6/6/2017 Saynotoplasticbags

wildplaces|wildhappenings|wildnews
makeadifferenceforourwildplaces

home|links|searchthesite

allarticleslatest|past|articlesbytopics|searchwildnews
wildnewsonwildsingapore

StraitsTimesForum26Apr07
Biodegradablebagsdon'thelptocutwastegeneration
LetterfromOngSengEngHeadResourceConservationDepartment
NationalEnvironmentAgency

StraitsTimesForum27Apr07
Oxobiodegradablebagsdon'tmeetEuropestandards
LetterfromCraigJ.DimmickGeneralManagerBiostarchTechnologyPteLtd

StraitsTimesForum24Apr07
Bringbackbrownpaperbagsofyore
LetterfromAndrewSeowChweeGuan

StraitsTimesForum24Apr07
AllIkeaplasticbagsareoxobiodegradable
LetterfromPhilipWeeGeneralManagerIkeaSingapore

StraitsTimesForum23Apr07
Retailers,makeplasticbagsbiodegradable
LetterfromGraceTanHweeNeo(Ms)

ITISgoodthatsomeshopsandsupermarketsarepromotingthediscriminateuseof
plasticbags.Butifnowaterproofanddisposablealternativetotheplasticbagisavailable,
mostpeoplewillsimplyreverttotheconvenienceofplasticbags,eveniftheyhavetopay
orbringitwiththemwhentheyshop.

Asuitablealternativeisabiodegradable'plastic'bagIsawattheEcoproducts
InternationalFairatSuntecCityinOctoberlastyear.Itlooksandfeelslikeathickplastic
bag,butitismadefromtapiocaandbiodegradeswhenwetorexposedtothesun.

Iamsurprisedthiscompanyhasnotpromoteditsproducthere.

ToIkeaandFairPrice,ifwehavetopayforplasticbags,makethembiodegradable.

StraitsTimesForum24Apr07
AllIkeaplasticbagsareoxobiodegradable
LetterfromPhilipWeeGeneralManagerIkeaSingapore

IREFERtoMsGraceTanHweeNeo'sletter,'Retailers,makeplasticbagsbiodegradable'
(ST,April23).

WethankMsTanforhersuggestionandarehappytosharethatallIkeaplasticbagsare
oxobiodegradable.Thesearenowchargedatanominalpriceoffiveor10cents,
dependingonthesizeofthebag.

Oxobiodegradablebagsbiodegradeandcanbecompostedbuttheydonotneedtobe
buriedinacompostheaporlandfillinordertodegrade.Theywilldegradeinanormal
environment.

Despitethis,therearemanygoodreasonstoreducetheuseofplasticbagsandwe
continuetoencourageSingaporeanstosay'no'toplasticbagsandtomakeitahabitto
takeabagortwowhenevertheygoshopping,beitattheIkeastoreoranyotherstore.

StraitsTimesForum24Apr07
Bringbackbrownpaperbagsofyore
LetterfromAndrewSeowChweeGuan

IREFERtothe'BringYourOwnBag'campaignatparticipatingsupermarkets.

Asexpected,someshoppersbaulkedathavingtoforkout10centsforaplasticbagfor
theyfeltthatthesupermarketshadalreadyfactoredthecostintothepriceoftheir
http://www.wildsingapore.com/news/20070304/0704238.htm 1/3
6/6/2017 Saynotoplasticbags

products.

Inthe1960stherewereonlytwosupermarketsalongOrchardRoad,namely,ColdStorage
andFitzpatrick's.Theyprovideddurableandsturdybrownpaperbagswhichwerecapable
ofwithstandingheavyitemssuchascannedproductsandbottleddrinks.

Perhapssupermarketswouldconsiderintroducingsuchbagswhichcouldhavecutoutsat
thetoptoserveashandles,fortheconvenienceofshoppers.Ascorporatecitizens,
supermarketsshouldexploreviablealternativeswhichareequitabletobothbusinesses
andconsumers.

Itisnotpracticaltototallyeliminateplasticbagsastheystillservesomeusefulpurposes,
likeholdingfoodwaste,garbageandwetitems.

Atthesametimethereisstillaneedtoeducatetheuninitiatedthatplasticbagswreak
environmentalhavocinthelongterm.Theseinclude:Clogginggutters,drainsand
seweragesystems.Chokingfarmanimalsandmarinelife.Contaminatingsoilasthey
degradeintotinytoxicparticlesthatabsorbconcentratedamountsofdangerous
compounds.Litteringstreets,parksandbeaches.

Letusalldoourparttosavethisearth.

