All HDB estates to have centralised recycling depositories b

• sbst275

  18 Sep 05, 08:49

  SINGAPORE : By 2007, all HDB estates in Singapore will have centralised depositories for residents to recycle unwanted waste daily.
  
  Minister for Environment and Water Resources Yaacob Ibrahim said this extra recycling option would be located within five blocks away from residents.
  
  And they do not have to wait for the recycling pick-up every two weeks.
  
  Students from Dunman Secondary School have been playing their parts to help increase Singapore's recycling rates.
  
  They collected 20,000 plastic bottles for recycling. It is believed to be the longest plastic bottle chain ever made.
  
  Dr Yaacob said: "I definitely feel we should work with the younger generation. I think they have a better orientation towards such things.
  
  "By having the projects in schools, hopefully they pick up the habits, go back home and do something at home. The key is to sustain the interest they develop in school, into their homes and beyond."
  
  The percentage of households recycling their waste has gone up from 15 percent in 2001 to 54 percent in 2004.
  
  To make it easier and convenient for everyone to do their part, about 1,600 centralised recycling bins will be set up in HDB estates within the next two years.
  
  As Dr Yaacob noted, the project by Dunman Secondary isn't so much about setting a world record as it is raising awareness about recycling.
  
  Earlier, he told the students solid waste generation in Singapore has gone up six times over the last 30 years, a practice he said that's not sustainable in a country like Singapore.
  
  Dr Yaacob said: "Although our four incineration plants convert waste to energy, the remaining ash and other non-incinerable waste still need to be brought to the offshore Semakau landfill.
  
  "At that rate we would have to build a new incineration plant every five to seven years and a landfill the size of Semakau 25 to 30 years."
  
  The overall recycling rate in Singapore has increased from 40 percent in 2000 to 48 percent in 2004.
  
  Dr Yaacob believes it will still take a continual effort to educate all Singaporeans about recycling... with the aim of achieving an overall recycling rate of 60 percent by 2012. - CNA/de
• sgboy2004

  18 Sep 05, 09:28

  the movement for recycling has been there for a long long long time, and yet the culture here is not really towards that... and now a centralised place... some pple just wanna be in the limelight...
• sbst275

  18 Sep 05, 09:28

  Originally posted by sgboy2004:

  the movement for recycling has been there for a long long long time, and yet the culture here is not really towards that... and now a centralised place... some pple just wanna be in the limelight...

  Well, if ppl dun recycle have to try fresher ways...
  
  But it is not a good long term solution though