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  Straits Times Forum 31 Aug 06
SembCorp acts on feedback to improve service in collecting recycleables
Reply from SembCorp

Straits Times Forum 28 Aug 06
SembCorp should improve the way it collects recycleables to promote habit
Letter from Elaine Ong Mei Lin

I am a resident in Hougang. I strongly support our country's programme of recycling waste as a long-term policy. As a parent, I instruct my child on the importance of recycling waste and I believe the schools teach our children to do this as well.

In my estate, SembCorp is responsible for the collection of recycleable waste on a fortnightly basis. However, the way it collects the recycleables has been inconsistent and haphazard.

Recycling bags are not handed out on a consistent basis and although residents are told that collection will take place every Tuesday fortnightly, this has not been the case. I left my recycleables outside my doorstep as instructed, only to find them uncollected.

I constantly face this problem and each time I call SembCorp, it will apologise. But the situation has not improved. SembCorp is not doing it in a way that encourages residents to practise recycling.

The inconsistent manner in which it collects the recycleables has left many residents confused. And not providing recycling bags also doesn't encourage them to practise it.

I am forced to take this to a public forum because my calls to SembCorp's management have proved futile. It either blames the contractor collecting the recycleables or asks me to call the contractor personally. I find this unreasonable and unprofessional.

Should not SembCorp take action against the errant contractors? Is it not under its jurisdiction to ensure the smooth and consistent management of the recycling programme? Why encourage people to recycle if one gets the message that it isn't important?

I hope SembCorp will look into this and provide the residents in my area with a viable solution.

After getting my six-year-old son enthusiastic about recycling and reiterating to him that recycling is important and a civic duty of every citizen, and getting him to place all our plastic bottles, cans and paper in the bag for recycling, I think it is SembCorp and not I who should be answering my boy's question, 'If it is so important, why does the man not collect our recycling bag?'

Straits Times Forum 31 Aug 06
SembCorp acts on feedback to improve service in collecting recycleables
Reply from SembCorp

I refer to the letter 'SembCorp should improve the way it collects recyclables to promote habit' (ST Online Forum, Aug 28) by Elaine Ong Mei Lin.

We extend our sincere apologies to Ms Ong for the inconvenience caused to her by any unsatisfactory service. We have taken immediate action to get in touch with Ms Ong to address her concerns.

Civic-minded customers are our partners in promoting recycling. At SembWaste we try our very best to cater to our customers' needs and their satisfaction is paramount to us. We welcome feedback from residents that enable us to improve our service.

We would like to highlight that as a company policy, SembWaste does not direct our customers to liaise with our contractors. Instead, residents are encouraged to channel any feedback to our Customer Service Officers on our hotline 1800 278 6135.

Letchimi Palanisamy (Ms)
Assistant Manager, Corporate Relations
SembCorp Environmental Management
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