While rubbish and gum may not be littering the streets of the cleanest city in Southeast Asia, there are ways you can eliminate waste altogether whilst traveling in Singapore.
Water: Thankfully the tap water in Singapore is drinkable! So you won’t have to worry about buying plastic water bottles during your Zero Waste travel. However, water fountains can be scarce and only found in tourist areas or the airport. Bring a bigger reusable bottle with you to avoid having to refill regularly.
Public Transport: The Singapore MRT system makes getting around a breeze, literally with the air con blasting at all stations to escape the heat. You can buy a metro card which can be topped up with credit and returned at the end of your Zero Waste holiday. It’s pretty cheap to travel Singapore by the MRT and you can even get to and from the airport, saving you on taxi fees.
Hawker Stalls: The best way to experience Singapore is by eating at hawker stalls to experience it's melting pot of different cultures. However, plastic is the primary packaging used, so be prepared with your reusable container and cutlery. Read more about preparing yourself with a simple Zero Waste Kit to avoid plastic while travelling.
Disposable Napkins: Many restaurants will offer packaged wet wipes for you to clean your hands after eating. The trick is that some of these restaurants will actually charge you for the use of these wet wipes, even if they are placed on the table before you sit down! Save yourself some spare change and the disposable plastic by bringing your own cloth napkin.
BYO Singapore: The Bring Your Own Singapore Movement was established in 2017 to encourage retailers to offer incentives for customers to BYO their reusable containers. To claim your Zero Waste benefits for avoiding plastic packaging and saving the earth, check out the full list of retailers offering BYO benefits.
Zero Waste Groceries: Singapore’s first Zero Waste bulk store Unpackt, provides Zero Wasters with plastic free grocery options and eco-friendly products to help you on your journey to Litterless Living.
Zero Waste Store and Café: The Social Space is a one stop Zero Waste shop, offering a tea bar and café, refillery, fair trade retail, nail salon and sustainable workshops all under one roof. The Nail Social is not only eco-friendly but also socially-conscious with the aim to train and employ underprivileged women.
For more ideas on Zero waste travel check out 25 Sustainable Tips for Zero Waste Travel.
Do you have any Zero Waste Singapore tips or tricks? Feel free to let me know in the comments below.
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