Sustainable shopping tips for every budget

With Singapore deepening efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change, there has never been a better time for us to develop green and sustainable shopping habits.

Here are some tips to help you shop more sustainably:

1. Reduce your reliance on disposables. Choose reusables instead!

Disposables are items designed for single use before they are thrown away. In 2022, about 265 million kg of disposables were discarded in Singapore. This comprised both packaging and non-packaging items such as carrier bags, food and beverage containers, and tableware and utensils.

At the rate that we currently create waste, our only landfill, Semakau Landfill, will be fully filled by 2035! Reducing our use of disposables will contribute towards our various efforts to reduce waste generation, in order to achieve our SG Green Plan target of reducing the amount of waste to landfill by 20% by 2026 and 30% by 2030.

There are many ways to reduce disposables when it comes to shopping:

• Bring your own bag (BYOB). This helps reduce waste and conserve resources. There are also many other benefits – for instance, cloth totes are a lot sturdier than plastic bags.

• Refuse disposable bags for items that are easy to carry or can be placed in your own bag. Always ask yourself if you need a disposable bag for an item that is small enough to be placed in your pocket.

• Plan ahead. Bring more bags if you are intending to go grocery shopping or buy many items.

2. Before You Buy, Think Twice

Do you really need the same outfit in a different colour? Are you saving more by buying another packet of vegetables on promotion that will only end up in the trash? In 2023, food waste accounted for about 11% of the total waste generated in Singapore. Buying more than you need can be harmful to your wallet, use precious resources and worsen climate change.

Here are a few simple steps you could take to save money and our environment:

• Plan your meals. Check your fridge and cabinets so you don’t end up buying ingredients you already have or repurpose leftovers to create a new dish. They might go to waste when you are unable to use them, or when they go past their expiry dates.

• Make a list of all the items you need before you go grocery shopping. By sticking to your list, you would be buying only what you need and will not be wasting or throwing out unused items.

• Borrow or swap. Feel like you need a wardrobe refresh? Consider borrowing or swapping with your friends or siblings – it could be a fun activity and will be easy on your wallet and the environment.

• Repair items that are still in good condition. Sometimes a simple fix is all your item needs. Here’s a list of stalls at hawker centres that offer repair services.

3. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure

Embrace the circular economy by shopping at thrift stores, and do the same in return by giving your preloved items a second life – even if they are beyond repair. Find out where you can thrift, donate, repair or resell your items.

• Shop from thrift stores. This not only helps to save the environment; it also helps to save money. “Thrift” for items like clothes, furniture or electrical appliances at second-hand stores – you can usually score a good bargain!

• Donate items in good condition such as furniture and clothes to charities in need

• Deposit textiles such as clothes, shoes and bags in textile recycling bins (e.g. Cloop  and Greensquare). These items do not belong in the blue recycling bins or chutes.

• Electronic waste (E-Waste) can be deposited at designated collection points to conserve precious resources and prevent fire hazards in blue recycling bins and trash bins. Improper disposal of E-Waste leads to environmental pollution, and this may in turn harm human health. The best way to treat E-Waste is to recycle it in designated E- bins and other collection points.

• Recycle clean plastic, paper, glass and metal items. You might be faced with unavoidable packaging after a shopping run – such as carton boxes and plastic wrappers. As long as they are clean, do not contain mixed materials and are not contaminated by food or liquids, they can be recycled in your neighbourhood blue recycling bins or recycling chutes. If you are unsure what items can be recycled or how to recycle them, simply text or send a photo to the Bloobin AI Chatbot on WhatsApp to find out.

Any of these tips can get you started on building a more sustainable shopping habit. There are plenty of other ways you can be a conscious consumer too. Find out more ways to reduce waste here. 

Learn more about the Singapore Green Plan 2030 which aims to advance Singapore’s national agenda on sustainable development.