because I believe we don’t really spend a lot in the bookshops, so the plastic bags we get from there to use for bins is minimal. It’s just that whenever we spend, we get plastic bags, whether or not we need it. In a way I believe this scheme is a way to raise more awareness to the student population and kind of drill it into their heads, make ppl more aware of the idea of recycling. Sometimes I think that if there are too many things, the bookshop should perhaps be a little more lenient. Afterall, we can’t bring plastic bags around with us wherever we go. Impulse buys sometimes do happen… But if only the rebate thing is brought into school bookshops, I think that’s more efficient.

If only everyone is as concerned about the environment. I’ve told my mother repeatedly to bring that resuable bag we have in the house but she always gets a plastic bag from NTUC anyway, regardless of whether she needs it. And she doesn’t believe in recycling.

maxferes said, in March 11th, 2008 at 10:29 pm

i do not profess to know alot about commerce or business stuff, i am after all one of the many ‘factory-made’ BEngs. but i disagree on certain points that adam and the rest pointed out.

firstly, tragedy of commons(u can try to wiki it). hence, it is not so much of wat the plastic bag can do. but wat i could potentially impact after the creation of plastic bag. when more finite resources are channelled to be made into plastic bags for small chocolate bars, so wat happens to PVC pipes, plastic toilet seats, or even plastic for other hyigene-orientated products? so the main issue is the scarcity of resources as well as the aftermath of the usage. i would think that the scarcity is a hot topic as of world today, where daily increase in oil prices are part of life. (sob sob for all drivers out there) scarcity drives the raising cost in many areas and leaving other areas without resources. hence we should be concerned about where these limited resources are being invested into.

secondly, i do like to think that using less is always using one too many. imagine simple analogy of 10 person using 1 plastic bag and 1 person using 3 plastic bag. hope the example is self-explanatory. i doubt there is also one specific number that everyone has to use, in order to be env-friendly. however, when hygiene and other life-sustaining practices, which makes use of large amount of plastics, is compromised, i will beg to differ my point of view.

thirdly, in regards of the target of the charge. i think it was meant to be left as “each plastic bag charged over the cashier”(not direct quote). for reasons that i think others have pointed out that, it would require really nitty-gritty accounting and enforcement. since their point is to have an overall reduction in plastic consumption and (i think)awareness as well, the current system seems alrite.

fourthly, since we are into no interference into free market then why are we draggin gahmen into it? y should the gahmen fund the private business for such a move? it should then be the responsibility of the private business owners to wanna reduce plastic consumption. for reason of save cost for the purchase of plastic bags. although this is not a large amount, but it saves up on shop space, where shop space is everything for brick-and-motar shops. i doubt you will ask gahmen for help, when u are broke or bf-less/gf-less or when ppl bully you. there are things in life which requires own creativity and effor in order to see past our present inabilities and doubts.

lastly, as mentioned by tstar, there are always those who wont do it no matter wat. and there will always be ppl who doesnt wanna change and complain about change, so theres no helping it. it would be a job left for the organizers to ponder upon.

thanks for letting me share my 2cents. any more 2cents? so that we can combine and buy a plastic bag from nanyang supermarket.

Paddy Tan said, in March 12th, 2008 at 11:38 am

Hit it where it hurts always work in a country where the people just dont listen when advises are given.

Miss Loi said, in March 12th, 2008 at 12:59 pm

Sorry to go off-topic a little: I always feel rather sad each time I have to throw away a big pile of glossy fancy flyers, brochures etc. from my mailbox WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING AT ANY OF THEM FOR MORE THAN A SECOND.

Plastic bags at least serve some purpose.

Edroos said, in March 12th, 2008 at 2:55 pm

Not intending to jump on the bandwagon, but I second what Miss Loi mentioned. No doubt the usage of plastic bags contributes in harming the environment, but shouldn’t we be more concern of other useless non-environment friendly acts happening around us?

Like Miss Loi mentioned, at least the bags serve some purpose and adam, like most of us, re-use the bags as trash bag which, imo, does better than getting new trash bags.

No doubt BYOB is a good attempt, but to ensure everyone practices it, boy I’m not too sure.

Farinelli said, in March 12th, 2008 at 9:42 pm

School bookshops for one shouldn’t dole out plastic bags unless it’s asked for. You’re in school. You should be carrying a bag. Cashiers can just give it out for larger textbook purchases.

Another problem is that asking the customer whether he/she requires a bag is so routine that sellers ask for the sake of it. People can ask me if I need a bag for a G2 pen.

What in the green name of Mother Earth for??

Sometimes I thankfully decline and sometimes I’m annoyed at their lack of cranial processing. And then you give me a bag also those kind with no handles, for fiak you tell me?

And so sales staff need to be educated on this. That’s even assuming companies are made aware of such a problem. An idea for you and your folks Adrian.

Also, someone tell me what’s so difficult about switching grocery bags to paper. Wet markets warrant plastic bags because of exposed fresh meat, but in supermarkets everything is sealed or wrapped. There may be large costs that I’m unaware of. Can someone explain those costs if there are?

Adam Zhang said, in March 13th, 2008 at 1:12 am

Forinelli:

I believe paper bags might cause a greater environmental issue.

First of all, paper is make of trees, which, by increasing the consumption, will worsen deforestation.

Secondly, paper bags cannot be reused like plastic bags.

And paper bags are more expensive than plastic bags too.

If they really change all the plastic bags in supermarket to paper bags, I would rather bring my own bags.

Priss said, in March 13th, 2008 at 9:46 am

I wrote a blog entry just for you again. List of resources of the harms of plastic bags.

http://www.deadpris.com/2008/03/13/plastic-bags-are-bad-list-of-resources/

Paper are just as bad as plastic bags, for different causes, but same reason. Bags are bad for environment.

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