Straits Times 10 May 10;
Teenage boys and men aged 17 to 29 are the biggest culprits when it comes to littering in parks. YouthInk writers try to figure out why male youths are such litterbugs, and suggest what can be done.
Carrots and sticks to combat plain laziness
THE truth is, we men are just lazy.
Lazy, to the extent that we will not walk to a bin 20m away just to dispose of a used tissue.
We also generally don't carry bags or pouches, so it's easier to get rid of a piece of rubbish by letting it drop from our hands. Why, we are not going to keep the trash in our pockets!
Still, that should not be an excuse, and there are ways to curb this problem. The easiest and most common way is to step up efforts in our existing anti-littering campaign.
We could reward people who bin their trash. This was practised in 2008 in Thanet, England, where those who observed the law were thanked by park wardens and their names entered into a lucky draw, in which the first prize was £500.
Since cigarette butts make up the most litter, park authorities could give away cigarette disposal pouches. At 8cm by 8cm, these heat-resistant pouches can be conveniently slipped into a back pocket.
Alternatively, increase fines. Repeat offenders should be made to buy a cigarette disposal pouch, and/or sponsor them for others.
Keith Neubronner, 21, is currently serving national service.
Parental or peer pressure a key way to curb littering
I JUST can't bring myself to litter. I would go the distance to the nearest bin or hold on to my trash rather than accrue the guilt of littering.
I was brought up in a household where littering was frowned upon.
I remember feeling nervous whenever I harboured intentions to conveniently drop a sweet wrapper because I was worried my mum would be looking. If she had caught me, she would have given me a good lecture and made me sweep the house for a week. That 'pressure' has transformed into a good habit which will follow me for life.
For the very few in my social circle who are cavalier, I would pick the trash up in front of them and caution them of the fines they might incur if caught.
This peer pressure usually works because litterbugs are generally embar- rassed about their misdeeds.
So if everyone pays it forward and reminds their peers to observe the habit of binning their trash, our city may be that much cleaner.
Jason Zhou, 24, is a final-year economics student at the Singapore Management University.
Let youths experience being cleaners for a day
I BELIEVE that one of the main reasons young men are such litterbugs is because many of us take cleaners and sweepers for granted.
That is why some have no qualms littering. After all, there are people to clean up after us, and keep Singapore being one of the cleanest countries in the world. What's more, the job of cleaning and sweeping isn't that tough anyway, litterbugs think.
Schools should consider letting all students become cleaners and sweepers for a day, perhaps for community service.
They might get an idea of how tough a job it is clearing up after people, and that cleaners and sweepers do not have it easy. They may learn how not to take them for granted.
And next time, they will consider walking just a slight distance to the nearest bin, and make the lives of cleaners easier.
Calvin Ng, 23, is a final-year mathematics student at the National University of Singapore.
Some are just ignorant about the harmful impact
AS A young man, and one who litters on occasion, I can say that to me, littering boils down to one thing.
Ignorance.
Before I knew about the effect littering had on the environment, rubbish bins were alien to me. After all, what harm could one plastic bottle do to the environment? I might as well throw it by the roadside, and save myself the trouble.
That was until I found out how that plastic bottle I just threw out could contribute to a major environmental disaster if it ended up in a waterway and washed out to sea, where it could choke a marine creature. From then on, I have tried to dispose of my rubbish properly.
Likewise, the majority of young male litterbugs out there probably litter because they do not know the impact of their actions. An anti-littering education campaign showing the devastation that plastic can wreak might be helpful.
But if it falls on deaf ears, then I propose a government clampdown. More environmental officers should be deployed to look out for recalcitrants.
It may be cliched, but if waiting for the litterbugs to lose their ignorance doesn't work, deterrence will.
Bryan Toh, 18, is a final-year mass communications student at Ngee Ann Polytechnic.
