REACH 435 -  What are your views on the Government's latest announcements to continue building Singapore into a green, loveable, and climate-resilient home for all?

(SK)

 13 Mar 2023 (10am - 7pm)

REACH

[9:45 am, 13/03/2023] +REACH: Dear Contributors,

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Megan 😊

[9:59 am, 13/03/2023] +REACH: 📢 Topic 📢 

On 2 Mar 2023, the Ministry for Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) announced a suite of initiatives at the Committee of Supply (COS) 2023 debates, sharing the Government plans to continue building Singapore into a green, liveable, and climate-resilient home for all. During the debate, SMS Amy Khor announced the start date (3 Jul 2023) for mandatory charge of at least 5 cents per disposable carrier bag for larger supermarket operators.

The Resource Sustainability (Amendment) Bill comes under MSE's theme, 'Towards a Zero Waste Nation' and is aimed at reducing packaging and food waste as well as driving behavioural changes across Singapore to reduce waste and increase recycling,

💬  What are your views on the Government's latest announcements to continue building Singapore into a green, loveable, and climate-resilient home for all?

Towards a Zero Waste Nation:

During her speech, SMS Amy Khor elaborated on MSE and National Environment Agency (NEA)'s shared vision of a zero waste nation for Singapore. She shared details on two initiatives under the Resource Sustainability (Amendment) Bill; a disposable carrier bag charge, and a beverage container return scheme.

📌 Disposable Carrier Bag Charge

From Monday, 3 July 2023, supermarket operators with a company-level annual turnover of more than $100 million will be required to charge at least 5 cents per disposable carrier bag at their SFA-licensed supermarket outlets. SMS Amy Khor said that about 400 - or two-thirds - of all supermarkets in Singapore will impose the charge. She also adds that the mandatory charge wold not apply at other retail outlets such as convenience stores.

NTUC FairPrice, Prime Supermarket, Sheng Siong and DFI Retail Group – which oversees Cold Storage and Giant outlets have plans to charge the minimum mandatory amount of 5 cents per plastic bag.

📌 Beverage Container Return Scheme

SMS Amy Khor shared that this comes as part of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme implemented in July 2021 to manage packing waste. Beverage producers will be responsible for collecting and recycling the products they put to market. She adds that the scheme will cover plastic bottles and metal cans, of volumes ranging from 150 to 3,000 millilitres for all types of pre-packaged beverages. 

👉 https://www.mse.gov.sg/cos

👉 https://www.mse.gov.sg/resource-room/category/2023-03-02-speech-by-sms-amy-khor-at-cos-2023

👉 https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/plastic-bag-charge-supermarkets-5-cents-minimum-proceeds-3329151

👉 https://str.sg/ikTL

-----

[10:05 am, 13/03/2023] +~L: Plastic disposable bags should be biodegradable, simple.

[10:06 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: Biodegradable are not ideal… it puts shelf life on all product made, and will affect recycling effort

[10:06 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: End up you produce more and made more waste

[10:07 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: No such thing as fully biodegradable, it will turn to Mirco plastic. 

Hence SAXO biodegradable plastic requirement was rejected by the EU.

[10:08 am, 13/03/2023] +Rama: So, our government wasn't very truthful!?

[10:08 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: What do you mean?

[10:09 am, 13/03/2023] +~L: Actually not true.

[10:09 am, 13/03/2023] +~L: We talked went this last year too :)

[10:09 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: Lol please go read… I work in plastic

[10:09 am, 13/03/2023] +Rama: If no such thing as fully biodegradable, then what should it be!?

[10:09 am, 13/03/2023] +~L: Yes, I did last year when you said this.

[10:09 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: Unless you saying PLA that I am not sure. I work with PP and PE

[10:10 am, 13/03/2023] +~L: Eg https://news.berkeley.edu/2021/04/21/new-process-makes-biodegradable-plastics-truly-compostable/

[10:10 am, 13/03/2023] +~L: Many examples...

[10:10 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: PLA has limited use

[10:11 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: Hence till now haven’t replace PP and PE

[10:11 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: As well as cost to make and will affect recycling

[10:13 am, 13/03/2023] +~L: I do accept it's confusing , and frankly, I might be wrong too...

