Some 6 million plastic bags were saved last year through NTUC Fair Price’s Bring-Your-Own-Bag (BYOB) initiative.
This is a 16 per cent increase compared with the previous year of over 5.1 million plastic bags, said the local company in its recent press release.
As part of its efforts to promote environmental awareness to its customers, the FairPrice Cares! Campaign is back again for the second year, in support of Earth Day 2011. The campaign encourages customers to use reusable bags for shopping and recycle drink cans and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles.
To encourage community participation for this campaign, FairPrice Foundation will donate up to $30,000 to the Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund and Singapore Disability Sports Council based on the number of cans or PET bottles recycled by customers and the number of FairPrice’s “Love Nature” recycled bags sold.
From April 22 to May 8, FairPrice Foundation will donate $1 for every can or bottle that customers bring in to recycle at the reverse vending machines at its Ang Mo Kio Hub Xtra hypermarket, City Square Mall supermarket and Marine Parade FairPrice Finest stores.
To further encourage shoppers to recycle, FairPrice will be giving out FairPrice “Love Nature” reusable bags for every 10 cans or PET bottles brought in for recycling.
The sales proceeds of FairPrice’s “Love Nature” reusable bags sold at all FairPrice stores will also go toward charity. Under the Green Rewards Scheme launched in 2007 where customers enjoy a 10-cent rebate for bringing their own bag with a minimum spending of $10, 6 million plastic bags were saved.
Commenting on the campaign, Ms Angela Soo, Chairperson for NTUC FairPrice Green Committee and Assistant General Manager for FairPrice Foundation said: “We are very encouraged by the increasing support from our customers in bringing their own bags when they shop at FairPrice and we thank our customers for sharing our love for nature. “We hope that through this campaign, we can encourage even more customers to take action in loving nature and also caring for the less fortunate amongst us.”
