Infrastructure & Facilities

Recycling Bins

Recycling Bins in Singapore Source:http://oliveventures.com.sg
Recycling Bins in Singapore
Source:http://oliveventures.com.sg

Singapore aims to increase recycling rate up to 70% by 2030  by providing recycling bins to all household in HDB and private estates. Recycling bins are also placed in schools to encourage recycling in the young. There are also programs where people send notices to households to put their unwanted recycable items in a provided green plastic bag and workers or volunteers will go around collecting these bags from homes.

The presence of bins act as affordances where people can easily engage in sustainable behaviour of recycling. Through bins placed in the proximity of people’s homes, they will be reminded of the option to recycle and this may lead to action.

Efficient Public Transport

MRT in SIngapore Source: www.sgthingstodotoday.com
MRT in SIngapore
Source: www.sgthingstodotoday.com

To encourage citizens to use public transport instead of private transport, good public transport infrastructure and services must be provided. Singapore aims to have 70% of morning journeys made by public transport by building more rail networks and connecting rail and bus networks. Use of private cars is also managed through discouraging purchase of new cars (high Certificate of Entitlement prices), implementing road taxes (Electronic Road Pricing) and also improving schemes that aim to reduce car usage (Off-Peak Car scheme). Citizens are also encouraged to cycle as government is investing in infrarstructure such as cycling paths and improving parking facilities for bicycles in MRT stations.

Electronic Road Pricing in Singapore Source: https://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/why-coe-erp-show-no-love-common-man-094450496.html
Electronic Road Pricing in Singapore
Source: https://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/why-coe-erp-show-no-love-common-man-094450496.html
Double deck bicycle parking at Pasir Ris MRT station
Double deck bicycle parking at Pasir Ris MRT station

An efficient public transport system provides the behavioural affordance to choose the option of travelling by public transport instead of privately. Taxes on private car purchase and road usage are incentives to reduce usage of private cars and vehicles. Providing infrastructure for those who wish to cycle will also give people the option to travel in a more environmentally friendly way.

Parks and Gardens

Singapore has a goal of providing 0.8 hectares of green park land per 1000 people by 2030. To do this, government plans to open 900 ha of reservoirs and 100km of waterways for recreational activities by 2030 and implement a National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan to conserve biodiversity in Singapore.

Through opening up more green spaces for recreation, citizens get to interact more with nature while carrying out their leisure activities. This creates positive experiences with nature thus may lead to positive environmental attitudes in citizens, which, as we have discussed, is a determinant of sustainable behaviour. People would be more in touch with the environment and realise the need to conserve and care for it.

Treetop Walk at Macritchie Reservoir
Treetop Walk at Macritchie Reservoir
Punggol Waterway Park Source: flickr.com
Punggol Waterway Park
Source: flickr.com
Pangolins that reside in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve Source:mygreenspace.nparks.gov.sg
Pangolins that reside in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve
Source:mygreenspace.nparks.gov.sg
Singapore Quarry which has been transformed into a wetland with a viewing platform Source: mygreenspace.nparks.gov.sg
Singapore Quarry which has been transformed into a wetland with a viewing platform
Source: mygreenspace.nparks.gov.sg
Changeable Lizard found in Tampines Eco-Park Source: mygreenspace.nparks.gov.sg
Changeable Lizard found in Tampines Eco-Park
Source: mygreenspace.nparks.gov.sg

However, measures have to be taken to ensure visitors of these parks do not degrade the nature in these places. Prompts in the form of signs can be used to remind visitors of the appropriate behaviour.