Letter of the Week: Monetary incentives not enough to make recycling a habit

I refer to the article, “Beverage recycling points to be located at various places including supermarkets and void decks” (Oct 4).

The proposed deposit scheme to curb plastic wastage in Singapore seems promising, as the nation works towards the goal of achieving zero waste together.

The scheme uses monetary incentives to motivate individuals to start recycling. However, as much as this can encourage some to recycle, is it truly sustainable to be constantly utilising other driving factors to encourage what ought to be an unspoken collective responsibility to protect our environment?

I believe that monetary incentives will eventually lose their charm. In the long run, there could be a fall in return rates as people stop feeling the pinch from the deposit added to the price of pre-packaged drinks in plastic bottles and metal cans, and eventually prioritise the convenience of throwing packaging into the nearest bin over having to look for a reverse vending machine.

Acts concerning environmental protection are truly sustainable only if they stem from an innate drive within each individual to make a change. Perhaps the implementation of this scheme could go hand in hand with more active publicity, to ensure a more sustainable outcome in the long run. I believe that making people realise the impacts of their actions is more effective in pushing for a shift in habits.

As a way to nudge young people to pick up recycling, perhaps this scheme could be implemented in schools without the monetary incentives.

Ong Wee Jen