The green movement is picking up pace worldwide.

In Britain, people are taking along reusable bags for their shopping, as the government has imposed a charge per plastic bag or paper bag used. This has made consumers switch to reusable bags.

In Malaysia, every Saturday, shoppers need to take along their own bags. All major shopping centres will not provide customers with plastic or paper bags.

Some banks are no longer providing business reply envelopes for customers to enclose their cheques for payment. The banks say this is part of their efforts to go green and that customers are taking to online payment, thus reducing the need for cheques.

Unfortunately, the credit card statements I receive are still stuffed with marketing fliers. This is not in line with efforts to go green.

Banks should take to online marketing instead, and should reduce their carbon footprint by eliminating unnecessary marketing mailers while also maintaining customer satisfaction levels.

The cost of a business reply envelope is next to nothing when compared with my having to commute to pay my bills, as I don't find Internet payments secure.

The cost of processing a cheque is getting lower as the volume is getting smaller, and the savings gained from not sending out business reply envelopes is a tiny factor in the banks' overall costs.

Banks should really go green and not just use it as an excuse to cut out the cost of providing envelopes.

Larry Leong Woei Wen