Singapore on track to hit 60% recycling rate by 2012

Channel NewsAsia 13 Apr 08;

SINGAPORE: Singapore is on track to achieve the recycling rate of 60 per cent by 2012, says the National Environmental Agency (NEA).

In an effort to get more Singaporeans to recycle, a group of teens spent time on Sunday to redesign some familiar recycling bins.

Last year, Singaporeans generated 5.6 million tonnes of trash. But they also recycled about half or 3 million of it.

And the recycling rate among Singapore households climbed to 63 per cent - about four times higher than that in 2001.

Even though more Singaporeans are recycling, some are still placing objects in the wrong bins.

NEA says about 10 to 20 per cent of the objects found in the recycling bins are actually un-recyclable trash. - CNA/ir

Recycling gets a colourful boost
Today Online 14 Apr 08;

More Singaporeans are recycling, partly because recycling bins have been made more accessible, but the ubiquitous green bins have also become a depository for some not-so-green items.

Between 10 and 20 per cent of what goes into the recycling bins actually belongs in rubbish bins and has to be taken out, according to the National Environment Agency (NEA). These are materials that cannot be recycled or that require considerable effort to clean because of oil, food and other contamination. Some examples include discarded packaging, disposable cutlery and plastic packaging.

The NEA hopes to cut out the rubbish from the bins, which each collect on average about 100kg of materials a month. "We are happy that more people are recycling. However, more can be done to educate some people on the proper way to use recycling," said chief executive officer Lee Yuen Hee.

For a start, a few bins will be getting more than just the appropriate labels. The NEA has given a makeover to 12 bins that will be placed along Orchard Road.

A group of students from Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Orchid Park Secondary and NEA's Youth Environmental Envoys have redesigned the bins in bright colours to raise more awareness about the proper use of recycling bins.

The event yesterday at the Youth Park is a lead-up to a Youth Eco Concert, which will be held on Saturday at Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza. It is touted to be the first carbon-neutral concert in Singapore — one way to gain admittance will be to bring some recyclables to the concert.

The recycling rate among Singapore households has climbed to 63 per cent, about four times higher than that in 2001. Last year, Singaporeans recycled 54 per cent, or over three million tonnes, of the 5.6 million tonnes of trash generated, up from 40 per cent in 2001. Singapore is on track to achieve the recycling rate of 60 per cent by 2012, said NEA.