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  Today Online 19 Nov 05
Recycling bins for more than flyers at MRT stations
Reply from NEA

Today Online 16 Nov 05
Place bins at MRT stations to collect and recycle leaflets
 Letter from Yee Zhen Yang

I stay in Jurong East and commute quite often by MRT.

On weekends, as I walk home after alighting from the train, I often have to make my way past people handing out pamphlets. The presence of these part-timers can be felt in many other places, usually when you emerge from MRT stations like Orchard and City Hall.

The problem arises when the rubbish bins get clogged up and the pamphlets are littered on the floor, especially on weekend afternoons. The amount of paper being wasted is alarming. With the rubbish bins choked with paper and overflowing to the ground, it pains me to think that, so many trees have been chopped down so that a few thousand people can read a few lines on a piece of paper which they will later throw carelessly into the nearest bin they can find.

I beseech the relevant authorities to look into this. I suggest looking into areas where such activities are rampant and setting up recycling bins for papers there. Above these bins could be a large banner or notice in bold words saying: "Done with the pamphlet? Recycle them!" or something to that effect.

Make the openings of the bins as small and as thin as possible so that only pieces of paper can go through them. This will prevent inconsiderate people from throwing in rubbish.

Yee Zhen Yang

Today Online 19 Nov 05
Recycling bins for more than flyers at MRT stations
Reply from NEA

WE refer to the letter "Place bins at MRT stations to collect and recycle leaflets" (Nov 16). We thank your reader Yee Zhen Yang for the suggestion and support for recycling.

It is a good idea to place recycling bins at MRT stations to collect leaflets.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) has been working with various partners and agencies to provide recycling bins outside MRT stations. We have already placed recycling bins outside 23 MRT stations including at City Hall and Raffles Place.

NEA and our partners have also placed recycling bins at public places such as Chinatown, Orchard Road, Newton carpark, HDB Hub, Holland Village and several residential estates.

In total, there are 5,300 recycling bins in public places across the island. The recycling bins are designed to be functional and to receive a wide range of recyclable wastes including leaflets. The openings on the bins are therefore sized appropriately to receive a variety of recyclable wastes.

In placing recycling bins, we need to take into account security concerns, site constraints and various other considerations such as obstruction to pedestrians and traffic, accessibility, et cetera. Hence, it may not be possible to place recycling bins at all locations where leaflets are given out.

We would like to suggest that the public either decline the leaflets if they do not want them, or retain the leaflets after reading them and bring them home for recycling, if recycling bins are not available.

The NEA launched the National Recycling Programme (NRP) in HDB estates and private housing estates in 2001.

Residents can put recyclable waste such as paper (including old newspapers, leaflets, magazines, receipts and carton boxes), plastic and glass bottles, drink cans, old clothing, et cetera, into recycling bags or crates and put them outside their doors for collection each fortnight.

We encourage residents to participate in the NRP. Recycling waste helps to conserve finite natural resources, reduce waste disposal and improve our environment.

Ong Seng Eng
Head, Resource Conservation Department
National Environment Agency
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