Is it worth it?

Welcome to my last post everyone! Hope everyone had a great rest 😮

What can we do to strive towards a more eco-friendly way of life? Well, as mentioned in my previous post, instead of buying expensive one-time use sustainable products, we can buy durable products that will last longer! Not only would it be more cost-efficient in the long-run, it would also directly decrease one’s amount of waste. However, purchasing these durable products will not solve everything! We should constantly remind ourselves to use more eco-friendly products whenever possible. As seen from my survey results, despite owning several durable products such as reusable bags and containers, many tend not to use them as often. Be it saving reminders on our phones or writing it down on our to-do list, we can all strive to be more environmentally friendly if we remember to practice these eco-friendly methods whenever we can. 

Not only should we purchase durable products but also do research on cheap, yet environmentally friendly products! Remember our trusty bamboo toothbrush from Watsons? It is a more eco-friendly product which is much cheaper than its plastic alternative! What a steal :O 

After weeks of blogging on this topic, is a sustainable lifestyle really affordable in Singapore? 

I would define sustainable living in Singapore quite affordable if we do our part in buying more durable and less one-time use products! However, in terms of switching most of our daily products to more eco-friendly substitutes, it might be more challenging. It would take a large toll on our wallets but we need not replace every item we own. Every small step will lead to larger outcomes in the long-run. Therefore, we should try our best to slowly switch the things we use to more environmentally sustainable substitutes if we can afford them. In conclusion, we should all strive to live a more sustainable lifestyle within our means especially in Singapore whereby these eco-friendly substitutes are readily available. 

Let us all play our part for the environment!

Thank you and goodbye everyone 🙂

Welcome back everyone! Hope everyone had a good rest 😮

What is unique about living a sustainable lifestyle here in Singapore?

Cultural identity

Singapore is known for being a cosmopolitan city, where people of different races and cultures live together in harmony. Cultural practices and events are still a common sight and many engage actively in their religious and traditional beliefs. Therefore, in my opinion, the strong influence of culture and religion greatly affects one’s ability and willingness to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle. 

Not only limited to religion, but everyday practices that have been ingrained in our daily lifestyles. For example, many locals drink coffee every morning. However, since many are busy rushing to work or school, many prefer the traditional take-away style of coffee – in the iconic plastic bag. Since this long-established method has been mutually accepted as the norm, it would take a significantly longer time to switch to a more eco-friendly version of take-away coffee. Some might even condemn this action as it takes away the authentic experience of a traditional Singaporean morning. Should environmental concerns take higher priority than traditional practices? 

High Cost of Living

Singapore is without doubt one of the most expensive cities to live in. With the high costs of everyday goods and necessities, should Singaporeans bear the extra burden of trying to live a more expensive and sustainable lifestyle? Considering eco-friendly products are generally higher than mass-produced substitutes, should we take up an added responsibility and spend more in order to live more sustainably? What do you think?

Should those who have the means and financial ability to live a more sustainable lifestyle carry a larger portion of this responsibility? Having higher disposable income results in increased purchasing power, thus, a large majority of those who are financially stable and abundant tend to purchase more goods and services. This in turns increases one’s carbon footprint and has larger negative impacts on the environment. However, those who are not as financially capable should not completely disregard their responsibility for the environment. Everyone should try to strive towards a more sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyle within their means. 

Urban city life

To add on, Singaporeans have the luxury of access to both online and physical sustainable stores. There are multiple online eco-friendly stores such as Your Sustainable Store and The Sustainability Project as well as physical sustainable stores such as Scoop Wholefoods. These amenities are not readily available and accessible in other countries, but Singapore is an exception especially in Southeast Asia. Taking into consideration these factors, should Singaporeans be more eco-friendly due to the increased ease of transitioning to a more sustainable lifestyle? Are Singaporeans taking it for granted that these eco-friendly stores are able to set up and serve our local population?

More about the answers in next week’s blog! See you ~

Welcome back, everyone! Hope you have been well :”)

Do check out my last week’s post as I will continue discussing the limitations of my survey! This week would be my last post regarding my survey results, so do buckle up!

Limitations

Apart from adding more open-ended questions and reshuffling the order of the products, I received feedback that some respondents were unsure which of the 2 options were the more eco-friendly version. To add on, many stated that I should have included a brief description of each product, including the sustainable attributes to ensure respondents are well-informed before making a decision. Taking this into consideration, the results may have been drastically different if respondents were more knowledgeable about the products presented to them! If they were provided with this extra information, they would have to consider more factors and ultimately weigh if the sustainable attributes are worth the high prices. Additionally, since my survey was rather brief, I was only able to include 2 products per option due to lack of time and feasibility. If possible, I would have added a more diverse and wider range of products for each category, tackling every factor that would influence one’s decision process!

Back to the survey questions

Moving on, we can’t forget about reusable containers if we’re striving for a more sustainable lifestyle! 

