Planet Green

What will it take to save Earth? Individual efforts are commendable but conserving the planet is not a one man’s job

- Lynette Kee

Sustainability — the buzz word that’s been popping up everywhere and on almost everyone's lips these days. Here in Singapore, there’s the no-cutlery option in our food delivery app to bring-your-own bags for groceries… Unless you’re living under a rock, there’s no way you could have missed this changing lifestyle. To reiterate, it’s actually not a new lifestyle, nor a marketing gimmick - it is a journey that has long started but only recently vocalized and magnified.

But over on the other side of the world, it’s a lifestyle fully integrated into their lives. We’re probably years behind when compared to, for example, the Scandinavian countries who topped the chart as the world’s most sustainable countries last year, but it only took us one unprecedented haze (caused by fires in Indonesia, set by villages and businesses who slash and burn shrubland to make way for crops) that hit its highest level in 2015 (and the recent one just a few months ago) to trigger the masses into action. The island’s population had to deal with consequences they hadn’t asked for and in return, they cast their vote with their wallets. Having experienced the possible environmental and health effects, we’ve been quick to lean towards paper products that are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and even going as far as to swapping to those made from unbleached bamboo pulp.