Richard Hartung Today Online 24 Apr 13;
Recycling everyday trash like paper has never been easier — look around and there seem to be more recycling bins than ever. Where recycling seems hardest, however, is where it is needed the most.
Try to recycle anything that has toxic chemicals in it, and you could have to travel across the island — if you can find a place to recycle it at all.
Most recycling bins are for paper, plastic, cans and glass. For old mobile phones, printers, batteries or light bulbs, there are few obvious places to recycle, and the National Environment Agency (NEA) and Singapore Environment Council (SEC) provide little guidance. Even many producers of these items offer little assistance here.
Take printers, for example. Along with the obvious plastic and metals, printers often contain hazardous chemicals like polyvinyl chloride and brominated flame retardants. Some companies, like HP, have recycling schemes; many others do nothing.
When asked how to recycle a printer that no longer works, one large global company said: “We do not establish a collection centre for used printers just yet as we do not recycle its product.” The company also said it is “conveniently safe to dispose them through the common litter bins”.
Batteries seem equally hard to recycle, despite containing harmful substances like lead, nickel, lithium, cadmium or mercury. Mercury and lead, for example, can affect the nervous system or cause learning disabilities.
While the NEA suggests minimising the use of batteries, its website has no easy-to-find information about recycling them; the SEC mentions only Nokia and Motorola products, not ordinary batteries.
Light bulbs fare only slightly better. As Scientific American pointed out, LED bulbs contain lead, arsenic and a dozen other dangerous substances. IKEA says consumers can bring their old bulbs to an IKEA store, deposit them in the bin, and “we’ll do the rest”.
If you don’t want to travel so far, IKEA suggests that you “take the bulbs to your local recycling centre”. While a few other companies offer recycling, many consumers who purchase their bulbs elsewhere seem to be out of luck.
Electronic and other products, from mobile phones and personal computers to electronic toys and more, contain hazardous materials and are equally difficult to recycle.
Admittedly, some companies here specifically offer trash collection and recycling. The NEA identifies some of them on its website, though a number offer recycling only for companies or industrial firms.
For those that will accept goods from consumers, a further challenge is how to get the recyclables to the company. One company, for example, suggested that a consumer lug a malfunctioning printer 23km to its office. When consumers have to travel so far or pay for pick-up, it’s hard to convince them to recycle.
As an increasing number of consumers gradually shift to a recycling mindset, yet then face difficulties in actually following through on their good intentions, a new approach may be needed. One model could be Australia.
In addition to curbside recycling, Australians can use the RecyclingNearYou website to find out where to recycle almost anything. Keying in a postal code leads to locations in the nearest neighbourhood where consumers can drop off their recyclables, including hazardous materials.
Another alternative is from Japan, which uses a combination of regulations and social pressure to increase recycling. Its Home Appliance Law, says The Guardian, has “forced the extensive implementation of extended producer responsibility” and placed responsibility for recycling on consumers, retailers and manufacturers alike.
In Canada, British Columbia plans to implement a new regulation that goes into effect next year, making producers provide the funding for recycling. And on the other side of the country, Toronto provides free electronic waste containers in condominiums and other locations as part of its goal to recycle 70 per cent of its electronic waste.
With the volume of electronic and other hazardous waste here growing quickly and the evident hazards of simply throwing away toxic materials, it is clear that more can be done here to protect the environment, as well as the health and well-being of residents. In this, action by regulators and companies will be essential.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Richard Hartung is a consultant who has lived in Singapore since 1992.