I asked the respondents if they own any reusable containers or bags, whereby 74 out of the 77 respondents stated that they do. With this information on hand, I wanted to find out how often they would use or remember to bring their reusable bags or containers when shopping. 

With 1 being ‘Never’ and 5 being ‘Always’, the bar graph above shows how often respondents bring their reusable bags/containers when they go shopping. A majority stated that they do while only 8 respondents chose “Never” despite already owning reusable containers/bags. This made me wonder, why not make use of your reusable containers/bags? In my opinion, lugging around a bulky container might not be convenient or feasible for some and might accrue to the fact that many simply forget to bring it along whenever they go out (me included!). This result also sparked another thought – if respondents were to purchase more sustainable products (silicone sponges etc), would they actually use it? Would they continue using it in the future, or switch back to the less eco-friendly version due to convenience, habit, or worst case scenario – forgot they even purchased the item? Although I did not specifically ask this question in my survey, the results from the usage of reusable containers/bags may be indirectly used. The result is extremely relevant especially to food products as taste is key for many consumers. The consumer may have purchased a more eco-friendly product, for example, plant-based patties, but decides that they prefer the beef substitute and continue purchasing beef patties in the future. What would this mean? Would their efforts be wasted? More about this next week! See you ~

Welcome back! Hope everyone has been well :”)

If you have not checked out my previous week’s post, do give it a read first as today’s blog will be a continuation of it :”)

Have you ever heard of silicone dish sponges? Honestly, I only came across such a product only recently as I was researching for blog ideas. Silicone sponges are not sold in large-scale supermarkets such as NTUC in Singapore, thus, a rather rare sight to many Singaporeans. Having grown up in a household that has used the classic green and yellow sponge, it did not occur to me that there were alternatives to the common disposable dish sponge. To my surprise, many of the respondents resonated with me when they were asked to pick between my little green dot silicone sponge (1 piece) for SGD3.95 (USD2.89) and 3M Scotch-Brite Scrub Sponge (1 piece) for SGD2.90 (USD2.12).

54 out of the 77 respondents would still purchase the disposable dish sponge. However, I could not single out which factors would have affected their decision. Price? Brand name? Reluctance to try a new product? Unsure of where to purchase silicone sponges? In my opinion, it would be a combination of a few factors. Price would have definitely influenced their decision as the silicone sponge is around SGD1.05 more expensive. The brand name could also have played a major role in affecting one’s decision as 3M Scotch-Brite sponges is a common household brand here in Singapore. This might then increase one’s reluctance to switch to silicone sponges due to the habit of using disposable sponges at home. To add on, silicone sponges are not typically sold at hardware stores and supermarkets, making it inaccessible to many customers. If silicone sponges started gaining popularity and were made more accessible to customers, would more respondents have chosen silicone sponges? What do you think?

Another item I used in my survey was nut butter! Who remembers slabbing a large chunk of peanut butter on their toast when you were younger? I sure do! I asked the respondents to choose between NAKED Organic Almond Butter 180g for SGD 9.99 (USD7.30),  Skippy Peanut Butter Spread – Creamy170g for SGD3.45 (USD2.52), or neither. Unlike the silicone sponge, the sustainable substitute is currently being sold at local supermarkets! However, despite being on the shelves of large-scale supermarkets, only 9 out of the 77 respondents would purchase the organic almond butter. Why is that so? Since nut butter is a food product, people would be more sensitive to change. To add on, peanut alternatives only started gaining popularity recently as more influencers and celebrities started advertising and using alternatives such as almond butter and milk. The idea of consuming other tree nuts may seem intimidating and unusual for many (me included!). Would the results be different in other countries? Let’s find out next week! See you 🙂

Welcome back to another (but still interesting)  survey result analysis! This week we will touch on the factors that affect one’s decision to purchase sustainable products 🙂

Here is the question I asked ~

In case you were wondering how I managed to come up with some of the factors, I did several mini-interviews with some friends and family first to find out what restricted them from living a more sustainable lifestyle. 

Prior to asking the above question, I asked 6 other questions to provide a context for each factor. I chose 6 household products that are commonly used in Singapore to give respondents a better grasp of the factors that affect their decisions.

For each product, I gave 3 options for the respondents to choose from. They were free to pick between the more sustainable version, a common less eco-friendly substitute, or neither of the options. I ensured the 2 versions of each product were similar in terms of quantity as well as included the prices and images to give a clearer context to respondents. Let us use meat as an example, respondents were given the option between Beyond Burger Plant-based patties (227g) for SGD13.90 (USD10.16), Farmland Beef Burgers (227g) for SGD3.20 (USD2.34), or neither of the above.

From the results, we can conclude that price plays a major role in the decision process of purchasing sustainable products with 98.7% of the respondents agreeing. The next contenders would be brand name and the fact that they have not seen the product before with 54.5% and 51.9% respectively. 

