Buying your groceries without opting for plastic bags is easy with our tips
If you’ve spent time at the beach recently, you were probably appalled to note the amount of plastic waste washed in by the tide. This is becoming a real problem in Singapore; and indeed throughout the entire world https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/Litter_on_Singapore%27s_East_Coast_Park.jpg). Indeed, scientists estimate that the volume of plastic waste in the world’s oceans will be greater than that of fish by 2050. If this statistic is startling, and upsetting, let the foodpanda sustainability teams guide you on ways to ditch plastic, so you can do your bit to help the environment. In this brief guide we offer tips for ditching plastic bags when buying groceries and other essentials.
About supermarket plastic bags
Every individual’s actions towards helping the environment can make a difference, no matter how small. Plastic bags are commonly used for grocery shopping throughout Singapore. In fact, a 2018 report by the Singapore Environment Council found that shoppers averaged 146 bags each throughout 2018. That’s almost three plastic bags each week, and the new charges for plastic that have already been implemented by some Fair Price stores could well be adopted by most other supermarkets in the near future. For example, charges for plastic shopping bags have been legally enforced for all the big supermarkets in the UK since the year 2015, helping to reduce use from around 7.6bn in 2014 to approximately 1.1bn in 2015-2016. What’s more, a large proportion of the 5p tax per bag levied on these single use plastic bags was passed on to good causes, amounting to more than £60m for the year 2016.
Our top tricks for buying groceries without plastic bags
If the above news from the UK provides you with the inspiration needed to ditch plastic bags when grocery shopping, perhaps our tricks on buying groceries without plastic bags will give you a little more impetus?
- One of the most important ways to avoid using supermarket plastic bags for grocery shopping is to ensure you always carry your own bag or bags with you. There are lots of different types of shopping bags you can use, some of them will fold neatly into pockets, handbags, or backpacks, and can be toted around at all times.
- If you do need to use supermarket plastic bags at any time in future, don’t just dump them when your shopping is unpacked. Re-use all your old supermarket plastics to obtain the best value out of them. And, don’t forget to dispose of them wisely at the end of their life cycle.
- We understand that the food delivery sector can use a lot of plastic and paper for home/work deliveries. Why not re-use your food delivery bags for your shopping in future? Paper or plastic bags are easily folded away into pockets and are very useful for holding a small amount of daily shopping essentials.
- Finally, if you opt to shop locally you may find it easier to use your own shopping bags and this can also help you leave the car behind more often. A real win-win.
Have you considered shopping online?
We’re absolutely convinced that the internet and online lifestyle will become increasingly important for all consumers. Online shopping is certainly taking off here in Singapore. Lots of local food supermarkets and stores now provide online shopping, so another one of our tricks for buying groceries without plastic is to consider the benefits of going online. Just so long as you opt for a supplier with green credentials and electric vehicles, one major benefit is that you can get your shopping delivered in crates without the use of any plastic bags. This also saves you time on regular shopping chores so you have more for enjoying your hobbies and lifestyle.
