Loke Kok Fai Channel NewsAsia 30 Jul 17;
SINGAPORE: Free bins and trash bags were distributed to residents in Blocks 105 and 106 at Jalan Bukit Merah from Sunday (Jul 30) in an effort to curb high-rise littering.
The move - titled Project 'X' Littering - is an initiative by Kampong Tiong Bahru West Residents’ Committee (RC) with support by the National Environment Agency (NEA).
The two blocks have been identified as the dirtiest in the area, according to surveys and feedback received by the Radin Mas Town Council. The area's Citizen Consultative Committee said many residents have also complained about leftover food, cigarette butts and empty drink cans thrown indiscriminately from flats.
A total of 696 bins will be distributed among the units in each block. Each unit will also receive about 50 trash bags each month for three months, and each block will be visited by three volunteers every day to collect rubbish, which would then be brought down for disposal.
The area's MP and Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Sam Tan noted that rubbish disposal chutes were located only at the end of the common corridors of each floor, which elderly or wheelchair-bound residents found inconvenient to get to.
Rubbish disposal chutes are located at the end of common corridors of each floor at the two Jalan Bukit Merah HDB blocks, which is an inconvenience for the elderly or wheelchair-bound. (Photo: Loke Kok Fai)
He hoped that through the initiative, residents would learn the importance of keeping their surroundings clean.
"We hope that this would be the important first step, through this exercise, to create a sense of awareness among the residents that actually making the area clean is not something that is difficult," he said. "Over time, we hope that they will be able to make the next step to bring the litter or trash bag out to the public, common bin chute."
To incentivise residents, Kampong Tiong Bahru West RC will organise block parties over the next three months for blocks which have made the most improvement in addressing the littering problem.