Price would have indefinitely played a significant role in one’s decision to purchase any product (not only limited to sustainable product!). Many of us would look twice at the price tag before walking over to the cashier counter (especially if you’re on a budget like me!). However, there was a conflict of interest when the question about toothbrushes was asked.

Respondents were given a choice to choose between Watsons Green Tea Bamboo Toothbrush Ultra Soft (2 pieces) for SGD$8.90 (USD6.56), Colgate Slim Soft Advanced Toothbrush (2 pieces) for SGD$13.95 (USD10.28), or neither of the options. If the price is the main factor contributing to one’s decision to purchase a more sustainable product, a larger percentage of the respondents would have chosen the cheaper sustainable version. However, only 47 out of the 77 respondents chose the cheaper bamboo toothbrushes. Despite the bamboo toothbrush being significantly cheaper than the plastic substitute, many of the respondents overlooked price difference. Why is that so? Brand name? Colgate is a rather popular household brand in Singapore, a go-to toothbrush among locals. This might also include the fact that respondents are reluctant to try a new product as many are used to using Colgate brand toothbrushes! Since toothbrushes are personal items that are used for hygiene purposes, respondents might be more sensitive and unwilling to change their purchasing habits. Are there any other reasons?

Stay tuned for the answers next week as well as limitations of my survey layout! See you 🙂

Hello! In this week’s blog, I’ll be revealing the rest of my survey results! 

Let’s recall… the topic of my blog is the AFFORDABILITY of a sustainable lifestyle! Of course, I would be conducting primary research on whether others felt the same way as me!

Here’s what I found out ~

Respondents were asked to rank how they viewed the affordability of sustainable products in Singapore (whereby 1 is very affordable and 5 is very expensive).  This concludes that most of the respondents do agree that sustainable products are generally on the pricier spectrum in Singapore. However, is this really true?

This perception that green products are more expensive may have been due to the lack of exposure and knowledge on the types of sustainable products!

In general, one-time use green products are generally more expensive as compared to mass-produced conventional substitutes. This might deter potential customers as the green product would have the same results as a cheaper, non-sustainable substitute! However, purchasing a more expensive durable product may be cost-saving in the long run!

Let us use dish sponges as an example. We are advised to replace dish sponges every 2 weeks! Therefore, it would be more cost-effective to purchase a more expensive substitute – silicone sponge – that may last for months! Taking into consideration that many tend to overlook the long-term cost savings of some sustainable products, this might explain the rationale as to why a majority of the respondents consider sustainable products to be expensive

To add on, sustainable food items may be a difficult category to tackle. With organic vegetables and fruits as an example, it comes without a doubt that it would taste and resemble nearly as identical as the non-organic version. However, the price tag has a staggering difference due to the higher production costs of organic products. For example, the price of 2 hearts of organic celery is more than twice the price of a non-organic substitute!  

I do agree on my part that my survey question should have been phrased better as respondents might have been conflicted if they should have included long-term cost savings. 

If I could have turned back the clock, the first question will remain the same, with a scale of 1-5. Some might argue that the middle option, ‘3’ would give a vague perception of the respondents’ true opinions. However, I believe the neutral option should still be included to give an option to respondents who think that sustainable products are neither expensive nor affordable! To add on, I have included a new question on the long term cost savings of durable sustainable products. I was conflicted as to if I should include “Not sure” as an option to receive a more definite response. However, it would not be fair for respondents who are not knowledgeable about durable sustainable products. What do you think?

That is all for this week! See you 🙂

Welcome back!

I was having a conversation with my mum about my blog posts when it dawned upon me that not many people know the definition of a sustainable product. After discussions with some of my friends, the most common answer to a sustainable product would be that the product is recyclable or is made out of recycled materials (which is correct but does not encompass the entire definition of a sustainable product!).

The definite attributes of what makes a product sustainable is still being highly debated, however, I’ve managed to summarise the top 5 features in the chart above. 

I’ve decided to conduct a survey to learn more about people’s knowledge of sustainable products as well as opinions on its affordability in Singapore. After posting my survey on my social media accounts and sending it to every contact on my phone, I’ve managed to garner 77 responses in total! I was surprised to know that so many people took time out of their day to do my survey :”)

However, a large majority of the respondents are current students studying at the National University of Singapore (NUS), especially from the Bachelor of Environmental Studies (BES) course. Therefore, this survey might not be the most accurate representation of the general public’s view on sustainability in Singapore 🙁

Here are the results!

As I had predicted, the top response of 92.2% was that a sustainable product is made out of material that can be recycled, reused, and composted. In my opinion, this mostly accrues to the fact that many associate any environmental-related topic with recycling. Since most of the respondents are around the age range of 17-25 years old, many of us may have had a similar school experience when we were younger. In school, we were often informed and tasked to recycle, reduce, and reuse to ‘save the environment’. It was not common to learn other forms or methods to live a more sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyle. Therefore, this might have had a large influence on their answer towards the definition of a sustainable product!

