ENV figures show fall in refuse collected last year
By Dominic Nathan
FOR the first time in four years, Environment Ministry figures showed a drop in the total amount of refuse collection here last year. Unfortunately, it was not because of the success of recycling and waste minimization efforts.
According to the Environment Ministry (ENV), It was because more waste was dumped illegally last year. ENV figures showed that the amount of refuse collected from homes, businesses and industries fell by 1.3 per cent from 2.26 million tonnes in 1992 to 2.23 million tonnes last year.
This was the first drop since 1988. Figures for 1989 to 1992 had shown an annual increase of about 5 per cent in the amount of waste churned out. Based on this, waste collected last year was between 60,000 and 72,000 tonnes lower than what was expected.
An ENV spokesman told The Straits Times: "The drop was the result of some contractors dumping their wastes illegally instead of bringing the refuse to the proper disposal plants."
He said the illegally dumped wastes were mainly industrial and trade refuse and not refuse from homes.
However, the ENV came down hard on errant contractors this year, cutting down the incidence of illegal dumping, the spokesman said.
An enforcement blitz in April this year rounded up 24 offenders who had dumped a total of some 80 tonnes of wood, metal and organic wastes. Among them were four licensed waste collectors.
In 1993, 36 people were convicted for illegal dumping offences. ENV got tough with offenders because of the health risks posed by illegal dumping.
The problem seems to have been brought under control. The average amount of waste collected every month this year has gone up to 200,000 tonnes, compared to 183,000 tonnes last year and 1992’s 188,000 tonnes.
While illegal dumping may be on the wane, the problem of growing consumer wastes mounts.
It grew from 1.1 million tonnes in 1992 to 1.19 million tonnes last year.
Of the total amount of refuse collected, the ministry spokesman said, 53 per cent originated from homes, food centres, markets and commercial premises. The rest came from industrial premises.
The average amount of domestic refuse generated by each person every day was1.05kg
The target under the Government’s Green Plan is to bring this amount down to 0.9 kg by the end of the decade.
Source : The Straits Times, December 7 1994
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