ely to get hawkers, schools to u

2021/05/21

Timely to get hawkers, schools to use less disposable plastic items, Why elitism in Singapore exists & how to change it, The Case For Mandatory Eldercare Leave In Singapore, What Finding Dory Teaches Us About Protecting Our Oceans. The NEA crafted the guidelines announced on Thursday after consultation with over 1,000 stakeholders on various platforms and through focus group discussions, as well as looking at case studies from abroad. Public feedback on the newguidelines are now being sought through Reach, the Government's feedback unit. Thank you. In my personal view, public education alone has not really worked infostering green practices among Singaporeans. Tell us: how have you been affected by the 1947 partition of India? An estimated two-thirds of the waste was disposable bags. Bag charges in Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, Taiwan, and the Netherlands reduced the consumption of disposable bags by about 60 to 90 per cent. While some may argue that If it works for other countries, it doesnt mean that it will work for Singapore, this may not necessarily be the case. As demand for green accommodation grows, environmentally sustainable practices in hotels are becoming more commonplace but so , Can the hotels sector, traditionally resource-intensive and wasteful, reinvent itself and go green? Other Issues and Suggestions Raised 15. Assuming you throw out the trash twotimes a week, you will need about 4 packs a year, which means you will be spending at least $4.80 on bin liners in a year. The reusable bag is worth less than two and a half months worth of plastic bags, and you can continue to keep using it afterwards. Assuming you go to the supermarket once every two weeks and buy about four bags of groceries when you do. 202120748H. Some concerned citizens expressed that this move to charge consumers for plastic bags may disproportionately affect the poor. Many supported a charge of 5c or 10c per bag, with some suggesting amounts greater than 10c. Eco-Business asks two hospitality executives , Climate-linked strife now ravishing Mali, Venezuela and Syria could play out in vulnerable countries such as Indonesia, India, , In his first state of the nation address, Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos, Jr said the government will prioritise , Coastal forests trap huge volumes of greenhouse gases and protect people from flood risks. You could also opt to buy your own plastic bags in place of the ones given by the supermarkets, but let me ask you, how much do you actually save getting your own plastic bags? Compared to charging after a certain number of bags, charging from the first bag would encourage shoppers to always bring their own bags when shopping. Conclusion NEA seeks your views on the proposal for supermarket operators to be required to track and publicly disclose information on the number of bags they issue, the amount of charge proceeds they collect, and how they use the charge proceeds. The unmistakable boom of shellfire echoed around the bomb-scarred buildings of western Kharkiv as the mayor of Ukraine's one-time Soviet capital prepared for his interview. According to National Environment Agency, plastic bag usage is extremely high in Singapore. They could also look at reducing the amount of waste they dispose of, for example, by reducing food waste and recycling more. Charging per bag is an equitable and effective charging model, as the amount paid will be proportional to the number of disposable carrier bags taken. TLDR: everyone is free to s, Been working on an exciting project recently. There are no comments yet. 20. Our goal is to create a safe and engaging place for users to connect over interests and passions. Need for Disposable Bags for Rubbish Disposal NEA proposed to require affected supermarket operators to publicly disclose information on the number of bags issued, amount of proceeds collected from the bag charge, and how the proceeds are used. 4. NEA has noted these views and proposed that the charge come into effect in mid-2023 to address the abovementioned concerns about livelihoods and inflation, while allowing operators sufficient time to prepare for implementation. A bag charge in Singapore will contribute towards the objective in the Singapore Green Plan 2030 to reduce the amount of waste to landfill per capita per day by 20 per cent by 2026 and 30 per cent by 2030. A few felt that 510c would not present sufficient deterrence especially among higher income shoppers. 10. The question remains: has Singapore been swayed by these initiatives? A deadly virus has swept through Zurich's zoo, killing three Asian elephants in a month and leaving experts stumped as to how to stop its spread. Suggestions to Require Supermarket Operators to Provide Bring-Your-Own-Bag Incentives So-called "ultra-fast fashion" has won legions of young trend-setting fans who snap up relatively cheap clothes online amid surging inflation, but the booming genre masks darker environmental problems. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you. This has resulted in 10 million bags saved in 2015, with a 10% decrease in usage of plastic bags year-on-year. Climate action and environmental protection is a collective responsibility, and the disposable carrier bag charge will encourage all Singaporeans to adopt sustainable consumption habits in their daily lives. Get unlimited access to all stories at $0.99/month for the first 3 months. This would cover major supermarkets such as NTUC FairPrice, Cold Storage, Giant, Sheng Siong, and Prime. After three months, NEA and MSE then collectively agreed to develop an appropriate charging model for disposable carrier bags at supermarkets in Singapore. It would be environmentally unhygienic when the waste foods start rotting inside.. The gift link for this subscriber-only article has expired. This change will affect all the large supermarkets in Singapore, including familiar names such as NTUC FairPrice, Cold Storage, Giant, Sheng Siong and Prime. Further study and consultation would be needed to understand the implications of charging for disposable carrier bags, as companies may shift toward using other types of packaging for delivery, which may not necessarily be better for the environment. A 2018 study by the Singapore Environment Council found shoppers take home 820 million disposable bags from supermarkets each year, an average of 146 bags per person. In my personal experience, Ive also started to notice the problem of wasteful plastic consumption when I joined the workforce two years ago. Environmental activist group, Zero Waste SG, called for our Singapore government and businesses to develop concrete plans to reduce the consumption of single-use plastic disposables in Singapore. However, it may not be financially sustainable for supermarkets and retailers. Add your comment to start the conversation. NEA is proposing for the mandatory plastic bag charge at supermarkets to take effect by the first half of 2023. Your daily good stuff - AsiaOne stories delivered straight to your inbox, AsiaOne Online Pte Ltd. Company Registration No. The guidelinesare intended to discourage the excessive consumption of disposable bags and promote the use of reusable ones. However, others supported extending the requirement to all supermarkets or retailers as a more effective way to change consumer behaviour.

