Audrey Tan Straits Times 8 Aug 17;
The National Day fireworks will not be the only thing lighting up the areas around the Marina Bay floating platform this year.
Rubbish bins will also be lit up - with LED lights - tomorrow so that spectators will be able to spot them and dispose of their rubbish while watching the National Day Parade (NDP) fireworks.
The "bins" - essentially areas fenced up with screens to accommodate large amounts of trash - will be deployed by the National Environment Agency (NEA) at The Promontory @ Marina Bay, the Merlion Park and the area outside the Esplanade. These are areas where people who do not have tickets to the NDP are likely to gather.
This is the first time that LED lights are being used to highlight where the bins are at an NDP.
Since 2015, the NEA and Public Hygiene Council have been working together to conduct outreach activities to encourage people soaking in the festive vibes from outside the main parade venue to pick up after themselves.
They had found over the years that some people left their trash behind as they could not locate a bin in the crowd after nightfall.
To further drive home the Keep Singapore Clean message, the Public Hygiene Council has enlisted more than 450 volunteers from various organisations, such as the Singapore Scout Association and the Waterways Watch Society, to patrol these areas to remind people to pick up after themselves.
Within the floating platform area, there will be 11 screened disposal areas for parade-goers to get rid of their trash, said the NDP 2017 Executive Committee. It will also be deploying one such bin at the Helix Bridge and another one on the pavement leading to the Esplanade.
Public Hygiene Council chairman Edward D'Silva said anecdotal observations have indicated improvements at the recent NDP preview, with spectators making conscious efforts to clean up and bin their trash before they leave.
"We hope this could be the start of a behavioural change where everyone would do their part to make Singapore truly clean every day," he added.
