Oct 3, 2011 - ST Forum
HUMAN nature being what it is, people will not change their bad
habits easily ("New council rolls up sleeves for dirty job"; last
Wednesday).
The Government must intervene more and eliminate some of the
root causes of littering.
One immediate measure could be phasing out plastic bags and
introducing a law that bans the use of plastic bags.
You only have to stand in the supermarket aisles to notice the
bewildering number of plastic bags that are used up every minute.
Yet the solution is so simple: use reusable bags.
It is equally confounding how much unnecessary waste is created
daily at food centres and wet markets. I frequent the Ghim Moh and
Tiong Bahru centres regularly and I am perplexed by the senseless
use of plastic bags, cups and styrofoam plates, and particularly
the plastic bag drink vessels with draw string and straw, the most
environmentally hazardous items that litter this island and
invariably end up in the ocean.
Create a platform to implement environmentally safe,
biodegradable alternatives. There are now affordable, competitive
products available such as corn, sugar cane and plantation pulp
products.
The Government could give out free, reusable bags to every
person in Singapore and this would be more cost-effective than
collecting and disposing of the offending plastic items.
Curtis Marsh
