Refuse collection and disposal costs have risen
I REFER to the letter "Increase in refuse fees: Penalise sources of disposable packaging" (ST, May 10).
The refuse removal fee pays for the costs of refuse collection and disposal.
Collection cost has gone up over the years because of rising refuse output as well as rising wages to attract and retain refuse collection workers.
Last year, ENV collected 1.26 million tonnes of refuse. This was 6 per cent more than 1993. The 0.43 million tonnes collected in the first four months of this year was 1.4 per cent more than the same period last year.
The bulk of the refuse removal fee paid by landed dwellings goes towards meeting the collection cost because their refuse has to be picked up from individual premises.
Refuse disposal cost has also gone up because of the rising construction cost of refuse incineration plants. There are three incineration plants in Singapore. The third plant at Senoko alone cost $560 million to build. The fourth plant that is being planned is likely to cost even more.
Disposal cost will rise further when incineration ash has to be discarded at the offshore landfill site. This is expected to take place in 1999 after the landfill site at Lorong Halus is used up. Construction of this offshore landfill site is expected to cost more than $1 billion.
The fee paid by a business concern is pegged to its refuse output. The rates payable by these concerns will also be revised in June to take ac-~ count of the rising costs.
Singaporeans can help to moderate the rise in refuse~ removal cost by generating 4j less refuse. We should also divert as much things as possible from the waste stream~ through reuse and recycling.
BILLY CHEW
for head,
Public Affairs Department (Environment)
Ministry of the Environment
Source : The Straits Times, 15th May 1995
Recycling Point Dot Com
(C) 2000 All Rights Reserved