Singaporeans going green following Bring Your Own Bag drive

By Foo Xiao Xuan, Channel NewsAsia
03 July 2007

SINGAPORE: The National Environment Agency (NEA) said the Bring Your Own Bag Day (BYOBD) campaign, which started in April, has sparked many initiatives to distribute reusable bags from various organisations.

These include the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC), North West CDC, South West CDC and Keppel Corporation.

HSBC, for example, launched its "HSBC Green Sale" on 28 June, where for one month, every financial product sold will see the bank donating S$2.80 to its Garden City fund to help conserve the rainforest.

NEA Chief Executive Officer Lee Yuen Hee hopes these initiatives will inspire more people to take ownership of the environment and to do their part against global warming.

The agency will also work with schools to promote the Bring Your Own Bag Day campaign, where students from secondary schools will be at supermarkets to explain the rationale behind the campaign as well as conduct a shopper's survey on it.

Meanwhile, the fourth BYOB Day will be on 4 July and shoppers are encouraged to use reusable bags to bag their purchases on this day.

Alternatively, shoppers can purchase a reusable bag from supermarkets or make a 10 cents donation for each plastic bag that they need.

The donated amount goes to the Singapore Environment Council to fund environmental activities.


- CNA/so