However, the option of “use of ethical labour” and “no use of hazardous material or depletion of natural resources”  had the two lowest responses with 67.5% and 72.7% respectively. To be completely frank, I did not know that the usage of ethical labour was a key component of a sustainable product until recently! From my point of view, this is due to the fact that the term ethical labour is not usually associated with the environment but rather leaning more towards human-rights related issues. What do you think?

Stay tuned for the rest of my survey results next week! See you 🙂

 

Hello everyone! In this post, I would like to talk more about my personal struggle with finding affordable sustainable products in Singapore.

 I know for a fact that I have not been the most environmentally friendly version of myself. But why? The prices of eco-friendly and sustainable products are just too high for me! Living on a student budget has limited my purchasing power and restricted me from performing certain green practices.

Many who has a phone would own a phone case either for protection or decorative purposes. None of us would ever think such a small, sometimes even flimsy phone case would cause so much harm to our environment! However, more than 1.5 billion phone cases are discarded each year (Pela 360– Pela Case, n.d.), many of which are produced using plastic and synthetic leather! To make it worse, each buyer uses their phone case for an average of 22 months before getting a new phone, and thus, a new phone case (Dunn, 2017).

However, do not fret as more eco-friendly biodegradable phone cases are being sold worldwide. With the rise of phone cases that are 100% compostable and made out of sustainable material such as bamboo and cork, we can finally get our hands on them. But can we afford it? I can’t. Compostable phone cases range from USD40-60, which is much more expensive than regular plastic phone cases that sell for less than USD5. Which option would you choose?

In the context of Singapore, those from the lower socio-economic groups (in the bottom 20%), earn an average of SGD2235 (approx. USD1631) (Dept of Statistics, SG 2019). This may affect their ability to purchase such eco-friendly products, thus forced to purchase cheaper, non-sustainable products.

Let’s move on to another essential product in our lives. Toothbrushes! Can you believe that we discard our toothbrushes every 3-4 months? The constant replacement of toothbrushes accumulated to 23 billion toothbrushes being thrown out each year (Borunda, 2019)! Since most toothbrushes are made of plastic, they are mostly unrecyclable. But bamboo toothbrushes are an increasingly common sight here in Singapore.

 One of the biggest healthcare chains in Asia, Watsons is selling its bamboo toothbrushes for around SGD4.90 (approx. USD3.50). I understand that many might think that the price point is affordable, but a large oral company, Colgate which sells its plastic toothbrushes at the same price point is much more popular.  This makes us question whether there are other reasons why consumers are not choosing a more sustainable version. So, stay tuned to find out the answer next week!

Hello! I’m Amira, currently a year 1 Environmental Studies student from the National University of Singapore (NUS).

More about why I decided to join BES:

I have to admit that BES was not on my mind growing up and I genuinely did not know about BES until I was reading through the NUS pamphlet. However, once I researched more about the course, I soon realized it was the perfect course for me! I have been interested in animals since I was in kindergarten. I’ve watched countless animal documentaries and my favourite would be “Meet the sloths”. Unlike other children who might ask for games or toys for their birthdays, I would always ask for a trip to the zoo or the sea aquarium. To this day, I would still visit the zoo and even volunteered at the Singapore Zoo during my school holidays in 2019.

Another factor contributing to my decision towards BES was my interest in recycling. My family has been greatly affected by this as I would always nag at them whenever they would throw away something that could be recycled. It went to the extent of me sending a list of things that could recycled according to the National Environment Agency (NEA) to my family group chat. I am also grateful to my parents for being responsive towards the Bring Your Own (BYO) movement where we started bringing our reusable bags whenever we go grocery shopping!

More about myself:

A fun fact about myself is that I’ve played netball for almost 12 years and counting (more than half my life!). I’ve also picked up floorball when I was in Junior College! After reading that, I would assume that you may think I love exercising – but I dread anything that involves running. My other interests include online shopping and cooking! There are countless items in my Wishlist on every online shopping website :’) The highest number of packages that I have received in one day is 6! Apart from online shopping, I enjoy cooking my meals (baking too!). I guess it would be safe to say that I spend more time in my kitchen rather than in my room at home! My top three dishes to cook are mushroom soup, spinach alfredo pizza, and shrimp fried rice. Not trying to brag but my family members will physically fight over my egg tarts and banana bread :”)

You must be wondering what my blog would be about! Is it worth it? Well, my blog would be about the affordability of a sustainable lifestyle in Singapore! After I started managing my own finances, I’ve come to realize how expensive sustainable products are in Singapore. More about this in the next blogs to come 🙂 Stay tuned every Friday!