[10:13 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: To term biodegradable means need to degrade a certain percentage within 1 year time frame. 

Not include special environmental. Or treatment requirement before biodegradable happens

[10:14 am, 13/03/2023] +KL: But window boss say it not correct to save earth

[10:14 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: High strength application are mainly HDPE. Example plastic pallet

[10:15 am, 13/03/2023] +Rama: This issue of one year biodegradable will have an effect on shelf life of consumables

[10:15 am, 13/03/2023] +Rama: Really!?

[10:15 am, 13/03/2023] +KL: Frankly even i stop using plastic one sport car generate more waste and heat combine

[10:16 am, 13/03/2023] +KL: Must be I dreaming again :))

[10:16 am, 13/03/2023] +Rama: 😳😁🤷‍♂️

[10:17 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: Additional information, all good use plastic has to be virgin plastic.

Meaning new plastic only… if you Dabao you are contributing to plastic waste

[10:17 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: Specially the hard containers

[10:18 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: Food” use

[10:18 am, 13/03/2023] +KL: https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2023/03/08/bill-gates-asking-people-to-stop-eating-meat-wont-fix-climate-change.html

[10:19 am, 13/03/2023] +KL: I think the best way to fix luxury goods first

[10:19 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: Paper type food containers, use more water. Yes also lined with plastic 😂

Use more energy to make due to more complex paper with lamination. Hence more expensive.

[10:20 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: End result is use less… eat on site or bring your own plate 😂

[10:21 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: Cause as we get more educated we cut back… but the developing ones are growing much faster and use it more than we reduced. 😓

[10:21 am, 13/03/2023] +KL: Frankly I see this as a way to increase tax not really about environmental

[10:21 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: Hence plastic factory keep expending… demand grow at CGAR 5 to 10%

[10:23 am, 13/03/2023] +KL: I think sg should do more on recycling

[10:23 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: Agree… but not profitable and volume is the issue 😂

[10:23 am, 13/03/2023] +KL: I saw someone cleaning a office. There is 5 recycle bin but guess what

[10:23 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: Plus we don’t segregate our waste

[10:23 am, 13/03/2023] +KL: On top got 5 notice don’t throw general waste

[10:24 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: Make recycling really a nightmare down stream

[10:24 am, 13/03/2023] +KL: In the end the 5 recycle bin all waste food etc

[10:24 am, 13/03/2023] +KL: The office is a high end officer all are very well educated compare to me

[10:25 am, 13/03/2023] +KL: So I don’t think is education and money only force tge poor to use lesser

[10:25 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: Haha… educated don’t mean will care 😂

[10:25 am, 13/03/2023] +KL: Poor already can’t use much la

[10:25 am, 13/03/2023] +KL: The rich at Thomson operate 12-15  aircon at full blast

[10:26 am, 13/03/2023] +Rama: Possibly

[10:26 am, 13/03/2023] +KL: One car gerarrate waste more then 50 poor combine

[10:26 am, 13/03/2023] +KL: Maybe u should banned sport car first

[10:27 am, 13/03/2023] +KL: Sport car waste energy , noise pollution , cause accident .

[10:27 am, 13/03/2023] +Rama: Start somewhere and maintain the momentum

[10:27 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: When you can afford you will do it as well

[10:27 am, 13/03/2023] +KL: Plastic carrier alt also a hazard but not so much negative externalities

[10:28 am, 13/03/2023] +KL: No wor depend

[10:28 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: When work so hard.. so much money.. don’t make environment for yourself. 😅

[10:28 am, 13/03/2023] +KL: It one brought up

[10:29 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: They willing to pay 250% tax for it

[10:29 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: 😂

[10:29 am, 13/03/2023] +KL: So it about money not environmental

[10:29 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: That’s the fine we set for them Liao

[10:29 am, 13/03/2023] +KL: :)) that the point I want to made

[10:30 am, 13/03/2023] +KL: Be trufully rather put face statement

[10:30 am, 13/03/2023] +KL: The poor will be impact not the rich

[10:31 am, 13/03/2023] +KL: On plastic as well as hawker need self return test

[10:31 am, 13/03/2023] +KL: Tray

[10:31 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: I don’t own a car.. no point when Singapore public transport is good. 

