Supermarkets are charging for plastic bags soon. Is it time to switch to an eco-friendly bag?

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“Auntie, can you give me one extra plastic bag?”

From trash bags to gloves, there are just so many uses for plastic bags!

But too many of them aren’t good for the environment.

That’s why the government is implementing a mandatory charge of at least $0.05 for each plastic bag used from mid-2023 onwards.

This change will affect all the large supermarkets in Singapore, including familiar names such as NTUC FairPrice, Cold Storage, Giant, Sheng Siong and Prime.

However, this isn’t something new, as Fairprice has implemented a “No Plastic Bag” initiative this year.

All Cheers and FairPrice Xpress outlets will be including an additional charge of 10 cents for plastic bags.

Furthermore, selected NTUC Fairprice supermarkets will be charging 20 cents for plastic bags too.

But what does this mean for all of us as consumers?

Let’s take a closer look at the costs incurred by the continued usage of plastic bags.

TL;DR: How much you are spending on plastic bags in a year

A few cents here and there might not seem a lot now, but eventually, it will add up.

Let us help you break the numbers down and tell you some other more cost-efficient options!

Costs of using plastic bags from supermarkets

We all have to purchase groceries and essentials, don’t we? Even if we don’t, there’ll be someone in the family who always makes the trip for us.

Assuming you go to the supermarket once every two weeks and buy about four bags of groceries when you do.

You will be charged 20 cents for every transaction, and within a year, you will be spending $4.80 on bags alone!

Doesn’t seem like much?

How about if we compare it to getting a reusable grocery bag from Fairprice, which costs 90 cents ?

The reusable bag is worth less than two and a half months’ worth of plastic bags, and you can continue to keep using it afterwards.

Assuming you bought a reusable bag, you can save up to $3.90 in a year, and you can keep all that money for other expenses like a trip to the gym or even a nice meal with friends.

Is it worth buying your own plastic bags?

You could also opt to buy your own plastic bags in place of the ones given by the supermarkets, but let me ask you, how much do you actually save getting your own plastic bags?

Let’s say you spend $3 for medium-sized plastic bags, which comes in three bundles, each containing 27-30 bags (Roughly 86 bags on average).

Assuming you use at least three plastic bags per supermarket visit, you will spend an estimated 10 cents on plastic bags.

That’s half of what you spend on bags in the supermarket!

	How much you spend in a
Week	Month	Year
Supermarket Plastic Bags	$0.10	$0.40	$4.80
Self-bought Plastic Bags	$0.05	$0.20	$2.40
Reusable Bags	$0.90	$0.90	$0.90

But let’s compare it to a reusable bag, which costs 90 cents but can be reused throughout the year.

The cost of getting a reusable bag will save you $1.50 in a year compared to buying your own plastic bags.

Do yourself and the environment and your wallet by getting yourself a reusable grocery bag now!

Other costs incurred from disposable plastics

The additional expenses for using plastic bags in NTUC are an excellent example of how plastics can incur other costs.

But what about expenses for disposable plastics we have been incurring without realising? Here are some examples:

ALSO READ: Watsons will charge customers for plastic bags on Tuesdays from Dec

Trash bags or bin liners

One of the more common ways we reuse our plastic bags from supermarkets is to use them for our trash.

After NTUC Fairprice implements its surcharge, some of us might switch to buying trash bags or bin liners from the supermarket instead.

Bin liners cost at least $1.20 for a pack of 25. Assuming you throw out the trash two times a week, you will need about 4 packs a year, which means you will be spending at least $4.80 on bin liners in a year.

That’s the same amount you spend getting plastic bags from a trip to NTUC Fairprice, and that is not cost-efficient in the long run.

Rather than spending on bin liners, why not spend that money to get yourself a washable bin instead? The extra effort will pay off in additional savings in the long run!

Plastic bags for storing food

Grabbing some takeout for dinner?

Sometimes, the hawker centre stalls you frequent charge an additional 20 cents for the containers and/or bags when you order takeout.

You can rack up a pretty massive amount after getting takeout from there after a while.

Assuming you eat at the stall four times a week, you will be spending $38.40 every year on containers that you’re most likely going to be throwing away after you’re done with the meal.

Getting a reusable container, which can be as cheap as $5, would be a better alternative, and it doesn’t cost as much as using disposable containers for a year!

More tips to saving your wallet and/or the environment?

Love to save more on your grocery shopping?

Here are some more hacks for saving on your next grocery run.

Feel free to check out these supermarket discounts for senior citizens as well!

Find out how you can save on delivery charges when you shop online for groceries too!

Want to do your part for the environment?

This article was first published in Seedly.