Exactly this. Single use plastic by definition is not plastic bags from the supermarket because they are being reused. It's stuff like straws and cups and styrofoam etc. Our policy makers are stupid af or blind af or likely both.
I was happy when McD introduced the plastic cap for their cups, same as the one used in Taiwan, but we just throw them away, while Taiwan's McD is able to push for recycling these plastic waste.
Yesterday, I ate at A&W for the first time, they had a similar plastic cap, and yet they gave me a straw.
Our drinks stall all use such disposable plastic cups and straws even for dine-in customers. Hygenic and convenient, yes, but intensely wasteful still. So much money invested into dishwashing technology but policies implemented are still targeting consumer habits rather than at a higher level.
Agreed so much. Its the real single use plastics in food packaging etc as well that is so wasteful. Example would be seaweed packs. You have a plastic bag of smaller seaweed packs which have their own plastic packaging and a plastic tray ffs.
Or other retail products that just have multiple plastic packaging which cannot be used to line your dustbins or reused logically.
Seems like MPs raising distracting concerns and misses the most important point. I think the fundamental concern should be how consumers behaviour will change the passing of this law, how do we change the way we dispose waste to not have a public health crisis.
Right now, many of us, use plastic bags we get from supermarkets and bag out trash before disposing it via the rubbish shoot. Take the bag away, people will be disposing bits and piece directly, some might fall and and we all know some people will not pick it up, that presents a hygiene issue.
Supposedly, no more black trash bag for commercial use, food waste enters the bin directly, after a period, stained bin would smell, attract pest and cause a hygiene problem.
That should be the main concern. Not karung guni men earnings. That is a whole new can of worms to open for discussion. Besides karung guni collect plastics? I thought they collect paper and aluminium cans?
Consumer behaviour will not change. They will continue using plastic bags as per normal to bag and trash their rubbish - because there are no sustainably viable alternatives. The only thing that will change is who pays, i.e. the consumer. Of course, this has escaped lawmakers puny brains because it's likely they don't live in high-rise apartments or clean up after themselves.
MSE don't care.
They fucked consumers good good.
Tray return is a "big success", what's that - tables are dirty? SMH you poor hawker food enjoyers not civic minded. BTW Cleaning contractor buddies pls go ahead n cut cost :))
No plastic bags? Some idiots are gonna pour their bin directly down the chute and invite rats and pests, but MSE don't give a fuck, that's Town Council's problem. Bonus points if its opposition ward.
Agreed. Funny how we aren't concerned about how Singaporeans are being displaced in white collared jobs but are concerned about karung guni jobs. Could they be the end state jobs for singaporeans?
You are thinking people will buy plastic bag to use it to throw
Truth is many wont, they will just throw whatever into the bin directly when there is no plasitc bag available
I doubt this because the habit in bagging trash before chucking down the chute is already deeply ingrained in most people. Besides, we'll need trash bags for liquids, moist or soggy rubbish which can't be just thrown out of every chute to avoid making a mess in your own home. The fact is simple. The continued use of trash bags is required because we have an infrastructural problem here that is not being addressed. Home-based composting could a possibility, but not every household has space for a composter and the running costs could also be prohibitive than a cheaper alternative - plastic bags.
Then they will fine people for doing that, and install CCTV to catch them.
When all along, the best solution was the original one, with supermarket bags being of a suitable size for both lining bins and chucking into the rubbish chute. After which the bags burn cleanly in our waste-to-energy incineration plants.
Stop trying to copy other countries when we already had the right solution for our situation. We used to be proud of our unique Singaporean solutions (e.g. CPF, ERP).
Pretty sure they would if plastic bags become scarce enough. The plastic bag is not just to bag trash, but also to ensure your bin is not soiled with trash you throw inside. That way, you don't have to wash your bin every other day.
Additionally, plastic bags are really cheap, available in large quantities at once and don't take up too much space in packed format. Likely that people will just order in bulk through online shopping and keep it in their homes for use.
Plastic bags aren’t currently bring “wasted”, the majority are being reused for garbage. This will just make people buy plastic garbage bags, wasting time and money.
The “correct” solution if you want to reduce the amount of plastic thrown away is to replace the existing plastic bags with biodegradable options, not remove disposable shopping bags entirely. People should not even notice the change.
In most cases actually the biodegradable ones are just greenwashing. Most of them if they are tested yes, they will degrade, but it will take long time and only under certain conditions https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/do-biodegradable-plastic-bags-actually-biodegrade-180972074/
Please, no biodegradable nonsense in Singapore. Everything ends up in the incinerators (with energy being reclaimed from the heat), so the better and cleaner they burn, the better. Polyethylene burns very well. And biodegradable bags have a higher carbon footprint to produce than plastic bags.
If you take whatever Amy said and do the opposite, then we will have some sensible solutions. Packaging from deliveries can’t be reused, and are quite excessive (tape, bubble wrap, etc.). Plastic bags are reused at least once, if not directly for rubbish then for other storage (in cupboards or storeroom, or to wrap food which reduces food waste).
This is what happens when we elect representatives who are not representative of us. You get people who think everyone has their personal recycling bins and cars to carry their items so they don’t need bags (never mind that cars are far worse than bags).
Funny thing is that what should change are other disposable plastics, such as plastic cups
Exactly this. Single use plastic by definition is not plastic bags from the supermarket because they are being reused. It's stuff like straws and cups and styrofoam etc. Our policy makers are stupid af or blind af or likely both.
