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to the Straits Time Forum Page, 14 Jun 05 Impose 'waste tax' to boost plastic-bag recycling Letter from Wong Sing Hoi I READ with interest the articles by Ms Radha Basu, 'Less rubbish, but little recycling here' (ST, June 6), and Ms Ling Chang Hong, 'Recycling refuse: This little world' (ST, June 11), regarding domestic re-cycling, particularly in relation to plastic bags. If we combine charging a fee for shopping bags, as Dutch supermarkets do, and Vodafone New Zealand's way of creating a 'no waste' trust fund for each customer who recycles, we could come up with something workable for Singapore. We could impose a 'waste tax' for plastic bags, which can be used to reduce wastage of plastic bags here. This tax would probably not affect the lower-income group much as the less well-off are more likely to reuse shopping bags. By hurting the pockets of those who do not recycle, the tax will help to change attitudes towards recycling. The National Environment Agency could be appointed to administer this tax. It is a simple way to reduce the number of plastic bags thrown away and provide funds for the green effort. After all, cash is needed to educate the public on the importance of reducing waste. links Related articles on Singapore: plastic bags More articles on Singapore: general environmental issues |
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