Follow South Korea: Seal rubbish chutes, use pre-paid bags

Letter from Sim See Hwee, Straits Times Forum 29 Sep 08;

I READ with interest how condominiums must have recycling facilities in their compound ('Condos to have recycling facilities', Sept 17). What also caught my attention was the sticker on the recycle container stating, 'Paper only'.

I wonder if all this will work. Without a system whereby we take ownership of our rubbish, it is hard to implement recycling at home.

Many residents of condos and high-rise HDB flats, with the convenience of rubbish chutes and in the privacy of their own home, will just throw rubbish down the chute without sorting it out.

Many of those in landed property do not care about their rubbish, leaving their rubbish bin outside, dotting the street and creating an unsightly view.

One solution is the South Korean way - seal all rubbish chutes in high-rise buildings and use pre-paid rubbish bags. Residents must buy bags (in place of paying conservation charges), in different colours for different types of rubbish, and take them to rubbish collection area themselves.

Experiments with a rubbish suction system in HDB estates are obviously moving in the wrong direction - not changing people's behaviour, but taking the easy way out by doing it for them.

Another lesson, from Taiwan: All rubbish must be kept at home, and taken out only when the rubbish truck comes. The crux here is ownership of rubbish. Once people are allowed to put rubbish outside, they feel relieved of ownership and no longer care about it. In Taiwan, they call it the 'rubbish must not touch the ground' concept - from home to the rubbish truck, it must not touch anywhere in between.

On recycling paper, there is no problem. Every morning in my condo, the cleaners fight to collect old newspapers - which they call 'brown gold' - which they sell for extra income.

Our rubbish management system needs a drastic revamp if we aim to be the regional hub in recycling and environmental technology.