This was my concern as well initially. Other consumers like Mr Daryl Goh, 42, a businessman, said the extra charge needs to be complemented with incentives to reduce plastic bag usage. Plastic waste is also the most common type of waste disposed at the incineration plants in Singapore, followed by food waste and paper. In Hong Kong, plastic bag consumption was reduced by a whooping 90%. Proposed Coverage of Supermarket Operators Supermarket Operators with Annual Revenue Above A Stipulated Threshold Assuming you use at least three plastic bags per supermarket visit, you will spend an estimated 10 cents on plastic bags. BHG Singapore to charge 20 cents per transaction for use of plastic bags, All Cheers, FairPrice Xpress outlets to charge for plastic bags from next year, Reusable plastic bags most eco-friendly option in S'pore: Study, Organic cotton totes that replace plastic bags now an environmental issue. Did you know that Singapore consumes over 2 million plastic bags a day?

NEA will encourage supermarket operators to voluntarily offer incentives or adopt other initiatives to promote the habit of bringing our own bags. 17 After the consultation closes on 17 February 2022, we will publish a summary of the feedback received and our responses on this website, when ready. 8 A disposable carrier bag refers to a bag that has handles that allow the bag to be carried. Pope Francis on Friday was to fly to Nunavut, the territory that covers most of the Canadian Arctic, on his final stop in a landmark tour apologizing for the abuse of Indigenous children in Catholic-run schools. "Inflation is making it difficult for people, especially in rural areas, to save more and allocate to gold," Somasundaram PR, regional chief executive officer of WGC's Indian operations, told Reuters. Assuming you eat at the stall four times a week, you will be spending $38.40 every year on containers that youre most likely going to be throwing away after youre done with the meal. MSE and NEA will continue to study how best to address packaging waste from e-commerce in general, including from online grocery shopping. The extra effort will pay off in additional savings in the long run! Nonetheless, NEA will continue to encourage retail stores which have already introduced voluntary carrier bag charges to continue to do so, and others which have yet to introduce a carrier bag charge to consider similar charges. In addition, supermarket operators here that had implemented rebates for customers who brought their own bags and spent a minimum amount per transaction, had discontinued the rebate scheme citing its limited effectiveness in reducing disposable carrier bag usage. On 27 January 2022, the National Environment Agency (NEA) published a public consultation paper on the REACH portal to seek feedback on the proposed disposable carrier bag charge at supermarkets in Singapore. Some shops have already been charging consumers forplastic bags. Supermarket Operators Profiteering from the Charge Those who suggested a larger amount felt that this would create more awareness and engender a rapid and greater change in behaviour. A few cents here and there might not seem a lot now, but eventually, it will add up.

