SINGAPORE: Don Don Donki’s decision to re-introduce plastic bags, seven months after it stopped selling them, was welcomed online. Facebook users commented that they had stopped shopping at Donki because it was too inconvenient to carry their purchases without plastic bags.
Though Don Don Donki’s move to sell plastic bags again suggests shoppers still need the option, it does not mean that Singapore consumers are refusing to adopt package-free habits.
There has been a heartening change in attitudes over the last decade. As advocates for reuse culture, we observed in 2015 that at supermarkets, customers would take more plastic bags than needed for bagging waste, and throw away those not needed without a second thought.
This is no longer the case today. A resident told us that she reuses some of her smaller plastic bags – like bread bags – to contain food waste, which allows her to use fewer disposables over time.
We are at the stage of becoming waste-conscious – aware of how much we generate and how it is handled. This knowledge shapes our behaviour whenever we shop or dine.
Though there is a general lack of impetus to reuse in Singapore for now, being waste-conscious compels us to make sustainable choices out of practical or economic reasons. This is the first step towards mindful consumption – where we not only reduce, reuse and recycle, but also refuse.
When Don Don Donki discontinued plastic bags in October 2024, customers reacted negatively. Some argued that being made to buy a reusable bag if they forget to bring one is also a wasteful practice.
This highlights the importance of easing consumers into new habits. For instance, supermarkets could provide racks where shoppers can donate reusable bags for others to use. Fairprice rolled out this initiative across several outlets in 2023, in addition to putting up posters to encourage customers to bring their own bags.
Similarly, Singapore’s introduction of a plastic bag charge in July 2023 was initially met with complaints, but eventually led to significant waste reduction. By the end of 2023, supermarkets saw up to 80 per cent fewer disposable bags taken by consumers, showing that people can adapt if nudged effectively.
Some consumers have responded to the bag charge by buying plastic bags elsewhere. While this might seem counterproductive, it signals a shift in mindset because disposable bags were previously never considered an everyday purchase.
This new mindset is important because we will want to conserve the usage of items that we buy, instead of casually wasting it. The positive effect of this is evident from Singapore’s decreasing domestic waste per capita, which has fallen by more than 15 per cent over the last decade.
Biodegradable bags are often viewed as a greener alternative to plastic, but in Singapore’s context, this is misleading. Our waste system is based on incineration, which means all waste – whether plastic or biodegradable – is burnt before being buried in our only landfill at Semakau.
This landfill is projected to be full by 2035. Because biodegradable waste is not separated or composted, it ends up being incinerated just like any other trash.
Worse still, producing biodegradable bags often requires more resources than making plastic ones, due to land use and manufacturing processes. The environmental cost of producing these “green” bags can sometimes outweigh the benefits.
As a result, biodegradable bags may do more harm than good if not properly processed – which Singapore currently lacks the infrastructure for.
Organisations must be careful not to promote biodegradables without accounting for their full environmental impact. If they do, their messaging risks bordering on greenwashing.
The most effective way to reduce plastic waste in Singapore remains the use of reusables, coupled with public education around the full life cycle of consumer products. Informed consumers can then make smarter decisions when purchasing and disposing of items.
Habits will take time to form, with teething issues being part of the process. Every act of reuse chips away at our culture of disposability and influences how businesses respond. If enough people refuse plastic bags, carry reusable bottles, or sort their recyclables, businesses will take notice.
Going green requires a rethinking of our daily choices, but sustainability is not about being perfect – it’s about being consistent. We ran a 6-month pilot in Queenstown to test the belief that elderly residents are the least likely to recycle. But by the end of the pilot in 2023, we found the opposite.
Once participants were shown how to recycle properly, many picked it up quickly. If you think about your own grandparents, you may realise they do have the habit of saving recyclables like paper or washed containers.
What surprised us most was how invested the participants became: They formed their own informal watch group to remind neighbours to recycle. It was a heartening reminder that the needle is moving, even in generations that we assume are stubborn.
All in all, business or government policies on reducing waste are a first step, but real behavioural change comes through understanding – not just the “what”, but the “why”. Consumers need a realistic transition period to adjust and integrate new habits into their lives.
And at the consumer level, no effort is too small. As the saying goes: “It’s just one straw,” said 8 billion people.
Lionel Dorai is Executive Director of Zero Waste SG.
