Aside from queueing for free goodies, there’s probably nothing Singaporeans love more than online shopping.
After all, the convenience of browsing through a huge catalogue of items from the comfort of your home, and having them delivered to your doorstep at the click of a button, is unmatched.
Sales seasons are also a good time to buy things you need without breaking the bank.
However, online purchases are notorious for coming wrapped in tons of packaging.
Granted, the wrapping helps ensure the parcels and items within make the arduous journey from warehouse to your doorstep safely and in good condition.
But the amount of packaging can discount your online shopping experience, especially if you care for the environment.
With mega sales periods like 10.10 and 11.11 Singles Day, consumers like us can reduce our impact on the environment, and shop somewhat guilt-free by doing the minimum — recycling right.
A lot of packaging waste
For some context, here are some figures about the amount of waste created from this industry.
According to the National Environment Agency (NEA), packaging waste from online shopping and home-delivered goods increased over the years.
This hit a peak during the pandemic in 2020, where everyone was cloistered at home, and led to a higher generation of paper and cardboard waste.
A total of 1.14 million tonnes of such waste was created, with only 38 per cent of it recycled in 2020.
This amount dropped to 1.13 million tonnes in 2021, and 1.06 million tonnes in 2022. However, the recycling rate remained around the same, at 39 and 37 per cent respectively.
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has stated that packaging waste alone contributes to a third of household waste generated, and that two to three per cent of this waste is contributed by e-commerce.
This figure could double by 2025, WWF estimated.
Many people still not sure what can be recycled: 2022 study
A 2023 NEA survey revealed that the number of households who recycle increased to 72 per cent this year, from 64 per cent in 2022.
Which is great news, but there is still room for improvement when it comes to overall public awareness.
The results of a Singapore Environment Council study released in 2022 noted that awareness on which packaging items are recyclable in Singapore can be improved.
78 per cent of the 1,116 respondents stated that they are unable to discern the recyclability based on the information found on the packaging.
Additionally, uncertainty about which items are recyclable or not was also named the second biggest challenge in recycling (21 per cent), behind the effort required to wash and clean recyclables when recycling (23 per cent).
Meanwhile, 17 per cent of respondents thought Styrofoam containers are recyclable.
They are, in fact, not recyclable.
What can and cannot be recycled? (Online shopping edition)
Here are some other common packaging materials that cannot be recycled and should not be thrown into the Bloobin in your estate.
- Anything made out of Styrofoam
- Biodegradable bags
- Wax paper
- Polymailers
- Plastic packaging with foil
And here are some items you might not know can be recycled.
- Bubble wrap
- Air pillows (release the air in it)
- Paper and plastic bags
- Cardboard
- Printed paper, flyers (glossy and non-glossy)
- Paper and plastic envelopes (even those with the plastic window)
- Plastic film packaging (including those used for clothing)
If you have an item that you’re unsure whether or not to throw into the Bloobin, here’s a comprehensive search engine you can use to check.
With your new and improved knowledge of how to recycle the right way, visit the Treat Bloobin Better microsite and stand a chance to win a Grab voucher (while stocks last) when you nurse Bloobin back to health.
You can feed Bloobin the correct recyclables, clean him, and play games such as “matching the trash” to ensure he is healthy.
You can also collect 80 adorable Bloobin e-postcards to see snippets of his daily life.
More you can do
There’s more you can do beyond recycling.
You can consider using the polymailer or Styrofoam box that can’t be recycled as a temporary trash bag.
Here’s a nifty hack on reusing your used polymailers as trash bags.
@nea_sgKnot your average tutorial k.♬ original sound - NEA Singapore
When you spring clean, consider donating or giving away items that are still in good condition but you no longer want.
Here’s a quick rundown of where you can donate your items.
Ultimately of course, the most environmentally friendly option is to simply consume less.
As convenient and addictive online shopping might be, perhaps that urge to click “Add to cart” might simply be an impulse after all.
This is a sponsored article by the National Environment Agency.
Top photo from NEA and Canva