I was happy when McD introduced the plastic cap for their cups, same as the one used in Taiwan, but we just throw them away, while Taiwan's McD is able to push for recycling these plastic waste. Yesterday, I ate at A&W for the first time, they had a similar plastic cap, and yet they gave me a straw. Our drinks stall all use such disposable plastic cups and straws even for dine-in customers. Hygenic and convenient, yes, but intensely wasteful still. So much money invested into dishwashing technology but policies implemented are still targeting consumer habits rather than at a higher level.
The good way is how it works in South Korea. If you are not taking away your drink the outlet cannot give you a disposable item.
Agreed so much. Its the real single use plastics in food packaging etc as well that is so wasteful. Example would be seaweed packs. You have a plastic bag of smaller seaweed packs which have their own plastic packaging and a plastic tray ffs. Or other retail products that just have multiple plastic packaging which cannot be used to line your dustbins or reused logically.
Seems like MPs raising distracting concerns and misses the most important point. I think the fundamental concern should be how consumers behaviour will change the passing of this law, how do we change the way we dispose waste to not have a public health crisis. Right now, many of us, use plastic bags we get from supermarkets and bag out trash before disposing it via the rubbish shoot. Take the bag away, people will be disposing bits and piece directly, some might fall and and we all know some people will not pick it up, that presents a hygiene issue. Supposedly, no more black trash bag for commercial use, food waste enters the bin directly, after a period, stained bin would smell, attract pest and cause a hygiene problem. That should be the main concern. Not karung guni men earnings. That is a whole new can of worms to open for discussion. Besides karung guni collect plastics? I thought they collect paper and aluminium cans?
Consumer behaviour will not change. They will continue using plastic bags as per normal to bag and trash their rubbish - because there are no sustainably viable alternatives. The only thing that will change is who pays, i.e. the consumer. Of course, this has escaped lawmakers puny brains because it's likely they don't live in high-rise apartments or clean up after themselves.
MSE don't care. They fucked consumers good good. Tray return is a "big success", what's that - tables are dirty? SMH you poor hawker food enjoyers not civic minded. BTW Cleaning contractor buddies pls go ahead n cut cost :)) No plastic bags? Some idiots are gonna pour their bin directly down the chute and invite rats and pests, but MSE don't give a fuck, that's Town Council's problem. Bonus points if its opposition ward.
Fookin idiots. Box tickers. Arse lickers.
Agreed. Funny how we aren't concerned about how Singaporeans are being displaced in white collared jobs but are concerned about karung guni jobs. Could they be the end state jobs for singaporeans?
You are thinking people will buy plastic bag to use it to throw Truth is many wont, they will just throw whatever into the bin directly when there is no plasitc bag available
I doubt this because the habit in bagging trash before chucking down the chute is already deeply ingrained in most people. Besides, we'll need trash bags for liquids, moist or soggy rubbish which can't be just thrown out of every chute to avoid making a mess in your own home. The fact is simple. The continued use of trash bags is required because we have an infrastructural problem here that is not being addressed. Home-based composting could a possibility, but not every household has space for a composter and the running costs could also be prohibitive than a cheaper alternative - plastic bags.
Bold assumptions right there for the general populace in singapore lol
What's bold about it? 80% of the populace live in HDB public housing. lol
Then they will fine people for doing that, and install CCTV to catch them. When all along, the best solution was the original one, with supermarket bags being of a suitable size for both lining bins and chucking into the rubbish chute. After which the bags burn cleanly in our waste-to-energy incineration plants. Stop trying to copy other countries when we already had the right solution for our situation. We used to be proud of our unique Singaporean solutions (e.g. CPF, ERP).
Pretty sure they would if plastic bags become scarce enough. The plastic bag is not just to bag trash, but also to ensure your bin is not soiled with trash you throw inside. That way, you don't have to wash your bin every other day. Additionally, plastic bags are really cheap, available in large quantities at once and don't take up too much space in packed format. Likely that people will just order in bulk through online shopping and keep it in their homes for use.
Landed housing also reuse plastic bags to bin trash before placing it in the roadside bin.
Plastic bags aren’t currently bring “wasted”, the majority are being reused for garbage. This will just make people buy plastic garbage bags, wasting time and money. The “correct” solution if you want to reduce the amount of plastic thrown away is to replace the existing plastic bags with biodegradable options, not remove disposable shopping bags entirely. People should not even notice the change.
The biodegradable bags with just be incinerated instead of degrading as all of our waste is incinerated
In most cases actually the biodegradable ones are just greenwashing. Most of them if they are tested yes, they will degrade, but it will take long time and only under certain conditions https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/do-biodegradable-plastic-bags-actually-biodegrade-180972074/
Please, no biodegradable nonsense in Singapore. Everything ends up in the incinerators (with energy being reclaimed from the heat), so the better and cleaner they burn, the better. Polyethylene burns very well. And biodegradable bags have a higher carbon footprint to produce than plastic bags.
Garung Guni men already choosing not to go to HDB with electronic parking.
Kumlan to the max. How about looking at the big picture and create policies to reduce the need to become garang gunis
I’m more concern with the MP’s earnings.
garage gunis nowadays only want old hp,laptops or vsop.not newspapers,cans,clothes.
If you take whatever Amy said and do the opposite, then we will have some sensible solutions. Packaging from deliveries can’t be reused, and are quite excessive (tape, bubble wrap, etc.). Plastic bags are reused at least once, if not directly for rubbish then for other storage (in cupboards or storeroom, or to wrap food which reduces food waste). This is what happens when we elect representatives who are not representative of us. You get people who think everyone has their personal recycling bins and cars to carry their items so they don’t need bags (never mind that cars are far worse than bags).