What if the real recycling problem is in our heads?

We can do more with carrots and sticks to modify our behaviour and make sustainable choices easier and more appealing.

- Carolin Barr

How many items in your wardrobe are second-hand? Chances are, not many. Despite the growing popularity of pre-loved fashion, and the environmental benefits of reusing clothes rather than sending them to a landfill, many still hesitate to wear clothes previously owned by someone else.

One of the main concerns is hygiene. In a 2020 survey by the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform, 58 per cent of respondents cited hygiene concerns as a barrier to buying second-hand clothing. Locally, while studies show that cultural stigma associated with wearing second-hand clothing are fading, especially among the younger generation of Asian consumers, concerns around product quality and hygiene are still the main deterrents.

Yet, people feel perfectly fine using hotel beds, towels and sheets, knowing that these have been used by numerous strangers before. Why does this not raise the same concerns?

I ask this in the light of the National Environment Agency's latest annual recycling figures: The domestic recycling rate hit a record low of 11 per cent in 2024. This is despite extensive efforts by the Government and businesses, and ground-up initiatives since the launch of the SG Green Plan 2030 in 2021, which included the goal of increasing domestic recycling rates from 17 per cent in 2019 to 30 per cent by 2030.

Where are we going wrong?

Why are our recycling rates in decline despite these efforts?

The answer might lie in my point about people's perceptions about used items. A better question to solve this could be: How might we make better use of our cognitive biases, instead of having them work against us?

AWARENESS V ACTION

According to a 2022 study by OCBC, the average Singaporean is highly aware of environmental issues. Yet, while we've never been more informed about climate change, waste issues and resource scarcity, our behaviour does not reflect this knowledge.