• FairPrice initiates S$1 million Sustainability Fund to address sustainability and environmental issues.
• A month-long “No Plastic Bag” trial at selected stores will be introduced together with a consumer sentiment study on plastic bags usage to better understand shoppers’ behaviour and gather feedback to reduce plastic bag use.
• Plastic bags will be available at $0.20 and $0.10 per transaction at selected supermarkets and convenience stores respectively during trial period with proceeds donated to the Singapore Children’s Society and The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund.

Singapore, 4 September 2019 – NTUC FairPrice (FairPrice) today launched a $1 million “FairPrice Sustainability Fund”, which aims to address sustainability and environmental issues through awareness and public education, support innovative ideas and initiatives, and foster strategic partnerships.

To galvanise the community to share in its efforts to reduce waste, FairPrice is calling for the community to submit innovative and creative proposals to reduce plastic and food waste in Singapore. Through the FairPrice Sustainability Fund, FairPrice will sponsor projects that tackle waste reduction in Singapore, such as product packaging, plastic bag usage and food wastage, especially within a consumer-retail industry. Proposal submissions are open to registered groups and organisations such as civil societies, tertiary institutions, research institutions, charities and start-ups. Selected proposals will be awarded funds from the FairPrice Sustainability Fund to execute their plans. More information on project submissions and eligibility criteria can be found in Annex A.

Commenting on the Fund, Mr Seah Kian Peng, CEO, NTUC FairPrice said, “Addressing climate change was a key focus in the recent Prime Minister’s National Day Rally and we recognise that sustainability and the preservation of our environment are pertinent issues that require the continual and concerted efforts from industry players, government agencies and the community.  Through the launch of the FairPrice Sustainability Fund, we aim to do better for the environment while also encouraging the community to do the same. We hope that this fund can contribute to a greater collective impact in protecting our environment, especially for our future generation.”

No Plastic Bags trial

FairPrice will also be launching a month-long “No Plastic Bags” trial and a consumer sentiment survey on plastic bags usage at selected stores across the island where plastic bags will not be provided for in-store purchases to better understand consumer behaviour and gather public feedback on efforts to encourage the community to “bring-your-own-bag” (BYOB).

For a month starting 16 September, shoppers will not be given plastic bags for purchases at seven FairPrice, Cheers and FairPrice Xpress outlets. The stores include:

Customers who require plastic bags at these seven stores can purchase them at $0.20/transaction (FairPrice/FairPrice Finest/FairPrice Xtra) or $0.10/transaction (Cheers/FairPrice Xpress stores); proceeds will go to the Singapore Children’s Society and The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund.

Mr Seah said: “FairPrice continues to champion sustainability efforts by encouraging shoppers to BYOB. The insights we gain from this trial and the consumer sentiment study will help in developing a well-informed, measured and sustainable actionable plan to reduce plastic bag use.”

FairPrice will also be working with Zero Waste SG to activate their volunteers in educating customers on the initiative at the stores.  

Commenting on the initiative, Ms Pek Hai Lin, manager, Zero Waste SG, said, “We are really heartened to see FairPrice leading the way in this initiative. This is definitely a positive step towards reducing excessive plastic bag consumption and we will provide support for public engagement where possible.”

FairPrice Sustainability Efforts

The “No Plastic Bag” trial, consumer sentiment survey, and FairPrice Sustainability Fund are extensions of the “FairPrice Plastic Bag Management Programme” that was launched last year. It targets to save 30 million plastic bags per annum by 2030 through a holistic approach that involves enhancing internal practices to be more eco-friendly, public education, partnerships and sponsorships. In 2018, FairPrice donated S$50,000 to the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) and Zero Waste SG to fund their sustainability efforts.

Additionally, FairPrice strives to source for sustainable sources for its Housebrand products. All FairPrice housebrand paper products are Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified, and FairPrice is the first supermarket retailer in Southeast Asia to attain the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) membership. 

ANNEX A

FairPrice Sustainability Fund Project Submission Eligibility Criteria

Through the FairPrice Sustainability Fund, FairPrice is looking to sponsor projects that tackle waste reduction in Singapore, such as product packaging, plastic bag usage and food wastage, especially within a consumer-retail industry. Project proposal submissions are open to registered groups and organisations (for example, civil societies, tertiary institutions, research institutions, charities and start-ups). Submissions by individuals will not be considered.

Submitted proposals will be assessed based on their potential of innovation and impact on society, as well as their relation to a consumer-retail industry. Selected projects will be supported to develop their proposed initiatives for the duration of up to one year.

Areas of support

A.     Innovation and initiatives towards plastic usage reduction and minimising food waste

B.     Partnerships and collaborations that enhance capacity building for the industry towards waste reduction

C.     Public education and community engagement initiatives

Project submissions are currently open, and interested organisations can submit their project proposals via email at csr@fairprice.com.sg. More information on this project sponsorship can be found on FairPrice Foundation’s website at https://www.fairpricefoundation.org