But in crowded weekend.. with kids hard to squeeze into train 😔

[10:31 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: So only cab around

[10:32 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: Then again… can’t afford is one of the reason 🤣

[10:33 am, 13/03/2023] +KL: Actually the real waste can’t be avoid as we only 5.9 million ppl not much of a evonomic reason for country to suit us . The Apple lighting cable is a real waste of resource , car should only be import base on fuel efficiency

[10:34 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: Lighting are phasing out… EU set it already… 

Car wise, supply demand. No comment

[10:35 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: If you think electric car is the future 😂 

Go deeper…

[10:35 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: Another environmental issue in the making.. 😂

[10:36 am, 13/03/2023] +KL: Li is dangerous if not dispose carefully

[10:36 am, 13/03/2023] +Rama: What other alternatives- solar/wind turbine/hydro electric dam power source!?

[10:36 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: Supply demand, when oil you can choose company to pump. 

Electricity who you can choose? 😂😂

[10:37 am, 13/03/2023] +KL: U can’t avoiding using  oil but you can see fuel efficiency

[10:37 am, 13/03/2023] +Rama: Generation of electricity is from!?

[10:37 am, 13/03/2023] +KL: Power efficiency

[10:37 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: Look at current electricity market.. lol 17 cent to 30 cents

[10:37 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: You can choose?

[10:37 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: I am totally pissed

[10:38 am, 13/03/2023] +KL: Cos they are bigger market and G8

[10:38 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: So? Is it cheaper?

[10:38 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: 😂😂

[10:39 am, 13/03/2023] +Rama: Every alternative has its own setbacks

[10:40 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: Big picture… why the push.. economy stand point it make sense.. nothing to do with environment.

[10:41 am, 13/03/2023] +Rama: Economic cost an important factor

[10:41 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: Paying for plastic is one of the way so that… Singapore can use the money to incentivise company to recycle.. even at a lost.

[10:41 am, 13/03/2023] +Rama: Totally agree

[10:42 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: So technically we are paying “extra tax” to help singapore find solutions to reduce the waste. 

Recycling plastic in Singapore to be frank is a lose money industry 😂

[10:43 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: Just hope it is successful

[10:43 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: It can only be sustained if the company earns.. but it knows that it only lose money… will it innovate to survive? We don’t know

[10:44 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: Worker will work hard? Knowing they can’t get extra bonus? 😂😂 

Beats me

[10:44 am, 13/03/2023] +Rama: Yes

[10:45 am, 13/03/2023] +Rama: How much of our recycling efforts will bear economic fruit!?

[10:47 am, 13/03/2023] +Rama: This where government, businesses, academics, ngo, vwo must come together to make our collective efforts work!

[10:47 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: Err… some.. example copper waste from fabs, Nickel from fabs. 

Food waste recycling..(not much we can’t sell cheap enough as fertiliser)

[10:48 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: Beer to Crust beer

[10:48 am, 13/03/2023] +Rama: We have to start somewhere and do what we can

[10:49 am, 13/03/2023] +Ken: Oh those are already around… and profitable 😂

[10:52 am, 13/03/2023] +Jimmy Chew: Yeah reinforcing the PAP acronym or Pay and Pay mentality. I am sure there can be some clever ways other than pay. Sorry it's beyond my pay grade and cognitive capacity to think a solution. But easy for quick fix is charge. A child can do that.. sorry I am upset that smart people comes out with simple solutions. Like CEO when company loose money increases prices and cut expenses not come out with innovative solutions

[11:33 am, 13/03/2023] +Frankie Wee: Save the green earth and environment cleaner than waste recycling.

1. Hawker will stop use plastic bag and box so all Singapore ppl will own bring own box and there will be less tidy table.

2. There will be less fuel and more EV charging. Air pollution will reduce 

3. Make way easy for throw bin group

- foods

- plastic and glass and metal 

- cloths and paper 

4. Smoking area will set zone

Affected cost can save than to pay waste recycling

[11:49 am, 13/03/2023] +Smiley face: 13 March, 2023

"How to change the human habits?"

"What were the past and present levels of addiction to oil (& gas), the entire world is trying hard to windoff this dependency on oil as the primary source of energy and this oil is a vital vector of productions. Plastic happens to be one of the many byproducts of the economics of oil..."

