Green S’pore: Combined efforts needed

I READ with interest the article, "Green issues ‘need in-depth coverage" (Sunday Times, Apr11 16). As the Minster for the Environment, Mr Abclullah Tarmugi has said, more can be done to raise public awareness of the need to protect the environment.

One of the ways which the media can help raise public awareness is by promoting recycling. However, for recycling to be successful, everyone must play a part, the government and ordinary Singaporeans alike.

In Singapore, not much is being done about recycling. True, we do see the occasional coloured bins for paper, aluminum and glass, but these are not readily available at many convenient locations.

I wonder how many of us would actually bother lugging our recyclable trash and traveling all the way to petrol kioks where these bins are located, especially if we do not own cars. And for those of us~ who do bother, can we be assured that our efforts are not in vain?

In schools, where there are projects for trash to be separated into different bins, I really wonder if the paper, aluminum and glass items actually get recycled since garbage collectors for these materials are probably the same ones who collect other types of rubbish. If these bags of recyclable material end up at the same dumping grounds as other types of rubbish, this would dishearten those who bother to separate their trash.

The media must give prominence to this issue, by bringing back and increasing the number of gentle "reminders" to love our environment, which we had on television some time back. The print media could help by publishing more articles on conserving the environment and columns to allow readers to share tips on recycling and going green.

Residential and industrial estates could allocate special areas for recyclable materials to be collected, maybe weekly. Residents’ committees in housing estates could allocate days for "green fairs", an extension of the mini food-and-fun fairs found in many estates. Besides food and games. there could be booths with information on going green.

Companies could also play a part by encouraging employees to recycle unwanted paper, or even participating in schemes of their own.

Why not have a recycling campaign? After all, we already have "No Smoking’ campaigns, "Speak Mandarin" campaigns and others. A campaign would educate the public on the importance of recycling and reinforce the efforts of residents’ committees, companies and individuals. In the long run, it is only through combined efforts that Singapore can take bigger steps towards becoming a green nation.

Source : The Straits Times 22nd Apr 1995

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