There are many discussions about how environmentally-conscious behaviours are mainly due to individual preferences, however, we cannot forget the importance of situational context which is more influential than is realized. Behavioural affordance is one of the more critical determinant of behavior, in which it elaborates on what is allowed or enabled for people by the physical and social environment.

 As we all know, Singapore is a clean and green city, and being in line with this, the government and the National Environmental Agency (NEA) places a lot of rubbish bins all around people and places – to enable people to throw their rubbish in appropriate places instead of littering. Additionally, Singaporeans lives has been made much more convenient at getting rid of their waste with the ubiquitous rubbish chutes in every housing blocks or homes.

With the presence of such throwing-away options – rubbish bins and rubbish chutes, it encourages people to develop the mindset – “out of sight, out of mind”. In this case, the faster the rubbish gets out of our sight, the faster it gets out of mind. Often, we find ourselves not thinking twice at all about the waste we create, since this practice has become a convenient routine. Needless to say, recycling the waste is a challenge for people too.

Additionally, NEA has made it a point to cater recycling accessibility for all residents.

Hence, in recent years, 9,000 recycling bins has been placed all around the island – HDB estates, shopping centres, MRT Stations, and bus interchanges. Residents who stays in landed property were not left out too! Waste collectors have provided a 120-litre recycling bin at each landed property as well.

Behavioural affordances could go in two ways – increase or decrease pro-environmental behaviors. The availability of rubbish bins and chutes could increase a lot more waste, while the recycling bins could encourage people to recycle their waste.