S1E88: How can recycling be sexy?

Mar 26, 2026

31:17

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Will lucky draws, monetary rewards or ‘sticks’ work when it comes to getting Singapore residents to recycle?

A new recycling initiative called the Beverage Container Return Scheme (BCRS) launches on April 1, but with household recycling rate in 2024 fell to a record low of 11 per cent, will this move the needle?

Mr Heng Li Seng, founder and director of social enterprise Green Nudge, and Associate Professor Victor Seah, director of the Behavioural Insights Centre of Excellence at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, drop by The Usual Place to help sort out our recycling woes.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:29 Will the BCRS work?

5:41 Is a 10-cents refund a good enough sweetener?

7:11 ‘Sticks’ to change behaviour

10:49 Transparency of recycling process

16:14 Tiong Bahru residents have had enough of blue bins

18:29 Shaming others into recycling?

21:39 Recycling is not as simple as before

24:29 Can recycling be sexy?

28:39 No silver bullet to get people to recycle

Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah (natashaz@sph.com.sg)

Read Natasha’s articles: https://str.sg/iSXm