Is intrinsic or extrinsic motivation more important in promoting reusable bag usage in Singapore?

Abstract

The widespread usage of plastic bags has resulted in significant environmental problems that cannot be overlooked. Hence, this report investigates which factor, intrinsic or extrinsic, would serve as a stronger motivator in encouraging the use of reusable bags in Singapore and how socio-demographic factors can influence an individual’s decision to use a reusable bag in the context of Singapore. This study used a survey in the form of a questionnaire to measure the potential factors that could motivate individuals to use reusable bags instead of plastic bags. In total, 151 responses were obtained.

The findings of this study indicate that for socio-demographic factors, people who are females, single, and have higher levels of education and income, are more likely to use reusable bags in Singapore. Depending on the type, Ethnicity and Religion have varying impacts on an individual's likelihood to use reusable bags. For the intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, our results show that it is more impactful to target the intrinsic motivations of individuals to promote reusable bag usage.

These findings provide valuable insights into how the government can develop more effective measures to promote reusable bag usage. From there, actions can be taken to further enhance existing policies and also develop new ones to target weaker forms of motivations.

Keywords: Intrinsic Motivation, Extrinsic Motivation, Reusable Bags, Socio-Demographic Factors