NEA Invited Public Comments on Plastic Bag Fee Proposal

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The Singapore National Environment Agency (NEA) has invited public comments on the proposal that allows supermarkets to charge a minimum fee on single-use plastic bags, in a bid to reduce plastic waste.

Under the proposal, supermarkets whose annual revenue exceeds a stipulated amount will need to apply a minimum charge of 5 to 10 cents per plastic bag. These charges, applicable only for stores, will be implemented by the first half of 2023. Furthermore, the supermarket owners will have to publicly disclose details on bag usage, total amount of money collected as bag charges and the ways in which the proceeds are spent.

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The proposal was initially made in September 2020. Since then the NEA has engaged in consultations with over 1,000 stakeholders. Some retailers have already implemented bag charges on a trial basis. For instance, NTUC FairPrice charges its customers 20 cents per plastic bag at some of its outlets.

The bag charge proposal will provide boost to the Singapore Green Plan 2030, which targets to cut waste to landfill per capita per day by one-fifth by 2026. It must be noted that studies indicate that an average citizen consumes around 146 disposable carrier bags from supermarkets every year.

The public consultation period will remain open until 17^th February, 2022, said the NEA.