After years of public education on the importance of recycling, more Singaporean families now make it a point to decontaminate and sort their recyclables before depositing them at the blue recycling bins located near their HDB blocks.
However, some practical problems persist. For housing estates where the smaller 660-litre recycling bins on wheels are deployed, appointed waste collectors already undertake collections three times a week. For the estates where the larger side-loading recycling bins are located, collection is scheduled for twice a week. These larger bins fill up quickly, even outside the festive season. This is also partly driven by the growth of online shopping, and the increased disposal of packaging material from online purchases. When bins overflow and recyclables are left exposed for longer, the prospects for recyclable contamination increases. What were perfectly recyclable items in and around the bin at the point of disposal can be rendered unrecyclable. As an ecosystem, such developments can undermine the very recycling behaviour we have worked hard to cultivate.
What metrics does NEA use to determine whether appointed Public Waste Collectors should increase collection frequency for the larger bins? While I understand that NEA can mandate additional collections on an ad-hoc basis, does the Ministry not agree that more frequent collection must keep pace with improved and more widespread recycling habits among residents?
