66 per cent against pay-for-plastic bag law: Yahoo! poll
On Monday, we asked readers if they are in favour of a pay-for-plastic bag law, which was proposed by The Singapore Environment Council (SEC) to cut down the usage of plastic bags.
Over 15,000 participated in our poll, with 66 per cent voting against the proposal and the rest voting for it.
The proposal is currently being studied and a law to allow supermarkets, food centres and hawker stalls to charge for plastic bags could be passed by June.
THOSE AGAINST
Yahoo! user Bazz was up in arms over the need for customers to be charged for plastic bags.
“The cost of plastic bags (are) already priced into their business running operation cost," said the reader.
Others gave suggestions on how to reduce the usage of plastic bags instead of forcing customers to pay for it.
Yahoo! user Prelude said: “For those customers who bring their own bags to the supermarkets, reward them with points on their passion cards etc.
"The Singapore Environment Council should not force this down our throats to make us pay unnecessarily," the user added.
Another reader, Ng, raised a possible problem: “How to dispose waste food, if no plastic bags around?”
THOSE FOR
Yahoo user Unknown does not see the fuss in forking out a little more for carriers.
“Personally, I don't mind paying a little bit extra for the plastic bags. It's a price to pay for convenience's sake.”
Reader Wireless Signal believes Singaporeans should start caring more for the environment and use fewer plastic bags.
“Plastic bags must be charged considering the immense amount of irreversible pollution its creating to the environment. People will one day realize that when it’s too late. Unless everyone makes an extra effort to recycle every bit of plastic, it will destroy our planet one day!" the user said.
Another reader, Jack, believes Singapore should learn from other countries in their environmental efforts.
“I just returned from Brazil and was impressed that the shoppers hardly asked for plastic bags but instead brought their own carriers.
“If Brazil can do it, why not Singapore?”