- - anonymity 

During WW2, the plastic shopping bag, Tupperware and many forms of plastic were invented out from the (horrified) war.

DuPont had a series of plastic successes in the 1930s, Nylon stockings were an immediate worldwide sensation among women and Teflon too! How about Dow chemical?

    - - in progress - -

[11:51 am, 13/03/2023] +Smiley face: https://youtu.be/aCizfja50FM

[11:58 am, 13/03/2023] +Rama: Point 4 must be heavily taxed!

[0:01 pm, 13/03/2023] +Rama: Point 2 is hopeful.

[0:09 pm, 13/03/2023] +Kenneth Lee WM: Plastic bags are a way of life for 80% of Singaporeans who live in apartments.  At least 1 bag a day is needed to collect garbage and to throw it down the chute.

Unlike the US where the sinks are equipped with choppers that breaks down food bits and waste food can be flushed down the sink, I dare to say that none of Singapore households are equipped with that.  Even our waste water pipes from the sinks are not designed to carry off big amounts of waste food bits.  So what's being implemented in the US cannot be implemented in Singapore.

What's going to happen is that we are now forced to go buy plastic bags from other sources to bag our trash.

If gov is really serious, they should go after suppliers who use too much plastic in their packaging like "wang wang" biscuits and a lot of japanese products.

Single use plastic pens like ball point pens should be discouraged.  Use of fountain pens and making available inexpensive inks from India should be widespread.

Spending so much time and effort to reduce super market carrier bags is simply a waste of time and just another tax increase exercise.

[0:24 pm, 13/03/2023] +Caleb: +1

[0:25 pm, 13/03/2023] +Ken: Actually NEA is working on it now.. companies has to declare how much plastic packaging they are using.. and estimate the amount. Likley something is going to be implemented

[0:25 pm, 13/03/2023] +Ken: If export it is not required…

Only import and made in Singapore

[0:37 pm, 13/03/2023] ☸️  Danny 心: 

1. I agree that there is a need to curb excessive plastic bags to save our planet.

2. But I also feel there is a need to bag home refuse - for hygiene purpose.

3. The charging of plastic bags did not address the need to bag home refuse - but instead force household to pay for refuse bags to bag their home waste.

4. Hence I am of the view that, charging plastic bags attempt to curb excessive use of plastic bags but create a new problem - discouraging the bagging of home refuse and causing a hygiene problem.

[0:38 pm, 13/03/2023] +Kenneth Lee WM: Another suggestion that gov can implement is to change all the trash chute design, make it larger, to allow us to pour our solid/liquid wastes into it.  So rather than bagging our trash, we collect it in a pail, than pour it down the trash chute.  Beside the chute is also a hose for us to rinse the re-usable pail.  Mandate it as a building requirement.

[0:39 pm, 13/03/2023] ☸️  Danny 心: 

Areas for Improvement

1. Overused of plastic and plastic bags that overwhelm the land fills, polluting the lands and the sea - is indeed a big problem and need to be curb.

2. On the other hand, there is a need to bag refuses (solid waste and liquid waste) at home, in food centre, in office - in which this habit has been build over the years and ensure Singapore hygiene problem is kept in control and make Singapore a clean city.

3. As NEA intend to charge every single plastic bag used come mid-2030, I will like to highlight the following :-

a. Charging every plastic bags in supermarket will definitely discourage consumers from using single-used plastic bags to bag their groceries. This will solve one part of the equation by preventing plastic bags overused.

b. But this introduced another problem that are currently under control - that is, it will discourage household to use single-used plastic bags to bag refuse (solid and liquid waste) at home. 

Many household will not be willing to pay for refuse bag to bag their home waste (because the single-used plastic bags currently are double up as refuse bags at home) - as they are price paid for in buying groceries in supermarket. 

c. With the charging of single-used plastic bags - it means household have to :-

i. Pay to buy reusable bags for groceries.

ii. Pay to buy refuse bags (which are currently free) - as part of price paid to buy groceries.

