We refer to the letter by Mr Goh Kian Huat, “Managing waste without disposable bags a challenge for households” (March 10).

Over the past few years, households and trade premises in Singapore threw away about 200,000 tonnes of disposables annually. This is enough to fill up about 400 Olympic-sized swimming pools. About two-thirds were disposable bags. Disposables create large amounts of waste and use up our finite resources.

The charge for disposable carrier bags at supermarkets serves as an important nudge to shift consumer behaviour towards more sustainable habits by making consumers pause and be more conscious of their use of such bags. It will nudge them to use their own reusable shopping bags and reduce the number of disposable carrier bags they take.

The amount charged has been kept low to minimise the cost impact on shoppers. We are mindful of the potential impact on lower-income families, and have been engaging supermarket operators to use some of the proceeds to support programmes that will benefit the local community.

Shoppers may also avoid the charge by bringing their own bags. Disposable bags will still be available from supermarkets and other retail outlets.

Many households are also repurposing packaging from products to bag their waste and reduce reliance on disposable carrier bags for bagging refuse. In addition, by recycling more and producing less waste, households will need fewer bags for waste disposal.

The disposable carrier bag charge is a behavioural nudge for us to consume more sustainably. We hope that each of us recognises the impact of our actions on the environment, and play our part to adopt more sustainable habits.

Ivy Ong

Group Director (Strategic Planning and Policy Group)

National Environment Agency