StraitsTimesForum27Apr07
Oxobiodegradablebagsdon'tmeetEuropestandards
LetterfromCraigJ.DimmickGeneralManagerBiostarchTechnologyPteLtd

IREFERtoMrPhilipWee'sletter,'AllIkeaplasticbagsareoxobiodegradable'(ST,April
24).

WelaudIkeaforbeingproactiveinseekingasolutiontotheplasticbagproblem.However,
consumersshouldbeawareofsomefactsregarding'oxobiodegradable'bags.

AccordingtotheInternationalBiodegradablePolymersAssociationandWorkingGroupin
Berlin,nopolyethyleneadditiveproductsuchasoxobiodegradablebagsmeetsthe
Europeanstandardsforbiodegradabilityandcompostability.

Additivesareusedinthemanufacturingprocesswhichpromotethebreakingdownofthe
bagmaterialintosmallparticles.Thoseadditivesaretypicallytoxicmetals.Furthermore,
oncebrokendownintosmallparticlesthepolyethylenestilldoesnotbiodegradeand
remainsintheenvironment,likeanyotherplasticproduct.

Theonlylongtermsolutiontotheenvironmentalproblemsassociatedwithplasticbagsis
toeliminatepetroleumbasedingredients,suchaspolyethylene.Ourcompany
manufacturespetroleumfreebagsthatfullymeettheEuropeanandAustralianstandards
forbiodegradabilityandcompostability.

Consumereducationisimportantbecausethestakesarehighandsomeclaimsbeing
madeaboutbiodegradableproductsareconfusing.

StraitsTimesForum26Apr07
Biodegradablebagsdon'thelptocutwastegeneration
LetterfromOngSengEngHeadResourceConservationDepartment
NationalEnvironmentAgency

IREFERtotheletterbyMsGraceTan,'Retailers,makeplasticbagsbiodegradable'(ST,
April23).

Singaporeansusesome2.5billionsingleuseplasticbagseachyear.Manyofthesebags
arereusedtobaghouseholdrefuse,agoodhygienepractice.

However,despitethislevelofreuse,manybagsarestillthrownawaydirectly,constituting
awasteofresourcesandgeneratingwasteunnecessarily.

ItistoaddressthisproblemthataworkinggroupcomprisingtheNationalEnvironment
Agency(NEA),theSingaporeEnvironmentCouncilandmajorretailerssuchasCarrefour,
ColdStorage,Giant,NTUCFairPrice,PrimeSupermarket,ShengSiongandShopNSave
cametogethertolaunchthe'Whywasteplasticbags?Choosereusablebags!'campaignin
Februarylastyear.

http://www.wildsingapore.com/news/20070304/0704238.htm 2/3
6/6/2017 Saynotoplasticbags

Thecampaign'saimistourgethepublictotakeonlyenoughplasticbags,andtouse
reusablebagsasoftenaspossible.Itdoesnotsuggestthatthepublicshouldswitchover
toalternativesingleusebags,suchasbiodegradableplasticorpaperones.

Thesesingleusealternativesdonothelptocutwastegeneration.Moreover,paperbags
areunsuitableforbaggingrefuseastheycanbeweakenedbythesubstantialmoisturein
typicalhouseholdrefuse.

ThemonthlyBringYourOwnBagDay(BYOBD)campaignservestoremindshoppersto
usereusablebags,whichcanbepurchasedatlowcost,asfaraspossible.

UndertheNationalRecyclingProgramme,householdsareprovidedwitheitherrecycling
bagsordedicatedbinstofacilitatestorageofrecyclableitemssuchaspaper,metalcans,
drinkcartonsandoldclothing.Theserecyclablesarecollecteddoortodooronceevery
fortnight.

NEAisnowinstallingcentralisedrecyclingbinsinallHDBestates.Oncefullyrolledoutby
theendofthisyear,therewillbeasetofcentralisedbinsforeveryfiveblocksofflats.
Withthatinplace,HDBresidentswillnotneedtowalkmorethan150mtorecycle.

Complementingthesecentralisedbinsisanetworkofpublicrecyclingbinsplacedathigh
trafficareassuchasMRTstationsandshoppingareas.Informationprovidedonthebins
wouldincludeahotlinenumberandeasilyrecognisedsymbolsofthetypesofwastethat
areacceptedforrecycling.

links
BringYourOwnBagDayontheNEAwebsite

RelatedarticlesaboutSingapore:plasticbagseffortstoreduceuseofplasticbags,
issues,discussions
aboutthesite|emailria

Newsarticlesarereproducedfornonprofiteducationalpurposes.
websiteriatan2003www.wildsingapore.com

http://www.wildsingapore.com/news/20070304/0704238.htm 3/3