There Will Be Transparent Recycle Bins So People Cannot ‘Anyhowly’ Recycle

While going green is the trend today, not all of us grasp the nuances of said trend.

For example, recycling.

Did you know that the blue bins at HDB blocks cannot have things anyhowly thrown into them?

And that, if you throw just the right amount of stuff, things within the bins might be rendered “unrecyclable”?

Well, that might be a problem of the past soon, provided the following pilot programmes prove a resounding success.

There Will Be Transparent Recycle Bins So People Cannot ‘Anyhowly’ Recycle

On 14 Nov 2021, newer versions of the blue recycling bin were placed at selected HDB blocks located in Bukit Batok, Bedok South and Upper Changi.

So instead of the current version, which looks like this…

…it’ll look like this instead:

There’s also the newer version for the four-bin setup that has confused many Singaporeans over the years:

The idea is, by showing people what they’re throwing into the bins, it’ll make people more aware of what to put inside, and what not to.

The top of the bins are also transparent, showing everyday products that should not be thrown into the bins.

Which is pretty helpful, considering that most times, we threw the wrong thing in because we didn’t know better; not because we hate the idea of recycling.

How many times have you stood in front of the plastic recycling bin, wondering if your empty cup of Kopi-Peng should be thrown in?

In total, there are two pilot programmes being run concurrently at the Hong Kah North SMC and East Coast GRC.

The first will compare the effectiveness of transparent recycling bins and the current blue recycling bins.

The second, which uses transparent recycling bins, will compare the comingled (big blue bin) setup against the segregated (four-separate bins) setup.

Now, if you’re wondering, why do this?

That’s because…

40% of Items in Blue Recycling Bins Cannot Be Recycled

According to the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) and the National Environment Agency (NEA), 40% of items thrown into the blue recycling bins cannot be recycled.

They are either non-recyclables or recyclables which were contaminated by food and liquid waste.

It was added that while about 60% (6 in 10) households recycle regularly, not all know how to recycle properly.

This led to items that are easily contaminated being placed in the bin, improper items being thrown in, contaminating and making items that can be recyclable, unrecyclable.

Since 2019, MSE has been garnering project proposals from 40 individuals from all walks of life.

Out of the nine proposals presented to them, the transparent recycling bin project was one out of the four projects deemed viable by the ministry.

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Feature Image: Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment / tristan tan / Shutterstock.com