Most shoppers in a mini survey conducted among 100 shoppers at major supermarkets in the city say they are willing to give up the habit of using plastic bags for shopping, the HCMC Waste Recycling Fund said.
Le Van Khoa, director of fund, said up to 83% of shoppers polled approve the idea of quitting plastic bags, which is a positive sign showing the people’s awareness on the negative impacts caused by the plastic bags on the environment.
Such a response is good food for thought for retailers in the city, Khoa said in a statement reporting the survey result that was sent to the Daily on Tuesday.
“It still needs long-term cooperation from the city’s retailers for changing the clients’ habit for using eco-bags instead of plastic bags as more and more people have already recognized the negative impacts of the plastic bags,” said Khoa.
However, there are still 17% of the surveyed clients say that they do not want to give up the habit of using plastic bags going shopping, citing convenience.
The survey was casually done within one day among over 100 clients of some supermarkets around the city such as Satra, Big C, Saigon Co.op, Maximark, Lotte Mart and Fivimart.
The HCMC Waste Recycling Fund says the city discharges some 60 tons of plastic bags into the environment each day and the untreated bags are causing many negative impacts to the soil and water source.
The national strategy for solid waste management till 2025 that was approved by the Government late last year calls for efforts to minimize the use of plastic bags. Under the strategy, the country targets to slash consumption of plastic bags by 40% by 2015 from the current level, and by up to 85% by 2025.