Do you think charging for plastic is scummy?
My whole life, except maybe when I was very young and didn’t know anything, I’ve tried to use less single use plastic. Or single use anything really. Not because of the environment, it just felt like a waste.
Still, I’m pissed about companies messing with the plastic. Once, it was removing straws. Now, it’s charging for plastic bags. Selfishly, I just don’t want to pay.
But I recently realised, I never complained about losing 5 or 10 cents. It’s always been “why should they profit off this?”
Where’s the rule that says the proceeds have to go to the company?
I think I would be a lot happier if the government came in and forced companies to declare their sales of bags, straws, whatever, and turn 100% profit (meaning minus the initial cost of bags) over to the government.
I’m happy to pay taxes because I get roads and clean water.
Then we’ll see which companies actually care about the environment. They were happy to provide it for free before, so I can’t see them taking it away. Especially when it degrades their service and makes them less attractive.
I think 99% of them are just doing it for the extra profit. Maybe charging for plastic is the only way to get us to not waste. But I don’t want companies to profit off of it. I’d rather the money go into taxes.
Netizens’ comments
- I have the exact same thoughts. If they are really interested in preserving the environment, all proceed from that should be going towards conservation.
- Yes it’s scummy. Most corporations don’t care about the env. It’s just for show and to ensure they are not doing anything illegal.
So if there are no hard regulations, most are going to green wash instead of saving the env.
What is the purpose of a corporation? It is to maximise profits for shareholders. The board of directors and senior management have only that thought in mind.
Their hands are tied, and their own remuneration tied to profits. Is it possible to speak up and use 10M to save the env? Yes, only if it also achieves the eventual aim of profit maximisation with profit maximisation always winning when push comes to shove – which is going to be difficult.
So that is how marketing teams are form and greenwashing eventually appears.
Can individuals within the company speak up? Sure. But is it your job scope? Do you have a say? Think about how huge and splintered a company is.
Even if many people – from legal to accounting to sales – know that replacing plastic straws with paper straws does shit in Singapore context – if they speak up and it’s not in their portfolio, will it make a difference? Nope.
Cos the point of this replacement is under marketing and it’s just simply greenwashing. Doing it cos every company is doing it. And looking good. - The reason for the start of charging for plastic bag is to reduce plastic waste..
But IMO, we Asians will never waste any plastic bags… All the plastic bags we take, will be reuse as rubbish bags or other usage…
Go to any Asian house kitchen, open their cabinet, u will definitely find that we store them for other usage…
So I dunno y they use “save plastic” as a reason for such campaign…