Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on Disposable Plastic Bag Charge

Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on Disposable Plastic Bag Charge by Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment whether there are any plans to introduce pricing guidelines for amounts that merchants may levy for the plastic bag charge.

Answer:

1 Supermarket operators with an annual turnover of more than $100 million are required to charge a minimum of 5 cents per disposable carrier bag, regardless of material and size, provided at their supermarket outlets.

2 For all other retailers, charging for disposable carrier bags is a business decision. There are currently no plans for the government to introduce pricing guidelines for these retailers.