Create fun TV programmes to educate public on how to recycle
It is a bad idea to make residents “pay as you throw” in order to reduce waste (“Pay as you throw among ideas to cut down waste in Singapore”; June 4).
First, it would raise the high cost of living and send stress levels here even higher. That surely cannot be a good thing.
Second, littering is already a problem in Singapore. If we have to pay as we throw, unclaimed and anonymous rubbish would probably be more prevalent.
A more effective and meaningful way to encourage recycling and to cut waste here is to educate the public and create awareness of this subject through interesting programmes on Channels 5 and 8 during prime time.
People are not recycling owing to ignorance mainly — ignorance of why caring for our environment is beneficial and of the proper ways to recycle.
Although I try to recycle as much as possible, I have questions about recycling that nobody I ask seems to know the answers to, either. For example, is it necessary to rinse empty bottles and cans before recycling? I have had both “yes” and “no” answers.
Can we recycle Milo tins, milk powder tins or tennis ball cans with aluminium cans? Do we recycle tetrapacks as paper, or is it a different category?
Should we recycle plastic containers for liquid laundry detergent, which are almost impossible to rinse completely clean, or should we discard them?
How should we recycle used batteries and fused light bulbs? Can we recycle the lids of milk tins as plastic, or clear plastic packaging?
I hope there will be a series of fun, educational television programmes to address such questions about recycling and the need to reduce waste.
