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  Today Online 7 Mar 07
Bugged by littering Under-30s are major culprits, according to first NEA survey
Sheralyn Tay sheralyn@mediacorp.com.sg

THE litterbugs are thriving--and they tend to be those who practically grew up with the anti-littering campaigns of the past 40 years. Singaporeans under 30 years of age are the most indifferent to littering, revealed a survey commissioned by the National Environment Agency (NEA). Males under 30 and smokers were also more likely to litter, Dr Amy Khor, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, told Parliament.

Getting people to stop littering, Dr Khor said, "remains a key challenge today, especially in the heartlands". In the NEA's survey of some 3,000 people, done between last September and this month, 95 per cent viewed littering as socially unacceptable.

Yet, the picture is different when it comes to action, particularly with those aged 30 and younger. This group had the lowest proportion agreeing that litter is harmful to the environment or leads to the spread of disease. Only 69.9 per cent of those under 20 and 74.4 per cent of those in the 20 to 29 age group said they took pride in keeping Singapore litter-free. When the same question was asked of older Singaporeans, the figure was 78.6 per cent for those between 30 and 39; 84.6 per cent for those between 40 and 49; and 82 per cent for those above 50.

Younger people were also the least concerned about littering as a problem--with 50.9 per cent of those in the 20 to 29 age group and 48 per cent of the under-20s, registering concern. The rest were "not concerned" or "neutral". Older respondents appeared to care more, with those over 50 recording more concern, awareness and pride over keeping Singapore clean.

Two members of the Government Parliamentary Committee for National Development and Environment said they were not surprised by the findings.

Madam Cynthia Phua noted that the under-30s grew up at a time when the good times were rolling in Singapore. Many who were cared for by maids and received lower levels of parental guidance are a "bit more selfish", she told Today. Mdm Ho Geok Choo thought the older generation was "more conscious about setting a good example for their children or grandchildren".

Singaporeans still have a long way to go in self-discipline when it comes to littering, she added.

Straits Times 7 Mar 07
Singapore Here's what the litterbug looks like

OLDER Singaporeans are more likely to refrain from littering because they believe it is harmful to the environment.

In fact, more than 90 per cent of them believe so, compared to 88 per cent among the under-20s. On the other hand, those between 20 and 39 years old do not see littering as socially unacceptable or are neutral towards it.

These were the findings of a six-month survey on littering behaviour here, done by the National Environment Agency (NEA) and completed this month. It will help the NEA target litterbugs more effectively, said Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Environment and Water Resources) Amy Khor yesterday when she made the results public.

They were based on observation and interviews with more than 3,000 people, half of whom are litterbugs. The findings show: Seven in 10 litterbugs are men; more than half are younger than 30; and almost 80 per cent have, at most, secondary education. More than half smoke, so cigarette butts make up over one-third of all litter thrown.

'Environmental ownership can be strengthened further,' Dr Khor acknowledged in her reply to Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Education) Masagos Zulkifli.

Mr Masagos (Tampines GRC) had called for efforts to be stepped up to combat littering. Although harsher fines are not on the cards, students caught littering will be sent for counselling at their own school. Recalcitrants will continue to get corrective work orders, requiring them to do community service like picking up trash.

Meanwhile, a committee is working on strategies and programmes targeted at youth. It comprises representatives from various agencies, including the Education Ministry and the Singapore Environment Council.

In the next one to two months, focus groups will gather to discuss what makes a litterbug tick. The information will be used to reinforce and tilt the anti-littering message towards young people.
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