Continue reading...
Though Don Don Donki’s move to sell plastic bags again suggests shoppers still need the option, it does not mean that Singapore consumers are refusing to adopt package-free habits.
There has been a heartening change in attitudes over the last decade. As advocates for reuse culture, we observed in 2015 that at supermarkets, customers would take more plastic bags than needed for bagging waste, and throw away those not needed without a second thought.
This is no longer the case today. A resident told us that she reuses some of her smaller plastic bags – like bread bags – to contain food waste, which allows her to use fewer disposables over time.
We are at the stage of becoming waste-conscious – aware of how much we generate and how it is handled. This knowledge shapes our behaviour whenever we shop or dine.
Though there is a general lack of impetus to reuse in Singapore for now, being waste-conscious compels us to make sustainable choices out of practical or economic reasons. This is the first step towards mindful consumption – where we not only reduce, reuse and recycle, but also refuse.
A SHIFT IN MINDSET
When Don Don Donki discontinued plastic bags in October 2024, customers reacted negatively. Some argued that being made to buy a reusable bag if they forget to bring one is also a wasteful practice.
This highlights the importance of easing consumers into new habits. For instance, supermarkets could provide racks where shoppers can donate reusable bags for others to use. Fairprice rolled out this initiative across several outlets in 2023, in addition to putting up posters to encourage customers to bring their own bags.
Similarly, Singapore’s introduction of a plastic bag charge in July 2023 was initially met with complaints, but eventually led to significant waste reduction. By the end of 2023, supermarkets saw up to 80 per cent fewer disposable bags taken by consumers, showing that people can adapt if nudged effectively.
Some consumers have responded to the bag charge by buying plastic bags elsewhere. While this might seem counterproductive, it signals a shift in mindset because disposable bags were previously never considered an everyday purchase.
This new mindset is important because we will want to conserve the usage of items that we buy, instead of casually wasting it. The positive effect of this is evident from Singapore’s decreasing domestic waste per capita, which has fallen by more than 15 per cent over the last decade.
Related:
BIODEGRADABLES ARE ONLY GREEN IN NAME
Biodegradable bags are often viewed as a greener alternative to plastic, but in Singapore’s context, this is misleading. Our waste system is based on incineration, which means all waste – whether plastic or biodegradable – is burnt before being buried in our only landfill at Semakau.
This landfill is projected to be full by 2035. Because biodegradable waste is not separated or composted, it ends up being incinerated just like any other trash.
Worse still, producing biodegradable bags often requires more resources than making plastic ones, due to land use and manufacturing processes. The environmental cost of producing these “green” bags can sometimes outweigh the benefits.
As a result, biodegradable bags may do more harm than good if not properly processed – which Singapore currently lacks the infrastructure for.
Organisations must be careful not to promote biodegradables without accounting for their full environmental impact. If they do, their messaging risks bordering on greenwashing.
The most effective way to reduce plastic waste in Singapore remains the use of reusables, coupled with public education around the full life cycle of consumer products. Informed consumers can then make smarter decisions when purchasing and disposing of items.
Related:
CHANGE FROM THE GROUND UP
Habits will take time to form, with teething issues being part of the process. Every act of reuse chips away at our culture of disposability and influences how businesses respond. If enough people refuse plastic bags, carry reusable bottles, or sort their recyclables, businesses will take notice.
Going green requires a rethinking of our daily choices, but sustainability is not about being perfect – it’s about being consistent. We ran a 6-month pilot in Queenstown to test the belief that elderly residents are the least likely to recycle. But by the end of the pilot in 2023, we found the opposite.
Once participants were shown how to recycle properly, many picked it up quickly. If you think about your own grandparents, you may realise they do have the habit of saving recyclables like paper or washed containers.
What surprised us most was how invested the participants became: They formed their own informal watch group to remind neighbours to recycle. It was a heartening reminder that the needle is moving, even in generations that we assume are stubborn.
All in all, business or government policies on reducing waste are a first step, but real behavioural change comes through understanding – not just the “what”, but the “why”. Consumers need a realistic transition period to adjust and integrate new habits into their lives.
And at the consumer level, no effort is too small. As the saying goes: “It’s just one straw,” said 8 billion people.
Lionel Dorai is Executive Director of Zero Waste SG.
Continue reading...