Would highlighting the pragmatic benefits help to get more Singaporeans to volunteer? Does this go against the spirit of volunteerism?

If we emphasise how volunteering can help to make one's resume look better, it could potentially cause someone to underestimate the extent to which their behaviour is caused by the intrinsic motivation to help...

Volunteering is something that comes from the heart. It will be difficult to get anyone who merely looks at pragmatic benefits to commit for the long term.

Lim Jia Min

Be it highlighting the pragmatic benefits or for your own resume, any form of volunteering will raise awareness for groups of disadvantaged people, so that there will be people and organisations continuing to help...

Be it a short-term or a long-term thing, hopefully, there would be a small percentage who feel they can do more to continue volunteering.

Dennis Koh

Do easily accessible rubbish chutes hamper recycling? What other ways are there to encourage Singaporeans to recycle more, as well as nurture a culture of recycling among the young?

The obstacle is lack of knowledge - people are not taught why and how it must be done so that they can understand how important it is and make it a part of their thinking and action... It's not about rubbish chutes being near or far; it's about motivation and wanting to do the right thing.

Agnes Meurzec

Firm education plus firm enforcement... if you want to change a habit, there will be pain in the beginning.

The authorities have to have the guts to inflict that initial pain and be firm about it; there should also be education. Then, there will be good habits such as social responsibilities of returning trays and recycling.

SG Subbuteo

Currently, our HDB design does not support recycling. Often, we hear about using fewer plastic bags. However, without plastic bags, residents would have to throw or pour food waste and rubbish directly into the rubbish shaft, causing more environmental impact and conflict among neighbours...

Recycling and going green do not show economic benefit and effect, and many may not have the foresight that it is the next generation that benefits.

Wang Richie

Why is food waste such a big problem in Singapore? How can this be reduced?

A lot of people discard food because they think it is unhealthy to eat leftovers.

Cecilia Zheng

Is family upbringing an issue? I was brought up not to waste food.

You can always put leftovers in the fridge. I have been eating leftovers all my life and I am fine.

Raymond Cheung

Hawker centres, food stall holders and foodcourts should sell small portions of food at lower prices, so small eaters can have a choice.

Karen Tan