THE POTENTIAL AND BENEFITS OF AN INCENTIVE SYSTEM TO PROMOTE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY BEHAVIOUR IN RESIDENTS OF HDB FLATS

Abstract

This research established the potential of an incentive system to promote an environmentally friendly lifestyle. A specific case study on an existing reward programme to encourage recycling in Singapore and a general household survey were conducted to find out the potential of an incentivizing approach. The potential of an incentive system was established through reviews of past case studies, literature and commercial approaches. It was observed from the case study that a non-monetary incentive system had limited success. To enhance its effectiveness, it could be modified to achieve significant result in a change of behaviour.

Separately, households of differing background were interviewed in various HDB towns and their responses collated to test the potential of an incentive system. The household survey identified that they were motivated by monetary incentives on the individual level. Other significant factors identified included collective effort within the community and enhanced convenience in terms of information sharing and infrastructure. The benefits of an incentive system were discussed and it was ascertained that there was potential to develop a model incentive system. This model would involve 5 steps from legislation; incentives; information; involvement to programmes that could be adopted for implementation by all Town Councils. This could help achieve the environmental goals as set out by the Sustainable Blueprint 2030. Without an incentivizing approach, these goals could be compromised if households continue to resist a change in their behaviour as the tried and tested method of relying on information programmes had been slow in effecting a significant change so far.

Overall, this research, literature review and case study, established that households would require multiple factors to be motivated to change their behaviour. The first approach that could affect the most significant change is by introducing an incentive system that could attract and retain the attention of households before reinforcing the change through other programmes.