A comparative study of littering and waste in Singapore and Japan

Based on primary data collected through 12 weeks of field research and 21 research interviews, this article explores the issue of littering in Singapore and Japan from a public policy perspective. It investigates the institutional framework, organizational capacity, and public support and education in place to address littering through two case studies, Singapore and Yokohama, Japan. As measured by official complaints and littering offenses, the act of littering is increasing in Singapore yet in Yokohama, littering offenses (and the production of waste and trash) have dropped precipitously. Our study finds that the institutions, organizations, and public norms shape an environment in Singapore where cleaning is shunned and millions of dollars are spent each year on litter removal. This contrasts with an environment in Japan where waste is valued and cleaning is viewed as productive and honorable, and little money is spent on litter removal due to the large number of volunteers.