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  The Straits Times Forum Online 19 Nov 05
Supermarkets should take part in recycling efforts
 Letter from Yeo Eng Wah (Ms)

I am an advocate of recycling and I always encourage people who do not believe in recycling to start doing it.

However, like the others who have written about it I have difficulties in locating recycling bins in the vicinity where I live in Pasir Panjang. I have to make the effort to travel some distance to find them.

Some collection spots do not have bins for all the things I want to recycle. Most of the time there are bins for paper and metal but not for glass, plastic and batteries.

May I suggest that the supermarkets participate in our recycling efforts? After all, supermarkets are the places where we purchase things that come in recyclable containers. Can they set up special corners where shoppers can return all the containers for recycling? Perhaps the manufacturers of household products should participate too.

I also notice that in spite of the calls to use less plastic bags, supermarkets are increasingly packing more fruits and vegetables in plastic boxes. It is true that these can be recycled but how many people actually make the effort to bring them to the recycling bins?

Supermarkets can learn from our wet markets, where small trays are provided when we buy fruits and vegetables. The rolls of plastic bags provided by the supermarkets do not encourage people to use less plastic. In fact some people use them even when they do not really need them.

I hope everyone will make an effort to recycle and more collection spots will be set up to encourage this.

Yeo Eng Wah (Ms)
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