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Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Singapore - No Plastic Bags Day - Every 1st Wednesday of the Month

Today, 18 April 2007, Wednesday is the inaugural Bring Your Own Bag Day (BOYBD). Singapore shoppers are encouraged to bring their own shopping bags.

Subsequently, every 1st Wednesday of the Month will be a designated BOYBD.

Today, actually it was just 10 mins ago, I just came back from buying groceries. This is my usual shopping bag. Its a reusable bag that I have been reusing for years. Actually, it has been reused from another country. Australian visitors might find this familiar :-) This bag is around 3 years old.



Looks like it might be working. For people who bought a few items, when the cashier asked if they wanted bags, they declined it :-) But others insist of having their bags. Well, can't be helped, how are they going to carry their stuff home?

Do you use enviro bags like the ones above?

15 comments:

Kerry-Anne said...

Yes, we have bags like this too. A year or two back the government started imposing regulations to rid our countryside of all the horrible plastic bags. We have to pay for plastic bags now (not much though), or we can take our own. I have quite a few bags like the one in your picture, but am very forgetful when I go shopping, and usually find I've left them at home or in the car!

Unknown said...

Kerry-anne, you should leave one or two of these bags in your car! :-)

edwin s said...

Also in KL. We also have blue ones. But you know, Malaysians are still unclear of the recycling concept. Must be our love for plastic bags.

Unknown said...

they have multi coloured ones, the main supermarket chain here even have pink ones! haha....

JaamZIN said...

i love this green:)

Olivier said...

En France on commence, on interdit bientot les sacs plastiques et il faudra acheter des sacs dans les magasins (sac souvent que l'on peut remplacer à vie et gratuitement)

In France one starts, one prohibits soon the plastic bags and it will be necessary to buy bags in the stores (bag often that one can replace with life and free)

kaa said...

In Finland, you have to pay 10-15 euro cents for the bags which is not much but it is rather wasteful. I've stopped using plastic bags here (been like 4 yrs already). I always have my cotton black shopping bag with me all the time. ;-) It's kinda funny to hear Singapore coming up with 'days' like this. Is the courtesy and speak mandarin campaign still around??

don said...

great idea. We need also a boyb day here in holland. i have such a greenbag out australia from a supermarket. Love the green color

Jing said...

you know, recently because of the H&M fever here, you could see so many bags carried with people around the streets. i just think its a little bit waste.
If I can carry, I refuse to take more bags or plastic ones offered by the stores.

jing
shanghai daily photo

Nathalie H.D. said...

Yep, familiar indeed!
The first ones were green, but they are now coming out in many colours - to be used as fashion accessories I suppose LOL

Too bad not all Singaporeans are yet convinced of the need for reuse and recycling. It'll come...

Anonymous said...

I wish the world had done this years ago. We went through a "Go Green" period back in the 1970s and our government gave us tax breaks to do things to our property to save energy and then it seems to have been forgotten. It is sad that the planet suffers because we human beings live here.

I really like your photograph.

Today I show my wife, of 52 years, and President Bush's jet that is carrying his automobiles.

Abraham Lincoln

Sally said...

LOL - yes very recognisable. People carry them around for everyday use.

BUT, we still use an ENORMOUS amount of plastic bags at supermarkets and shops.

Anonymous said...

I started using shopping bag when I went to US. But it's only when I buy that bagful. If I buy more, may still have to get plastic bags :(
You're using an aussie bag in Sg, and I'm using a Sg bag (and that Sg bag is some better quality bag-non plastic of course, that exhibitors used in exhibitions/tradeshows) in US.

Alamak, the acronym not very nice ler...can be Bring Your Own BODY ODOR???? LOL!

tigerfish said...

*tsk tsk tsk* ...obviously I'm sleepy and misinterpreted the aconym...LOL!
I still think can do w/o the "Day"...
BOYB sounds better...coz why must it be a day....? Bring Your Own Bad Day???

Ming the Merciless said...

What a smart idea!!