About six in 10 Singaporeans recycle regularly, with the most common channel being the blue recycling bins located around housing estates, two surveys conducted by the authorities have shown. The surveys — done separately by MEWR and NEA — also found that convenience was an important factor to recycling, and that respondents were generally capable of identifying recyclable items, but had difficulty identifying contaminants and non-recyclables. Around 60 per cent of Singapore households recycle regularly. Newspapers, magazines, junk mail, brochures and writing paper are the top items recycled, the survey found. Paper is a suitable material to be placed in blue recycling bins, but it can be contaminated by food and liquids, said the authorities. Other popular items placed in bins include clothes, shoes and bags, which are actually “not suitable”, it added. Instead, these items — dubbed reusables — “should be donated, if in good condition, instead of being recycled”. A significant proportion of Singaporeans surveyed mistakenly classified as recyclables, items which should either be disposed of or be treated as reusables.... Continue Reading