More summonses for littering issued in 2014: NEA

Kimberly Spykerman Channel NewsAsia 1 Feb 15;

SINGAPORE: 19,000 summonses for littering were issued by the National Environment Agency in 2014, double the number issued in 2013.

Minister for Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan unveiled these statistics at the South-West district's ECo-Day Out event on Sunday (Feb 1). He said people must not be afraid to stand up to those who litter, and reminded them to keep the surroundings clean.

"Of course, some of this increase is because we have stepped up enforcement action. Some people have come up to me and said: 'Elections are coming, you'd better not be so strict.' But let me tell you, this is one area - regardless of when the Prime Minister calls elections - we are going to step up enforcement and we are going to continue to do so," said Dr Balakrishnan

During the ECo-Day Out event, it was also that a project to recycle used light bulbs will be expanded. The South-West Community Development Council is aiming to collect 50,000 light bulbs over the next five years. For each one collected, an energy-efficient bulb will be given to a needy family within the district to help them save on electricity bills.

The aim is to benefit 12,500 low-income families over the next five years.

- CNA/ac

Balakrishnan urges stand against littering as summonses double
Today Online 2 Feb 15;

SINGAPORE — The National Environment Agency (NEA) issued 19,000 summonses for littering last year, which was double that of 2013, said Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan yesterday.

While this was partially due to a stepping up of enforcement action, he said people must not be afraid to stand up to those who litter and remind these people to keep the surroundings clean.

“This is one area (where) we are going to step up enforcement and we are going to continue to do so,” said Dr Balakrishnan at the South-West District’s ECo-Day Out.

Littering has been under the spotlight in recent days.

Last week, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong pointed to the trash that was left behind at the Laneway music festival and contrasted it with how Myanmar football fans picked up litter after a match at the Singapore National Stadium, to urge Singaporeans to pick up after themselves.

One day later, Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong also commented on the littering issue, saying Tokyo does not face the problem despite not having rubbish bins in public places. Echoing Mr Lee’s message for Singaporeans to be a “clean” rather than “cleaned” city, Mr Goh wrote on his Facebook page: “Without foreign workers, Singapore is likely to become a ‘garbage city’. Cleanliness is a character thing. It shows who you really are.”

During the ECo-Day Out event yesterday, it was also announced that a project to recycle used light bulbs will be expanded. The South-West Community Development Council is aiming to collect 50,000 light bulbs over the next five years. For each one collected, an energy-efficient bulb will be given to a needy family within the district to help them save on electricity bills. KIMBERLY SPYKERMAN

Clean city? Singapore not there yet: Vivian
Samantha Boh The Straits Times AsiaOne 2 Feb 15;

This comes after Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong referred to trash left behind at a music festival and urged people to pick up their litter, and Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong took to Facebook to say that Singapore is likely to become a "garbage city" without foreign workers.

Addressing residents at a community event at Hong Kah North Community Centre yesterday, Dr Balakrishnan said that how clean a place is reflects what people think of themselves, their respect for their neighbours and their concern for the neighbourhood.

"Our homes do not stop at the door but the common corridor. The community club, the street, the garden, the park, all that is our home," he said.

"And if we do not mess up our own homes, then surely our streets, our clubs, our gardens must not be messed up."

He said this philosophy was brought up decades ago, in a 1968 speech by then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. Yet 50 years on, Singapore has "not yet arrived".

Last year, the National Environment Agency (NEA) issued 19,000 littering tickets, double that of 2013, in part due to stepped-up enforcement efforts. And Dr Balakrishnan said that the NEA is committed to stepping up enforcement further.

Singaporeans "must not be afraid to stand up and remind people to keep our homes, our neighbourhoods, clean and do our part", he added.

Yesterday, he also launched the Recycle-A-Bulb Challenge @South West, a programme which aims to help needy residents save on their electricity bills by giving them energy-efficient light bulbs. One energy-efficient light bulb will be given to a needy family, in exchange for every old or used bulb. The programme aims to collect 50,000 such light bulbs over the next five years, which would amount to $3.7 million savings for 12,500 low-income families.

The project is co-organised by the NEA and supported by grassroots groups, ITE College West and corporate organisations such as Keppel Land Limited, Singapore Post and DBS.

Said the Mayor of South West District Low Yen Ling: "We hope that other than lightening the load of our needy families, this will also help our residents in South West adopt energy-efficient ethics."