The People’s Movement against Haze (PM.Haze) in Singapore has launched ‘We Breathe What We Buy’, a campaign to raise awareness of the consumer’s role in creating the poor air quality or ‘haze’ affecting the region. Supported by both WWF Singapore and the Singapore Environment Council, this campaign is the first citizen-led initiative looking to engage the public in thinking about the direct relationship between their daily purchasing decisions and the haze.

Demand for paper and palm-oil based products, ranging from lipstick, toothpaste, pizza and ice cream, has led to intensive palm oil production practices in the region, such as deforestation, landscape fires and draining peatlands. As a result, Singapore faces an annual haze problem, with severe health and economic implications.

Elaine Tan, CEO of WWF-Singapore, stated the campaign “aims to drive mass public consumer awareness, to create demand for certified sustainable palm oil, and bring about a market transformation that can help to stop the haze.”

The ‘We Breathe What We Buy’ campaign includes striking billboard images of lipstick, pizza or toothpaste, which on closer inspection reveal images of burning forest within.  TV advertisements depict citizens disrupted in their everyday activities by the face masks they are forced to wear.