After spending a few days in Singapore, I have observed many cultural differences with the US. One of the most apparent differences includes littering and the cleanliness of public spaces. Eating and drinking in public spaces are typically frowned upon by the locals, and even illegal on the trains/buses. Trash bins are sometimes difficult to find because the government wishes to keep public spaces clean and litter-free. If people have trash they need to discard, they must wait until they find a trash can. Our group often went an hour or two before finding a trash can to throw away our empty cups and wrappers. Singapore takes sustainability and cleanliness very seriously, with efforts to reduce and recycle. After visiting Terra SG, a sustainability non-profit organization, the speakers explained how Singapore attempts to reduce the amount of waste they produce and incinerating any waste that is produced. However, while Singapore as a whole makes attempts at sustainability, looking at the issue from an individual standpoint gives a different impression. Education on sustainability and environmental impacts are not as strong as the local government’s approach to keeping the nation clean and efficient. From the speaker’s perspective, it seems like the locals of Singapore don’t take quite the same level of initiative toward sustainability. Examples might include up-cycling, which is the act of taking a product that might be getting discarded and finding a new function. Additionally, the reduction of plastic is something that locals seem to struggle with, as well. The speakers from Terra SG discussed how more work needs to be done on the educating side to see further improvements in Singapore’s sustainability outlook.