This inevitably is an "unfair policies" - that penalise household and expect household to pay and pay --- on top of the runaway inflation that are squeezing every household from high income, middle income and low income.

d. Hence I will to suggest improvement to the "charging of every plastic bag" to curb overused of plastic bags and at the same time, ensure household continue to inherit the good habits of bagging their refuse at home without incurring additional cost (beyond the unbearable inflation hitting every household).

i. Government issue free refuse bags and reusable carrier bags to every household every year - and proceed to charge every single-used plastic bags.

or

ii. Governement provide "Refuse Bag voucher" to every household every year (similar to the concept of GST voucher) to buy reusable carrier bags and refuse bags to bag house refuse.

or

iii. Government use an apps and backend system to allocate "carbon credit" to each household.

This will throw the burden of supplying "reusable carrier bags" and "refuse bags" back to the private Supermarkets - and not use taxpayer's money to supply the reusable carrier bags and refuse bags --- in which consumers have already paid for in the supermarkets when buying groceries.

Household can collect a certain amount of reusable carrier bags and plastic bags (as refuse bags) free of charge from the supermarket --- according to the "carbon credit" assigned to each household using the apps and backend system to keep track.

Once all the "carbon credit" is used up - then consumers will have to pay for each reusable carrier bags and plastic bags used in the supermarket.

4. This will solve the problem of :-

a. Overused of plastic bags

b. Maintain the current good habit of using refuse bags to bag home waste (solid and liquid) - without polluting our living environment.

c. Not throwing the full cost of reducing the use of plastic bags, bagging refuse --- solely to all the household ---- and inheriting the image of "Pay-And-Pay" to solve National problem.

----

[0:40 pm, 13/03/2023] ☸️  Danny 心: 

Suggestions but not adopted.

[0:42 pm, 13/03/2023] +Smiley face: 13 March, 2023

Existentials?

Living in a hectic and busy Singapore, many people do not know it, and only by realizing the seriousness of waste and carbon footprint, will more people finally accept a new way of looking at waste?

Feasible?

Changing habits takes time, and changing mindsets to care for the environment takes longer for society to fully accept. How to motivate and follow the next steps, it is not an easy task!

The Greener policies developed must be user-friendly, practical and acceptable. The 5 cents charge for each plastic bag coming due in July, will there be unintended behaviors or consequences or just continue paying for plastic bags? The truth at the bottom of millions hearts, plastic is a convenient way of (Asian) city livings, coexistence, isn't it?   

     - - in progress - -

[0:44 pm, 13/03/2023] ☸️  Danny 心: 

Not bagging refuse - this is the hygiene problem.

[0:44 pm, 13/03/2023] +Frankie Wee: Human being habit of throw on ground and even river or sea become flood waste from plastic. 

Singapore will learn aware of how human beings habit throw to where bin (example smoking cigarettes can throws anywhere) 

Can we set ideas how to stop plastic instead use paper bag or box.

This paper can easy fade away from rain within water flooded.

[0:54 pm, 13/03/2023] +Caleb: +1

[0:55 pm, 13/03/2023] +Smiley face: Recyclables and protections of the environment?

Paper will incur more deforestation or newer processes in recycling used papers and cartons.

Recycling will also incur the use of energy. However, renewable energy is one new hope to miss the use of oil.

So how the globe treks itself out of the old energy  sources into a Quasi new energy source.

These greener and technologies of tomorrow will yield beyond $40 trillion dollars (2040 onwards), one quarter to the EV economies.

Simply put, this mega trend of GREEN and GREENER are unstoppable! 

As to who will benefit the most, time will tell the rest of this story of Green!

- - in progress - -

[1:09 pm, 13/03/2023] +KL: i buy a tap 20 years ago can last 20 years now i buy a tap only 3 years. same materials and same energy use to produce but due to factory want u faster spoil and spend again . it a waste compare to plastic etc. thus even we impose qc on all product to be durable . we are a small economic and most factory wont even agree with us. it a wastage in economic term.  that doesnt not even involve in technongly.

[1:09 pm, 13/03/2023] +KL: my vaccum cleaner is as close to 35 years

[1:11 pm, 13/03/2023] +KL: tus alot of wastage come from producer

[1:18 pm, 13/03/2023] +Smiley face: Attritions?

"With variation in the economies of scaling of all productions and what if the unintended consequences of over mining of crucial minerals and resources create a paradigm shift of recycling, of the earth's outer core, of the unknown challenges and the higher possibility of a global water crisis leading to war?"

