Households in 5 constituencies getting recycling boxes ahead of others
Households in Fengshan, Sembawang West, Tampines North, Yio Chu Kang and Yuhua constituencies will be able to collect a recycling box to help Singapore become more environment-friendly.
Residents will receive flyers in their mailboxes with details on collection of their boxes from November to December from any one of 14 vending machines across the five divisions.
Households not in the five constituencies can begin collection of their recycling boxes from March 2023.
This pilot distribution initiative falls under the National Environment Agency’s Recycle Right campaign to encourage Singaporeans to recycle more and do it correctly.
This goes hand in hand with the nation’s ongoing efforts to achieve a 70 per cent recycling rate by the next decade and reduce the amount of waste by 20 per cent per capita per day by 2026, following the Zero Waste Masterplan and Singapore Green Plan 2030.
Named Bloobox, the foldable blue recycling box can hold up to 5kg of paper, plastic, metal or glass recyclables, or e-waste.
Instructions on the box will help households identify what can be recycled, as well as how to efficiently use the box and correctly dispose of the waste. There is also a removable divider so that residents can create a separate compartment for small e-waste items.
When the Bloobox is full, the recyclables can be placed in either a blue recycling bin or recycling chute that can be found in residential areas, with e-waste items such as light bulbs and batteries to be placed in an e-waste bin.
Residents of Yuhua constituency got the first look at the recycling box at its launch on Saturday at Yuhua Community Club’s Clean and Green event.
Madam Saharida Suradi, a resident in Jurong for over 38 years, has picked up recycling in recent years. After noticing that the rubbish chute at her block tends to choke, she has become more conscious about throwing large items like plastic bottles down the chute, and sees recycling as an alternative.
The 66-year-old housewife is a grassroots leader in Yuhua. “This initiative is good for our community. It makes our environment cleaner and helps to reduce bad smells in the neighbourhood,” she said.
“I hope that through this, more residents will pick up the good habit of recycling.”
The launch of the recycling box will see an improvement in Singapore’s recycling infrastructure, said Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu, who was at the roll-out on Saturday.
She added: “We hope that by putting a box in every household, it reminds us about the importance of recycling.”
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