The two bins. Look similar? Not really, right?
But contents looks similar!
This is what I call the lack of social conscience in SG. This is why, despite many of the good intentions behind the SG government's policies, they almost never seem to take off in the way it was intended.
Since people like to compare across countries, I shall use Finland as an example. There, the law doesn't state a penalty for littering. Why? Because simply, people there don't do it. I once asked a friend over there, "why don't people litter?" She looked at me with an extremely puzzled look, and replied, "Clarence, why would anyone WANT to litter?" That was what I call, a moment of enlightenment. Why do we litter? Why do we throw rubbish into the wrong bins? When it is obviously a recycling bin and the one for rubbish isn't even overflowing with refuse!
That moment of enlightenment led me to change my attitude towards littering. Nowadays, when I have something to throw and a bin is not in sight, I simply shove it in my back pocket.
****
We are already a first-world country, and in many aspects of our economy, we're first-class amongst the first-world nations. But the thing is, we look upon other locals with disdain, treat them as inferior, simply because of their social practices. Things that could have been changed easily, like not littering, like giving way to alighting passengers from MRTs and buses, like not squeezing yourself into the train when it is obviously bursting with people inside already, like not spitting in a public place, like... like... like... so many other things. I understand the meaning of 'old habits die hard', so I really hope that the younger generation (my own and those younger) will not follow in their parents' generation's footsteps, at least in terms of social practices.
Having said that, we now look at the decision of putting the two bins side by side. If we leave it as it is, there will be absent minded people who just throw their rubbish into either of the bins (let's just say 50-50 chance for argument's sake.) Some people will feel guilty about dropping it in the wrong bin but even these are rare. There will be those who are more civic-minded who after accidentally drop it in, will want to pick it out and drop it in the correct bin, but these people are an endangered species (even rarer than the previous category.)
Yet if we don't, there will be inconsiderate asses who, on pretext of not having a rubbish bin to throw their litter, will just drop it conveniently into the recycle bins if they are placed separately from the rubbish bins.
So this is going to be a real hard decision, eh? Because if we look at how recycling works, it just takes one idiot to pour in some curry sauce and dirty all the paper, plastic, or cans to make them unfit for recycling. No wonder recycling is not that profitable a business as in other countries. Back to my earlier example, in Finland, where people even SORT OUT their refuse to be recycled! There are about 7 or 8 categories of such, and people actually bother to do it. It's amazing to us Singaporeans, maybe, but until we bother to do such, we can never call ourselves a first-world country in all senses of the word.
My suggestion to the management of all establishments/ recycling companies is to rig the design of the bins such that the rubbish bins are incorporated with the recycling ones, with the hole for rubbish at waist level to suit those absent minded and inconsiderate asses. The hole for dumping materials fit for recycling should be placed slightly higher, maybe at shoulder level, so kids cannot reach it, and only civic-minded people actually bother. I'm not sure, it might be expensive to redesign the bins, but in a country like ours, it might be the only saving grace for recycling yet.
Featured read: The Great Singapore Sale
Synopsis - Esther talks about her GSS experience, whilst comparing between Singapore and Malaysia. I think it's a good read and a wake-up call for the frogs-in-the-well who are unable to see the picture outside of their wormhole.
1 comment:
EH UNCLE. u have alot against singapore hor! HAHA (x
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