- - anonymity

[1:22 pm, 13/03/2023] +Kenneth Lee WM: HP calculator division went out of business because their calculators (the old ones that were 20+ years ago, not the new ones) refused to die. But they did cost a lot.

[1:22 pm, 13/03/2023] +Jimmy Chew: May not be efficient as compared to latest models

[1:23 pm, 13/03/2023] +Jimmy Chew: My Casio calculator lasted for 30 years

[1:31 pm, 13/03/2023] +TD: This war on plastics in Singapore's context is utter nonsense.

We burn and landfill everything. Nothing gets into the ocean to kill the damn turtles unless you litter.

Compostable so called environmental food containers cause more harm. Why? Cause we don't compost shite and their manufacturing environmental load is easily 40x of plastics.

[1:32 pm, 13/03/2023] +TD: Plastics are effectively more environmentally friendly in Singapore's context from a whole of life point of view

[1:32 pm, 13/03/2023] +TD: Not to mention that we are still going to need to bag our waste so all this does is pass another cost down to the consumer.

[1:32 pm, 13/03/2023] +TD: Well done Amy Khor.

[1:34 pm, 13/03/2023] +TD: The carbon footprint of your silly tote bags is 40 to 70x that of a plastic bag. And Singaporean will use that plastic bag at least twice.

[1:37 pm, 13/03/2023] +TD: Before you guys start on paper carriers.

1) understand that the carbon cost of a paper carrier is a multiple of the plastic. 

2) paper in our region is largely made from virgin woodpulp. Where does that come from.

[1:38 pm, 13/03/2023] ☸️  Danny 心: 

Trees.

Means cutting down more trees, deforestation, worsen global climate.

[1:41 pm, 13/03/2023] +TD: And before someone says that burning plastics is bad. Go look at the scrubbers installed on our incinerators. I dare say the air quality coming out of them is cleaner than standing beside the AYE during peak hour.

[1:44 pm, 13/03/2023] +TD: And to preempt the "every other country is doing it arguement'. 

Just because some 3rd world EU/US city has waste management issues doesn't mean Singapore does. 

We burn everything. And pls. We're not running out of landfill space. That's an outright lie by NEA. Look at the amount of land reclamation going on and tell me there's no room to dump ash.

[1:50 pm, 13/03/2023] ☸️  Danny 心: 

Paper bags also not practical.

Most important is to bag liquid refuse that will cause hygiene problem.

How can paper bags hold liquid waste?

It will break and leak.

[1:53 pm, 13/03/2023] +TD: End of the day this whole plastic bag nonsense is driven by NTUC.

They've wanted to do this moronic move but it's always been push back by the consumers so now they got NEA to make the whole country drown with them

[2:00 pm, 13/03/2023] +REACH: 📢 Topic 📢 

On 2 Mar 2023, the Ministry for Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) announced a suite of initiatives at the Committee of Supply (COS) 2023 debates, sharing the Government plans to continue building Singapore into a green, liveable, and climate-resilient home for all. During the debate, SMS Amy Khor announced the start date (3 Jul 2023) for mandatory charge of at least 5 cents per disposable carrier bag for larger supermarket operators.

The Resource Sustainability (Amendment) Bill comes under MSE's theme, 'Towards a Zero Waste Nation' and is aimed at reducing packaging and food waste as well as driving behavioural changes across Singapore to reduce waste and increase recycling,

💬  What are your views on the Government's latest announceme…

[2:10 pm, 13/03/2023] +TD: Totally idiotic

[2:15 pm, 13/03/2023] +Ah Heng: min 5 cents NTUC charging 20 cents

[2:30 pm, 13/03/2023] +Jimmy Chew: Well shared

[2:50 pm, 13/03/2023] +Caleb: +100

[2:52 pm, 13/03/2023] +Ah Heng: if we really wan to stop waste how can we do this when take out industry is so strongly encourage -> does that not generate more waste like plastic bags, Styrofoam (surprising why no experts says BANNED STYROFORAM) and look at the coffe joints spring up like mushrooms

[2:52 pm, 13/03/2023] +Ah Heng: read somewhere paper cups use by coffee joints are not easily recycle they need extra works

[2:52 pm, 13/03/2023] +Ah Heng: now let's think back if every think is from paper , where are the paper gonna be coming from ?

