More people have been caught by eager-eyed members of the public stealing plastic bags, following the mandatory 5 cents per bag charge implemented in July this year.
In the latest, a woman was seen pilfering a plastic bag from the Nasty Cookie store at Funan DigitaLife Mall.
The woman approached a staff at the store and appeared to be interested in buying some cookies.
But when the staff turned away for a moment, the woman grabbed a plastic bag and stuffed it in what appears to be another bag that she was carrying.
When the staff returned, the woman carried on a brief conversation with her, as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened, and subsequently left without buying anything.
Footage of the incident was caught on CCTV and shared online by Nasty Cookie.
This is not an isolated incident of people stealing plastic bags.
Even in August this year, one Eric Brooks wrote to the Straits Times, commenting on how aunties pilfer plastic bags at supermarkets that are meant to bag fresh produce.
Online, many have stated incidences they have encountered of people who have abused the “honour system” some supermarkets have implemented by not paying for plastic bags at self-checkout counters.
Hawkers too have reported that some customers now take more bags than necessary when they dabao food, such that they have to charge the customers for extra plastic bags to prevent this occurrence.
About 400 supermarkets across Singapore will impose the charge on plastic bags, according to Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Amy Khor.
Justifying the charge, Khor said that such a fee will “nudge consumers to be mindful of and reduce their usage of disposables.”
