SINGAPORE: Seven months after discontinuing the sale of plastic bags for shoppers to carry away their buys, Japanese retail chain Don Don Donki said on Monday (May 19) that it is bringing back plastic bags to its stores.
With immediate effect, Don Don Donki will have at its stores biodegradable plastic bags that shoppers may pay 5 cents each to use.
It said in a Facebook post that it wants to better support its customers’ needs while remaining “committed to its environmental responsibilities”.
It also said that the eco-friendly bags are specially designed to break down naturally over time, reducing the long-term impact on the environment.
This will allow customers to carry their items “with a greater peace of mind”, it added.
The retailer said in the Facebook post that it continues to encourage its shoppers to take along their own reusable bags whenever possible.
Under the law, all supermarket operators with an annual turnover of more than S$100 million (US$77.2 million) are required to charge at least 5 cents for each disposable carrier bag. This was in force since July 2023.
These large supermarkets include FairPrice, Cold Storage, Giant, Sheng Siong, Prime Supermarket and Don Don Donki.
In 2023, large supermarket operators account for around two-thirds – or about 400 – of all supermarkets in Singapore
Before the law came into effect, Don Don Donki outlets charged 10 cents for each plastic bag, before it changed to charging 5 cents a bag regardless of size to comply with the law.
In October 2024, the Japanese retail chain announced that it would stop the sale of plastic bags at its 17 outlets in Singapore then.
