Up to 80% drop in plastic bag use at some supermarkets after fee kicked in

Shoppers took home fewer plastic bags from supermarkets in the first month after they started being charged for them in July, according to the National Environment Agency (NEA). Preliminary reports from some supermarket operators indicated reductions of 50 per cent to 80 per cent in the number of disposable carrier bags taken, compared with the same period in 2022, NEA said. As NEA’s primary objective in implementing the bag charge is to nudge behaviours and encourage people to be more conscious of their consumption of disposables, Assoc Prof Md Saidul Islam from NTU’s SSS and ASE views the reduction in plastic bag usage as a success, “as it indicates that people are starting to change their habits”.

- Facilitated by CCO.

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