Singapore Supermarkets Start Charging for Plastic Bags
07/04/2023 12:18
Shoppers now have to pay 5 Singapore cents a bag at major grocery stores, or bring their own reusable tote.
Plastic bags are still a way of life for shoppers in Singapore.
Photographer: SeongJoon Cho/BloombergMajor supermarket chains in Singapore have started charging for plastic bags, a government move designed to encourage shoppers to use reusable totes that is years behind countries including South Korea and Japan.
Beginning Monday, around 400 outlets — or two-thirds of all supermarkets in Singapore — are required to charge shoppers at least S$0.05 ($0.04) for each disposable bag. The fee applies to bags of any material type, though plastic is by far the most commonly used material at major grocery stores such as FairPrice, Sheng Siong and Cold Storage.