Seven NTUC FairPrice stores will charge shoppers for plastic bags in a trial starting later this month. 

Plastic bags will cost 10 cents per transaction at the Cheers and FairPrice Xpress-bannered stores and 20 cents at other outlets participating in the trial. 

“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,” said FairPrice CEO Seah Kian Peng. 

The seven stores are FairPrice Xtra @ Hougang One, FairPrice Xpress at 384 Lorong Chuan, FairPrice Finest @ Zhongshan Park, FairPrice @ Tai Seng and Cheers stores at 1 Create Way, 1 Anchorvale Street and 611 Aljunied Road.

The company will not be keeping the fees – they will be donated to the Singapore Children’s Society and the Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund.

The trial will coincide with a survey of consumers aimed at better understanding their behaviour and gathering public feedback on efforts to encourage shoppers to take their own bags to stores. 

Last year, FairPrice launched a program to reduce plastic use by 30 million bags a year by 2030.