Going to waste... and making it count

About 2,500 kg of paper have been collected at four MRT stations in a pilot recycling scheme which may be expanded

By Sharmilpal Kaur

A PILOT project to recycle unwanted paper like old leaflets and newspapers has generated enough material over a period of two months to save 45 trees.

The paper wascollected by placing recycling bins at four MRT stations - Outram Park, Tanjong Pagar, Raffles Place and City Hall - in a project spearheaded by the Singapore Environment Council (SEC).

About 2,500 kg of paper was turned in. Half that amount came from Raffles Place, and another quarter from City Hall.

Spurred by the project's success, the council plans to place more bins at all but one of the four stations - the exception is Outram Park - as well as look into having them at other MRT stations and public areas.

The SEC also surveyed 300 people in February to get an idea of public support for the project.

Three-quarters wanted the programme to be expanded, with seven in 10 saying that MRT stations are a good place to put the recycling bins.

When asked what the best way to get more people involved would be, almost all suggested highlighting the benefits of such schemes to educate people.

These replies and the spate of activities held to mark Earth Day today seem to indicate that Singaporeans are becoming more conscious of the need to care for the environment.

For instance, the Northeast Community Development Council (CDC) launched a drive yesterday to collect unwanted items, like electrical appliances for needy families, while retail chain Timberland will plant trees at Mandai Nature Reserve today.

Planting a tree for Earth Day, Mrs Yu-foo was helped by Rena Tan, seven. The tree planting and "environmental" carnival at West Coast Park attracted 5,000 people. --JAMES CROUCHER

Nature Society president Geh Min noted that it is not enough to simply plant or adopt a tree. People should follow up on how it is doing, she added.

Wafer fab company ST Microelectronics is doing that. On Saturday, some of its employees went to Bukit Timah Nature Reserve to check on saplings they planted last year.

About 5,000 residents from the Southwest CDC district gathered at West Coast Park to plant trees and for a carnival with an environmental theme yesterday.

They were joined by nine MPs, including the CDC's mayor, Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon.

She told reporters that caring for the environment could create jobs. People could form a company to do some of the town council's gardening work, which is now carried out by foreign workers, she suggested.

On a more personal note, MP for Ayer Rajah Tan Cheng Bock told The Straits Times about a system he installed last year to recycle rainwater.

'One shower of rain allows me to water my plants and wash my car for three weeks,' he said.