Survey: 1.76b pieces of plastic used here yearly

Singapore supermarkets give out 820 million plastic bags a year, or more than two million a day.

This, together with plastic bottles and single-use disposable items like plastic food containers, means the Republic goes through at least 1.76 billion pieces of plastic yearly, according to the results of a survey released yesterday by the Singapore Environment Council (SEC).

The number, however, pales in comparison with previous estimates of Singaporeans using 13 plastic bags a day - which adds up to more than 60 million daily.

SEC executive director Jen Teo said that while the council's estimate is conservative, it still shows that the country has a long way to go in tackling plastic waste.