(Source: http://www.fairprice.com.sg/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/PressReleaseDisplayView?langId=-1&storeId=90001&catalogId=10051&actionFlag=T&Corporate=Y&pressReleaseId=32506)

Fairprice’s Green Reward Scheme, initiated since 2007 has helped save six million plastic bags to date.

Importance of reducing plastic wastage

Rubbishes thrown by Singaporeans like plastic bags and plastic bottles do take a really long time to decompose. A normal plastic bag takes as long as 20 years to degrade. While a plastic bottle can even take up to 450 years to decompose. These plastic waste disposed may eventually clog up the ocean leading to water pollution and contaminates our natural marine environments. The sea animals suffered as well. Fishes may mistakenly eat reddish pieces of plastic, thinking that they are food. Immature turtles and whales may also chock on these plastic bags and bottles as they look like jellyfish or cuttlefish. Ropes, plastic bags thrown in the sea also lead to the entanglement of sea creatures. Seabirds like albatross may also confuse plastic bits for food. They may eventually die of malnutrition as those plastic they consumed gives them a false sense of satiation.

 (http://isusx.com/albatross-chicks-were-dying-in-midway-atoll-north-pacific-due-to-plastics/)

Further suggestions

• Go paper, not plastic
• Charge customers for plastic bags
  • Popular in Europe supermarket e.g. Tesco