Designated Areas for Recycling Bins at HDB Blocks

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources whether the Ministry will consider having (i) designated areas for recycling bins at each HDB block, which will make recycling more convenient and (ii) a waste bin beside each recycling bin to reduce the contamination rate in our recycling bins.

Making recycling more convenient is indeed part of the approach that my Ministry and the National Environment Agency (NEA) are taking to improve recycling rates. Every HDB block is currently provided with a recycling bin, and all new Build-to-Order flats launched since 2014 have a recycling chute next to the waste chute, making recycling as convenient as the disposing of general waste. In addition, as suggested by the Member, NEA is working with the Public Waste Collectors and the Town Councils to progressively demarcate the location of recycling bins. NEA is also working with other stakeholders on the ground, including the Town Councils, to ensure that sufficient general waste bins are available.

Besides reviewing the infrastructure needed to better support recycling, public education is key in reducing the contamination rate of our recyclables. This is why my Ministry and the NEA launched a #RecycleRight campaign as part of the Year Towards Zero Waste to raise awareness of what can and cannot be recycled. We are also working with our 3P partners to redesign the recycling bin labels to reflect what can and cannot be recycled more clearly, and to emphasise that food and liquids should not be thrown into the recycling bins as they would contaminate the recyclables.