As Singapore’s GDP grows, so does the waste she generates. According to the I = P x A x T model, more affluent countries generate more waste per capita.
With more significant disposable income, Singaporeans adopt a culture of consumerism – using, discarding, and replacing broken products rather than repairing them. This leads to more plastic packaging generated with each new product bought.
Several studies have shown that the value of frugality is associated with donating, recycling, and selling a greater variety of used goods. The value of future-orientedness predicted frequent recycling and sustainable behaviours as well. As Singaporeans do not value frugality and future-orientedness as highly today, plastic packaging may be discarded rather than reused or recycled for future purposes.
A study by Gregson and colleagues traced a select sample of Singaporean households consuming material goods. They found that families disposed of things they felt were no longer consistent with their social & self-image, such as memories of discontinued social relationships. Such plastic products and packaging were perceived to disrupt one’s image of their home to norms of orderliness and hygiene. Owners tended to keep products that were deemed obsolete but still held sentimental value. Thus, the social significance of things and whether they turned into ‘waste’ depended upon symbolic meaning to individual owners.
Over time, this culture of using and discarding can severely impact the environment, such as climate change and marine life impacts.