Refusing a Culture of Convenient Consumption

While the limited success in recycling is concerning, there is the elephant in the room that fails to be recognised – our consumption behaviours are embedded in a culture of convenience. Convenience that has not only been market-driven, but at times even state-driven. Policies geared at ensuring proper sanitation such as rubbish chutes installed in HDB flats and more recently health regulations on catered food, have inadvertently encouraged a throw-away culture. For businesses, single-use plastics and styrofoam remain a norm in Singapore’s takeaway food culture.

Recycling merely tackles the symptoms of this consumerist culture of convenience rather than its root causes. Contemporary environmentalists note that simply promoting 3Rs is outdated. Two lesser known, but arguably more significant,Rs are “Refuse” and “Rot” – each of which respectively come before and after the conventional 3Rs. Refuse, as it suggests, is to refuse consuming a certain item or resource, and making do with what we need rather than what we want. Rot refers to the act of composting. By composting food scraps into organic fertiliser for plants, it facilitates a closed loop in which biodegradable waste is not wasted.

Refuse and Rot, have not had sufficient limelight, and have yet to reach their optimal levels in Singapore. Consumerist trends of buying more than we need or keeping up with the Joneses still dictate much of our buying behaviour. With our small apartment sizes, composting is perceived to be unrealistic. However, technology has made this easier with food digesters by speeding up the composting process and limiting the presence of odours and flies. Although currently used in businesses such as hotels (with cost-savings being an important driver) and some government initiatives (such as Our Tampines Hub), compact household size composters are also available online – and at a cost.

Yet, both these Rs are particularly important in relation to two major sources of waste in Singapore – single- use plastic and food waste. According to Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA), the total food waste generated in 2017 was 809,800 tonnes – an increase of over 24,000 tonnes since 2015³. Food waste is generated not only within the home, but at eateries as well.

Statistics reveal that 85% of Singapore residents eat out at least once a week, with roughly one in 10 of them eating out every day – most frequently at hawker centres, coffee shops and food courts⁴.

The use of plastic (including microplastics) has become so pervasive in our lives that it is already in the food we eat and the water we drink. In the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)’s recent report, the extent of micro-plastics in our water sources or ingested by fish is so acute that humans are consuming up to 6 grams of plastic week – the equivalent amount of plastic in a credit card⁵. There is a harrowing irony in the thought of consuming a credit card every week, in that our consumerist habits have come full circle. In a bid to feed our desires for convenience, greed and opulence, we are now literally consuming it.

OUR GREEN DEEN

Taking a step back and reflecting on traditional norms and practices, one would find substantial resources from within Islam that reflect notions of “Refuse” and “Rot”. In recent years, there have been more visible efforts to promote environmental awareness from Islamic perspectives. From Quranic verses that. regard waste and excess as haram (forbidden), to Hadith on actions such as planting trees and proper waste disposal are seen in Islam as forms of charity, it is clear that Islam provides guidelines on how Muslims should consume sustainably and live in balance with nature.

That said, the extent to which Muslims have internalised these principles as part of their daily life has not reached a critical mass. Despite several references to the prohibition of waste in the Quran⁶, it is ironic that the amount of waste in the Muslim world is higher during Ramadan, than other times of the year. Moreover, despite Islamic principles on stewardship and consciousness of the earth’s balance (mizan)⁷, few realise how their developed world consumption patterns adversely impact the world’s finite resources. For instance, not only does the production of red meat emit a higher amount of carbon emissions than that of poultry and vegetables, but the amount of water needed to produce cattle is also higher. This is particularly acute given that some of the poorest and most water-stressed regions are also dependent on livestock and agriculture. What is perhaps more sobering is that, in a bid to meet the religious obligations of pilgrims in Mecca, part of the livestock imported for Eid Al Adha are from water-stressed and impoverished countries such as Somali-land and Somalia⁸.

Moving forward, as Muslims in Singapore, it is important for us to think about how we are alleviating or contributing to these problems. How can we not only build on existing environmental strategies, but more importantly, facilitate market practices that are environmentally conscious and sustainable. This is particularly crucial given the growth of the halal industry, and SMEs and home-based businesses within the Muslim community. Take a stroll down Geylang’s Ramadan bazaar or a Halal Expo, and it is clear that environmental sustainability is not a major consideration for many Muslim- owned businesses.

The point here is not to discourage patronage of Muslim-owned businesses, but rather put forth certain questions: Are Muslim consumers making better (ethical and environmentally sustainable) choices? Are Muslim business owners willing to provide these better choices to their clientele? Are the businesses that we are generating in the Muslim community meeting social and environmental needs, or simply feeding vanity and greed? And how can we cultivate a circular economy and business ecosystem that promotes environmental behaviours and services to all levels of the Muslim community?

These are difficult questions, and implementing such practices may be harder. Yet, these are highly crucial in a time which cannot afford further environmental apathy and inaction. Environmental challenges have socio-political and economic consequences. The faster we get up to speed with incorporating environmental sustainability measures into our businesses and daily lives, the better we are in ridding the stigma of playing “catch up”.