Forum: Recycling needs tough love and a cultural shift
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I agree with Tan Dawn Wei’s commentary “ Singapore’s dirty little sense of entitlement
Japan and South Korea show what serious recycling looks like. In Japan, residents separate waste into multiple streams – burnable, non-burnable, plastic, glass, metals – often with detailed schedules. In South Korea, households even pay by the bag for general waste, making it costly to throw things away carelessly. These systems succeed not only because of strict rules and fines, but also because of years of education that instilled recycling as a civic duty.
Singapore has world-class infrastructure, yet recycling rates remain poor. The main reason is mindset.
Many still view recycling as “someone else’s problem”, tossing food-stained containers and plastic bags into blue bins, contaminating entire loads. Education campaigns have raised awareness, but without consequences, bad habits persist.
We can do better. First, recycling instructions must be simplified and standardised across the island. Second, enforcement is key – if tray returns at hawker centres can become the norm through rules and penalties, so can proper recycling. Third, incentives could help: rebates or community rewards for neighbourhoods that recycle responsibly. Finally, schools should make recycling a lived habit, not just a lesson – children often influence their families’ behaviour.
Singapore is admired for being a clean city, but the truth is we are a cleaned city. If we want to deserve the “green” label we proudly display, we need both tough love and a cultural shift. Recycling is not optional – it is a duty to ourselves, our neighbours and future generations.
Until then, our blue bins will remain a symbol of good intentions, undone by careless habits.
Tuan Ming Lee
