Member of Parliament Louis Ng has proposed charging for single-use carrier bags and for the public sector to take the lead in eliminating single-use plastics from its events and catering. In response, Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources, said that managing plastics and packaging wastes is one of their ‘key priorities’, and her ministry has also taken action in being more environmentally friendly in their daily practices.
In Dr Khor’s speech, she said the government’s aim was to encourage consumers and businesses to reduce plastic use “beyond what the regulations require.” She also added that Ng’s idea to charge for plastic bags complicates the system and cited Hong Kong’s data in non-compliance with similar policies.
Read the article here: Charging for carrier bags one way to rid Singapore of ‘throwaway culture’: Louis Ng
In a parliamentary session on 6 March, Dr Amy Khor said that environmental outcomes are unlikely to improve with imposing bans or charges on plastic bags. Study commissioned by National Environment Agency (NEA) had shown that any kind of disposable bag would have an impact on the environment, whether it is paper or biodegradable. Therefore the recommendation to consumers would be to use more reusable bags and food containers.
Read this to find out how much plastic waste Singapore generates. We take about 146 plastic bags per person each year!
Analysis:
The need to manage waste, and reduce waste generation is a global one, and everyone has a part to play. We are using our natural resources at an unsustainable rate. Every country would have its own local problems and needs, and policymakers would need to learn from success cases and adapt to localise solutions.
“No one company, organization, government, or person can solve this problem alone,” quoting James Quincey, CEO of The Coca-Cola Company in this World Economic Forum Annual Meeting article.
Individual consumers could take efforts to reduce usage of disposables but their efforts have to be met by businesses. If consumer’s behaviors like bringing their own cutlery are deemed unorthodox by businesses and perceived as disruptions to standard operations, it may be difficult for the zero-waste movement to become mainstream. At all levels, business or individual, people need to be educated about the wider impact, and to see the benefits of changing our patterns of consumption.
Questions for personal evaluation:
- What are your thoughts about the responsibilities of the individual and businesses in advancing the green movement?
- What kind of environmental policies do you think would work for your society?
Useful vocabulary:
- ‘Adjournment Motion’: After the call to end the sitting is raised, any MP can still claim the right to raise additional matters of public concern. (See: How Parliament Works)
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