Getting aggressive about recycling

Waste-management firm plans to boost recycling through incentives and public-education programmes

By Sharmilpal Kaur

A SINGAPORE company wants something from you: Your rubbish.

Plastic is the next big thing, and plans for a plant here to recycle it attest to that.

And the waste-management set-up is going to great lengths to make sure it gets your trash.

It is giving out free green rubbish bags, so you can put your unwanted plastic, glass and paper junk for it to collect.

It is also spending $3 million on a media campaign to promote recycling.

The company, SembCorp Waste Management (SWM), which runs rubbish collector Semac, announced its green plans yesterday.

It now collects 100 tonnes of recycled materials a month through its Trash Bank programme.

Its deputy president, Ms Loh Wai Kiew, said: 'My target is at least 100 tonnes a day.'

This was not good enough, he said, adding: 'We have to work more aggressively at getting people to recycle, either through incentives or through mass-education programmes.'

Semac will give green plastic bags to some 500,000 households from which it collects waste.

Said Ms Loh: 'In Chicago, it is the blue-bag system; in Singapore, we call it a green-bag programme. It is to make it convenient for residents to recycle.

'When the volume picks up, we will provide a tray instead.'

These trays will have several compartments to make it easier for people to sort out their trash.

SWM also intends to target construction companies and industries that use plastics.

She noted that items made of plastic are rarely recycled, while construction debris simply end up in landfills.

SWM intends to set up a plant to re-manufacture plastics into usable components, provided it can collect enough plastic.

SWM is now trying to persuade a global repackaging company to set up operations here. SWM has been running multi-million-dollar recycling projects in Australia since 1995.

Said Ms Loh: 'What has been tried, tested and successfully implemented in Australia, we will transplant here.'

This is a reason why the organisation is launching a $3-million education blitz to reach out to over 400 kindergartens, primary and secondary schools.

Roadshows, talks and tours of recycling centres will be held to educate young people about recycling, in a programme called Waste-Wise.

A tree frog named Toria, a shortened version of the Latin word 'litoria', which means 'tree frog', will be the official mascot for the programme. It was chosen as it is found commonly here.

On Sunday, Toria will celebrate Earth Day at the zoo by speaking about recycling to some 1,000 children.

Meanwhile, plans are underway to start a Waste-Wise education centre near Clementi. It is likely to be run by two full-time teachers, along with some part-time staff.

SWM also intends to take recycling onto the Net, and set up a website on the subject.

Asked why the company is doing all this, Ms Loh said: 'We are the largest company by far that can embrace recycling, and in the best position to penetrate the market.'