Jeremy Koh Channel NewsAsia 21 Jun 10;
SINGAPORE : The first batch of Litter-Free Ambassadors fanned out across one hotspot, in a show of resolve against litterbugs.
They are acting as the eyes and ears on 24 litter hotspots, such as Yishun Avenue 6 and Joo Chiat Road.
It didn't take long to see why the area outside the Management Development Institute of Singapore (MDIS) is blacklisted. About 800 litterbugs have been caught in the Stirling Road area since 2007.
And the ambassadors wasted no time in spreading the word - that rubbish belongs to the bin.
Litter-Free Ambassadors will patrol litter hotspots at least once a month.
They have been trained on ways to approach litterbugs. So when they see someone littering, they will try to persuade the culprits to pick up the litter.
They will also look out for bins that cannot hold any more litter, and new litter hotposts - and send their input to the National Environment Agency (NEA).
Small acts like these will go a long way in fixing the problem.
Baey Yam Keng, MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC said: "When they throw a cigarette butt, (soft-drink) can, or wrapper, it may get out of sight, but it doesn't just vanish into thin air. It'll end up being swept away by a cleaning worker, or it'll just (end up) in a drain, canal or water passage.
"And what we saw last Wednesday (flood at Orchard Road) might happen again, or it might even be more serious. So I think we need to remind people of the implications of a simple act of convenience."
The NEA has recruited some 170 ambassadors.
Although they do not have the power to issue fines, it is hoped that their presence will help to promote responsible behaviour and encourage others to speak up when they spot a litterbug in the act.
The 24 hotspots include Stirling Road area near Punggol Community Indoor Sports Hall, Yishun Avenue 6, Joo Chiat Road, and the area near Choa Chu Kang MRT station/bus interchange. - CNA /ls
'Envoys' to help curb littering
Queenstown launches first community patrol group to get litterbugs to pick up trash and provide feedback to NEA
Hoe Pei Shan Straits Times 22 Jun 10;
WHERE enforcement and punishment do not work, a little persuasion may help - that is the thinking of Queenstown constituency as it launched Singapore's first community patrol group of Litter-Free Ambassadors (LFAs) yesterday.
The ambassadors, mostly recruited via the grassroots, will conduct patrols at least once a month at known hot spots for litter.
And while they cannot arrest or fine litterbugs, they will persuade the culprits to pick up their litter. The LFAs will also look out for overflowing bins and areas badly affected by litter.
They will record their observations for the National Environment Agency (NEA) and grassroots community groups to take appropriate measures to improve the areas' cleanliness.
In an effort to create a new anti-littering social norm, and as part of the NEA's latest campaign, Queenstown's community patrols will start by targeting a litter hot spot in Stirling Road, where 778 litterbugs have been caught since 2007.
Ambassadors like retiree Alice Lee, 62, will patrol the neighbourhood and convince litterbugs to change their habits.
She said: 'It is actually a fun way to get involved and to educate our fellow residents, especially the youth in this area, on working together to keep the place clean.'
Also sporting the ambassador T-shirt yesterday was Tanjong Pagar GRC MP Baey Yam Keng, who believes this new approach to curb littering is 'more sustainable than enforcement'.
His goal is to have all those who frequent the neighbourhood 'treat the community grounds as their own home'.
Although he recognises this will not be achieved overnight, he is optimistic that increased community bonding will aid the anti-littering cause.
One of the factors that prompted this new approach was an NEA sociological study, conducted in the first quarter of this year, which revealed that 80 per cent of the 4,500 people interviewed were uncomfortable with reminding others not to litter.
In a bid to build a culture of active citizenship, led by the LFAs who would speak up when they see people littering, the NEA hopes to use peer influence to curb the anti-social habit.
LFA Doris Koh was once embarrassed about advising litterbugs to place their trash in bins. Now, she says she is no longer afraid of appearing like a busybody, after attending an NEA workshop that trained the ambassadors to deal with possible difficult offenders.
Said the 59-year-old: 'We were taught how to use proper body language and ways to be approachable - smiling and polite gestures are important when trying to convey messages to others.'
So far, 172 LFAs have been recruited by the NEA to cover 24 hot spots, said an agency spokesman.
The NEA hopes that all constituencies will eventually come on board the LFA programme, but it seems the idea of a community anti-littering patrol has yet to catch on in other neighbourhoods.
When asked how keen they would be to take up similar patrols, some, like North East District Mayor Teo Ser Luck, noted that while 'it is not a bad idea to have the community help itself', community patrolling needs to be integrated with other methods, such as education to raise awareness of the social harm that littering causes.
Then, there are those like Marine Parade GRC MP Lim Biow Chuan, who does not think residents 'are ready for community patrolling, which seems too confrontational'.
What all the MPs stressed, however, was the importance of residents' initiatives in combating littering.
As Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC MP Michael Palmer observed: 'I hope that people would, of their own accord, remind one another not to litter, without being assigned - that everyone would be a litter-free 'ambassador' in that sense.'
Litter-free ambassadors hit the hotspots
Jeremy Koh Today Online 22 Jun 10;
SINGAPORE - The first batch of Litter-Free Ambassadors have started fanning out across Singapore to wage war against litter louts.
Though they do not have the authority to issue fines, the National Environment Agency (NEA) hopes their presence will encourage a new social norm - one where people will speak up when they see others littering.
Dressed in white polo-tees with green trim, six new Litter-Free Ambassadors zoomed in on one of Queenstown's littering hotspots - the area in front of the Management Development Institute of Singapore.
And it did not take them long to spot litter. Cigarette butts and plastic cups were strewn around an area where several students were loitering.
It is not clear if the litter was thrown by these students, but the ambassadors did not waste anytime in spreading the anti-littering message: Bin all rubbish properly.
Volunteers will also look out for overflowing bins and badly-littered areas. These observations will then be reported to NEA.
To date, NEA has recruited 172 Litter Free Ambassadors. Its hoping to get more to sign up. JEREMY KOH
Number in central district summoned for littering since 2007
Queenstown (including Stirling Road) 943
River Valley Road Food Establishments 164
Kim Seng Promenade (including Great World City) 77
Tiong Bahru 52
Selegie Road 26
