Paper recycling a good move but make it easy
I WAS glad to read of the Environment Ministry’s move to implement an island-wide plan to recycle waste paper in "Waste paper recycling plan for housing estates" (ST, Fet 17).
The ENV should be congratulated for taking such a bold step.
Up till now, the ENV has been relying on the pilot efforts of private sector companies such as British Petroleum (BP) to provide for the collection of recyclable waste materials such as paper, aluminium and plastics.
This is not effective as the private-sector effort can at best be a token effort with the main benefits being improve public relations for the sponsor companies.
How many Singapore households have space to store their used newspapers, empty drink cans and plastic bottles?
How many households have cars to carry the accumulated recyclable items to the BP bins once a week or once a month?
Have you seen how small the openings are on the bins? How many old newspapers can you squeeze through these openings at one time?
Any recyclable waste collected this way cannot be significant, especially in the light of the 2.42 million tonnes of total waste collected last year.
If the ENV is serious about promoting environmental awareness and if it is serious about waste minimisation through recycling, it has to provide regular collection services of the separated recyclable waste items either from the doorsteps of Singapore homes or at least from central collection centres.
To continue to educate the public about environmental issues and recycling without providing such services would be like trying to promote public hygiene without providing public toilets.
So, keep it up ENV.
And let us not stop at paper recycling. Let us have collection centres for aluminium, glass, iron and plastics when ready.
YEO SENG CHONG
Singapore 0923
Source : The Straits Times 22nd Feb 1995
Recycling Point Dot Com
(C) 2000 All Rights Reserved