Beverage Container Deposit Mark

In the picture, the bottle has a deposit mark on its label, which shows that a small deposit has been included in the price and can be refunded when the container is returned. I have seen this mark before on drink bottles and cans, as Singapore is introducing a beverage container return scheme. The mark is usually printed near the barcode along with the refund amount. What I also noticed is that the label also states where the container can be returned, such as a return point at a supermarket.

My family switched to bringing our own bags for grocery shopping after the plastic bag charge started. At first we forgot them constantly and had to buy bags anyway, which annoyed my mother more than the cost did. Now we keep three foldable bags inside the car and one in her handbag, so we almost never forget. It is a very small change, but over a year it must be a few hundred bags that we did not use.

I feel schools are doing quite a lot but there is room to do more. Most schools teach us about recycling and have bins, and many hold environment weeks or clean-up activities. However, I have noticed that the recycling bins in school are sometimes contaminated because nobody explains clearly what can go in, so good intentions are wasted. I feel schools could improve by making it practical rather than only informational, such as letting students run the recycling themselves, because we remember what we do far better than what we are told.