SINGAPORE - Consumers will likely have to pay between five and 10 cents for a disposable bag at supermarkets starting from the first half of next year.

This was proposed in the National Environment Agency’s (NEA) new guidelines on a disposable carrier bag charge announced on Thursday (Jan 27). The guidelines are intended to discourage the excessive consumption of disposable bags and promote the use of reusable ones.

The agency is seeking feedback on the guidelines, which are part of governmental recommendations to cut waste generated in Singapore.

The majority of supermarkets here are expected to implement this charge in their stores. The charge will not apply for online purchases.

Under the guidelines, supermarkets will also need to disclose the number of bags issued, the total amount charged for them and how they use the proceeds.

Environmental groups have been calling for a charge on disposable bags for years. A 2018 study done by the non-profit Singapore Environment Council found that shoppers take 820 million disposable carrier bags from supermarkets a year, an average of 146 bags a person.

Some shops have already been charging consumers for plastic bags. For example, FairPrice has been charging shoppers 20 cents per transaction for plastic bags at selected outlets since November 2019.  

Such efforts led the Ministry of Sustainability and Environment (MSE) and NEA to convene a work group in September 2020 to address the excessive consumption of disposable items in Singapore.

Discussions of this work group, which comprised 55 members of the public of diverse backgrounds, resulted in the recommendation of a charge for disposable carrier bags in January 2021.

After three months, NEA and MSE then collectively agreed to develop an appropriate charging model for disposable carrier bags at supermarkets in Singapore.

The NEA crafted the guidelines announced on Thursday after consultation with over 1,000 stakeholders on various platforms and through focus group discussions, as well as looking at case studies from abroad.

The spokesman for Zero Waste SG, the environmental charity that released a plastic bag charge policy recommendation paper in 2016, said: “Implementing a mandatory bag charge is a much-anticipated step and is in line with a global movement to phase out single-use plastic shopping bags.”

While feedback from environmental agencies has been positive, responses to the guidelines from environmentally conscious consumers have been mixed. 

Mr Nate Tjoeng, 39, an events planner, said the charge may not be enough to reduce waste.

He  said: “A small charge may not discourage consumers as most seek convenience and can afford it. Attitudes must be changed instead.”

Other consumers like Mr Daryl Goh, 42, a businessman, said the extra charge needs to be complemented with incentives to reduce plastic bag usage. 

“Incentives can change attitudes. A small charge may not discourage consumers but a reusable bag can be made affordable and convenient,” he said.

Public feedback on the new guidelines are now being sought through Reach, the Government's feedback unit.

The topics currently put up for feedback are the proposed charging model, amount to be charged, coverage of the scheme, and the implementation timeline.

Readers keen to provide feedback on the guidelines can do so from Thursday to Feb 17 at this website.