I went recently to BookFest@Singapore 2022 at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre.

When I proceeded to pay for a backpack, the cashier said I would be charged 10 cents if I wanted a plastic bag. I told her that I did not need one.

To my surprise, she put the backpack in a new Popular bookshop plastic bag, and sealed it with a cable tie before I could stop her.

She then explained that I needed the Popular bag as proof of purchase, but since I had said I did not want a plastic bag, she would not charge me the 10 cents.

I cannot fathom the logic behind this policy. How does this fit in with Singapore’s drive to reduce plastic waste? I wonder how many plastic bags will end up being used during the 10-day event, and some for free too.

Goh Whye Liang