[2:54 pm, 13/03/2023] +Ah Heng: Trees.... and if globally every country requires more tree what happen?

[2:54 pm, 13/03/2023] +Ah Heng: chicken and egg thing as per what i see

[2:54 pm, 13/03/2023] +Ah Heng: impt is target those industry that keep prompting new products which consume more of earth resources

[2:56 pm, 13/03/2023] +Ah Heng: humans on the other hand have to know what is required and not required to buy

[3:13 pm, 13/03/2023] +Frankie Wee: Humam behaviour some ppl don’t care the law they likely to throw or plastic bag all over area

[3:14 pm, 13/03/2023] +Ah Heng: it takes not only social but also economical partners to play a part

[3:14 pm, 13/03/2023] +Ah Heng: by having electric cars is green ?

[3:15 pm, 13/03/2023] +Ah Heng: actually not cos a land lock island like us we need more to generate power to drive these cars on top of our essential and daily appliances and industry

[3:15 pm, 13/03/2023] +Ah Heng: chicken and egg situation never end ....

[3:16 pm, 13/03/2023] +Ah Heng: how to be green if eonly each family and adult human can buy what is required when required and used what is required when need , that will help alot of unnecessary waste (but only in fairy tale world)

[3:16 pm, 13/03/2023] +Ah Heng: one role model for plastic bag i think is ikea

[3:17 pm, 13/03/2023] +Ah Heng: totally dun have such

[3:17 pm, 13/03/2023] +Ah Heng: u want buy a reuseable bag on the spot

[3:47 pm, 13/03/2023] +TD: Not relavant to Singapore. If it gets into the ocean it's because you littered. Everything else is burnt.

[3:48 pm, 13/03/2023] +TD: And before some spark says look at the beaches. Check the source of the floatsam please. It's largely from Indonesia/Malaysia or the anchorages. Why are we penalising locals then?

[4:00 pm, 13/03/2023] +REACH: 📢 Topic 📢 

On 2 Mar 2023, the Ministry for Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) announced a suite of initiatives at the Committee of Supply (COS) 2023 debates, sharing the Government plans to continue building Singapore into a green, liveable, and climate-resilient home for all. During the debate, SMS Amy Khor announced the start date (3 Jul 2023) for mandatory charge of at least 5 cents per disposable carrier bag for larger supermarket operators.

The Resource Sustainability (Amendment) Bill comes under MSE's theme, 'Towards a Zero Waste Nation' and is aimed at reducing packaging and food waste as well as driving behavioural changes across Singapore to reduce waste and increase recycling,

💬  What are your views on the Government's latest announceme…

[4:19 pm, 13/03/2023] ☸️  Danny 心: 

1. If the government adopt a Middle Path approach:-

a. Allow some plastic bags free for bagging home refuse. (31 bags per month)

b. Thereafter charge the excess plastic bags to prevent excessive plastic bags usage to protect the environment.

I think the population will support.

Now the current policy to charge all plastic bags is fully lopsided, single minded against the population to curb plastic bags usage - without consideration to the population on the need to bag home refuse.

This is what make some if not all population angry.

[5:02 pm, 13/03/2023] +Liangwei: Realistically, there might be a concern that people will start throwing trash down the chute or bin without bagging. 

Or buy lower quality plastic bags from cheaper online sources and use more freely to bag home refuse.

Would be interesting to track actual usage of plastic bags after the policy to see impact

[5:28 pm, 13/03/2023] ☸️  Danny 心: 

Found few dead rats around my areas.

If people start to stop bagging refuse, I think rat infestation will be the norm.

[5:35 pm, 13/03/2023] +Frankie Wee: 

Batok Bukit?

[5:38 pm, 13/03/2023] ☸️  Danny 心: 

Serangoon

[6:02 pm, 13/03/2023] +REACH: 📢 Topic 📢 

On 2 Mar 2023, the Ministry for Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) announced a suite of initiatives at the Committee of Supply (COS) 2023 debates, sharing the Government plans to continue building Singapore into a green, liveable, and climate-resilient home for all. During the debate, SMS Amy Khor announced the start date (3 Jul 2023) for mandatory charge of at least 5 cents per disposable carrier bag for larger supermarket operators.

