• FairPrice Green Rewards Scheme sees an eight per cent increase in plastic bags saved from 2015 to 2016; over $545,000 in green rebates were given out in 2016 through the scheme.
• All FairPrice and FairPrice Finest supermarkets, FairPrice Xtra hypermarkets, FairPrice Xpress and Cheers convenience stores will support Earth Hour 2017 for the ninth consecutive year

SINGAPORE, 23 MARCH 2017 – NTUC FairPrice (FairPrice) today announced that it will commemorate Earth Hour on Saturday, 25 March 2017, by switching off non-essential lights at stores. It also announced a record 10.9 million plastic bags saved in 2016 as a result of its bring-your-own-bag (BYOB) initiative, also known as the “FairPrice Green Rewards” scheme. This is an eight per cent increase from last year, as FairPrice continues to see a year-on-year increase in participation for this green initiative.

Mr Koh Kok Sin, Chairman of FairPrice Green Committee, said, “FairPrice continues to support Earth Hour and champion eco-friendly initiatives. We are heartened to see this movement grow from strength to strength. FairPrice will continue to encourage industry players to prioritise adopting sustainable practices in their business. We also urge customers to make it part of their lifestyle to switch off non-essential lights, and bring their own bags when shopping.”

On top of about 300 stores which are switching off their non-essential lights, FairPrice’s office at FairPrice Hub and distribution centres will also support Earth Hour by switching off their non-essential lights. In store, customers will also find collaterals and in-store announcements that encourage them to join in our efforts to protect the environment.  This marks the ninth consecutive year that FairPrice will be involved in Earth Hour efforts. In addition, FairPrice will donate S$10,000 to WWF’s climate change initiatives to support Earth Hour 2017 this year.

Supporting Earth Hour

On 25 March 2017, all FairPrice supermarkets and offices will switch off non-essential lights from 8.30pm till closing time, while 24-hour stores will do so till 7.30am the next morning.  FairPrice Xpress, Cheers stores and FairPrice’s distribution centers will also switch refrigeration lights off between 8.30pm and 9.30pm.

Reducing Use of Plastic Bags

FairPrice encourages customers to reduce the use of plastic bags by giving out a 10-cent rebate when they BYOB with a minimum spend of S$10 as part of the FairPrice Green Rewards scheme, first introduced in 2007. In 2016, the scheme gave out over $545,000 in rebates to customers, and FairPrice remains the only retailer in Singapore to offer this rebate. Since the scheme was launched in 2007, FairPrice has saved over 67.5 million plastic bags.  Stores also feature green checkout lanes, to serve customers who do not need any plastic bags for their purchases.

More details on FairPrice’s green initiatives are available at http://csr.fairprice.com.sg/.

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