6. 1. I am already subscribed and want to unsubscribe from the mailing list. Spanish prosecutors said Friday they would seek a prison sentence of more than eight years against global music superstar Shakira, after she rejected a plea deal on accusations of tax evasion. NEA thanks all respondents for taking the time to submit their valuable feedback. Rather than spending on bin liners, why not spend that money to get yourself a washable bin instead? Thats half of what you spend on bags in the supermarket! 17. 1 The National Environment Agency (NEA) is inviting members of the public to provide feedback on the proposed disposable carrier bag charge at supermarkets in Singapore. Some supermarkets such as NTUC FairPrice, Don Don Donki, and Little Farms have also either started bag charge trials or have already implemented charging for disposable carrier bags. They noted that consumers had no control over the number of disposable carrier bags used and alternatives such as reusable carrier bags or containers were currently not offered by companies for delivery and return. In Britian, usage dropped by 85% 6 months after the policy was introduced. The respondents who supported the proposal generally noted that covering the majority of supermarkets would be sufficient to make an impact as well as change consumer behaviour, while the smaller supermarkets need not be burdened. Proposed charging model The minimum charge would be reviewed after assessing the effectiveness of the 5c charge in reducing the number of disposable carrier bags consumed. Furthermore, selected NTUC Fairprice supermarkets will be charging 20 cents for plastic bags too. While feedback from environmental agencies has been positive, responses to the guidelines from environmentally conscious consumers have been mixed. Shoppers will likely have to pay 5 to 10 cents for each disposable bag at supermarts from 2023, All done! Some also suggested publicising the information at supermarket outlets, websites, and media channels; and collating the information on a government website for education and awareness. This International Day for , Transforming Innovation for Sustainability, People: Movers and shakers in sustainability, Nature-based solutions in Indonesia: the power of nature, Unlocking Capital for Sustainability 2022: The role of sustainable finance in a disrupted world, study by the Singapore Environment Council. Lets say you spend $3 for medium-sized plastic bags, which comes in three bundles, each containing 27-30 bags (Roughly 86 bags on average). We would like to speak to people in Britain, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh who experienced partition or whose family may have been based in India before or during that time Muslim refugees sit on the roof of an overcrowded train near New Delhi as they try to flee India in September, 1947. Some noted that transparency was important and sharing the information would build trust with the public and help to change consumer behaviour. Whether to Apply Bag Charge to Online Purchases Photograph: AP. Bin liners cost at least $1.20 for a pack of 25. Furthermore, different supermarket operators have different customer profiles and considerations. NEA proposed that the minimum charge be set low at 5c per bag, to moderate the cost impact on consumers including low-income households, while encouraging them to be mindful of the number of disposable carrier bags they take. Plastic bags take up to 500 years to decompose. 3 NEA had previously commissioned a life-cycle assessment study on carrier bags and food packaging in Singapores context. Mandating a switch to disposable carrier bags made of non-plastic materials would also not change behaviour and reduce the consumption of disposable carrier bags. Between 2005 and 2015, it stagnated at 20% despite more than 15 years of the National Recycling Programme. One of the Workgroup's key recommendations is a charge for disposable carrier bags at supermarkets. This was proposed in the National Environment Agencys (NEA)new guidelines on a disposable carrier bag charge announced on Thursday (Jan 27). Some Singaporeans are concerned that by charging for plastic bags, they will not have any plastic bags to keep their waste. India's gold demand in the first half of 2022 jumped 42% from a year ago but consumption in the second half could be lower than last year as higher inflation erodes disposable income, the World Gold Council (WGC) said on Thursday. The National Environment Agency (NEA) is proposing that from next year, supermarkets charge 5 to 10 Singapore cents per bag. NEA is mindful of the potential impact the bag charge may have on lower-income households. A rebate might not be as effective as a charge, as the shopper could continue with their usual shopping habit of using disposable carrier bags without any consequence. The Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) and NEA will study how best to address packaging waste from e-commerce, including from online grocery shopping, as we develop the Extended Producer Responsibility framework for packaging waste. Thats 25 bags every second. A summary of the feedback on the proposals as well as issues raised, and NEAs responses, are set out below.

The points raised have been taken into consideration when finalising the design of the policy. You have reached your limit of subscriber-only articles this month. 16 We invite the public to share your views on the proposals with us. A 2018 study done by the non-profit Singapore Environment Council found that shoppers take 820 million disposable carrier bags from supermarkets a year, an average of 146 bags a person. How I keep my utilities bill below $50 every month? A common concern raised was that households needed disposable bags to bag their waste. NEA will also encourage supermarket operators and other organisations to adopt initiatives to lessen the potential impact of the charge, such as incentives or initiatives to encourage customers to bring their own bags, or distribution of reusable bags. Such a nudge strikes a balance between encouraging shoppers to reduce the number of disposable carrier bags they take and minimising the cost impact on shoppers who make large purchases and lower-income households. Bangladesh has launched a corruption probe into Nobel peace laureate and microfinance pioneer Muhammad Yunus over accusations of embezzlement at a telecoms firm he chairs, the country's graft watchdog said Thursday. The World Bank said Friday it would not offer new funding to Sri Lanka unless the bankrupt island nation carried out "deep structural reforms" to stabilise its crashing economy. In fact, for many households, charging for plastic bags wont be as expensive for them as you think.