The Resource Sustainability (Amendment) Bill comes under MSE's theme, 'Towards a Zero Waste Nation' and is aimed at reducing packaging and food waste as well as driving behavioural changes across Singapore to reduce waste and increase recycling,

💬  What are your views on the Government's latest announceme…

[6:45 pm, 13/03/2023] +REACH: Dear Contributors,

⏰ We will be closing the chat in 15 minutes ⏰

Thank you very much for being part of our WhatsApp chat and participating actively.

Goodnight!

Megan 😊

[6:50 pm, 13/03/2023] +Christmas: I strongly disagree with just a blanket charge on all plastic bags at our large supermarkets for a few reasons. Agree that it would be nice to still have access to a few free ones to bag our refuse, something which is very much part and parcel of our everyday lives. If the big supermarkets charge, it's well possible that the small stalls will start charging for bags too. I can't imagine having to pay for all plastic bags in future. Singapore charges for all sorts of things nowadays - water in restaurants are charged, hardly any free parking space left, etc. It just makes life more difficult and I miss the easier more relaxed days where not everything needs to be regulated and charged. Also, plastic bags are not the only problem - just look at all the plastic packaging in supermarkets - do all our fruits, vegetables, products, etc etc need all form and manner of plastic, hard/good plastic or otherwise? Can we find a more balanced and 'stress-free' solution?

[6:58 pm, 13/03/2023] +Smiley face: 13 March, 2023

To: Our Distinguished Leaders, the Green Experts and All Honorable Members 

"With variation in the economies of scaling of all productions and what if the unintended consequences of over mining of crucial minerals and resources create a paradigm shift of recycling, of the earth's outer core, of the unknown challenges and the higher possibility of a global water crisis leading to war?"

- - anonymity

Sooner?

Is this the beginning of more "carbon" tax to come? Here five cents, thereafter, ten cents collectible?

Let this plastic bag exercise be the beginning of more carbon tax to be introduced from food, utilities, clothing to transportation and services. 

Later?

What is the annual plastic consumptions in SG? In 2021, we consumed almost 1.0 million tons of plastics in all shapes and makes. If we impose $50 per ton of plastic imported or manufactured locally, the taxable amount will be $50 million. 

Perhaps, consumers will not need to bear the full penalty of having to pay five cents per bag but ten cents per shopping needs? Are we teaching the public on the impact of plastics on the environment and/ or are we imposing carrots and sticks to change the existing bad habits?

How about other "brown" items? Where and how will the collected carbon tax be reused for and which agency is in charge of this carbon tax (funds)?

Better?

Finally, how can we dispose the food waste from homes to F&B and the entire country in a hygienic, systematic and sustainable manners? 

Where are the intermediaries in containing and disposing of these daily wasted in the thousands of tonnes?

Future?

Into 2030, any of these goods or services not meet the future spectrum of the greens as imposed by laws, a Carbon tax payable and the eventual price of goods and services will rise or aka inflation. Will it be a producer surplus or consumers benefit or cost? 

As an example, fossil fuel vehicles would have to pay a Carbon tax on top of other existing taxonomy.

Will all of the above materialises by 2030?

How about?

By 2040, possibly,, a family as a social unit and each family or members would be given a  monthly/yearly social credits rating that tie with all goods and services. If a family planning for a short vacation in nearby country, this family of 6 members will have to pre-check for the balances in their social credit account (SC) plus the costs of travel. SC is needed for travelling, a smaller token of SC would be deducted from the account. A trip further away with flying time of say over 5 hours or longer will need even more SC. How to buy or top up these SC? Simply by digital payment or good deeds by donating to qualified charities in exchange for more SC or volunteering in any of the recognised civil society. 

Possibly, these are simple scenarios of how the world of tomorrow will calculate and calibrate human consumptions to sustain a global zero carbon for almost all activities from manufacturings to all consumables. There will be a Carbon tax and/or Social credit to pay for everything under the sun.

     - - in progress - -

[7:00 pm, 13/03/2023] +REACH: Dear Contributors,

We will be closing the chat for today.

Thank you very much for being part of our WhatsApp chat and participating actively.

Goodnight!

Megan 😊

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