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Straits Times, 11 Jun 05 Recycling refuse By Ling Chang Hong Down the chute and out of sight, out of mind...pitching that empty milk carton and other rubbish has become a reflex for many. A recent Singapore Press Holdings survey shows that Singapore lags far behind other countries when it comes to domestic recycling. Ling Chang Hong of the Foreign Desk looks at how other nations tackle the problem, in a continuing series on how countries find solutions to common problems. GERMANY: Green Dot system a red-hot success IN GERMANY, where 30 million tonnes of garbage are produced annually, the Green Dot system of recycling dramatically eases the impact on the environment. The crux of the programme is an offshoot of the 1991 Packaging Ordinance which requires manufacturers and distributors to retrieve and dispose of all packaging. Manufacturers and retailers have to pay for a Green Dot on products: the more packaging, the higher the fee. This system has led to less paper, thinner glass and less metal being used, thus creating less garbage to be recycled. The net result: a drastic decline of about one million tonnes of garbage every year. German households also play a major part in the success of this programme by sorting garbage into colour-coded bins for recycling. Such bins are dotted throughout neighbourhoods all over the country. For bulky objects such as sofas or a broken hi-fi, the authorities will collect from the home. NETHERLANDS: Packaging kept to bare minimum LIVING in a country prone to severe flooding and a shortage of landfill space, the Dutch cannot afford to skirt the dumping issue when it comes to packaging. The government mandated that all packaging waste be prohibited from landfills after 1999. The country reached a 50 per cent recycling target in 1995, set under its own 1991 Packaging Agreement, which also stipulated guidelines to avoid over-packaging, multi-packs, non-recyclable materials and inks or dyes containing heavy metals. Dutch supermarkets charge a fee for shopping bags. A wide range of products are sold in refillable containers, and there is minimal packaging for many goods. NEW ZEALAND: Rewards for cellphone returns VODAFONE New Zealand started a cellphone recycling campaign to reduce the amount of handsets and accessories thrown away. 'The old, the broke and the ugly' campaign encourages mobile users to return their old handsets for recycling, and rewards them with free airtime worth NZ$5 (S$6) for every handset or battery returned. Since the campaign began in September 2003, more than 15,000 handsets, 25,000 cellphone batteries and nearly 7,000 cellphone chargers and accessories had been collected by May last year. Vodafone customers have earned NZ$147,140 worth of free airtime through their recycling efforts. The company also donates NZ$5 to a 'no waste' trust fund for each Vodafone customer who recycles, raising more than NZ$40,000 to help New Zealand work towards zero waste by encouraging reuse, recycling and repair. JAPAN: Law on recycling home appliances IN JAPAN, recycling programmes are already established in most communities, and in April 2001 a household appliance recycling law was enforced. The law requires retailers, manufacturers and importers to collect and recycle TVs, refrigerators, air-cons and washing machines. Retailers must take back used household appliances previously sold to customers and if they sell the same kind of goods. The returned equipment is then sent to the relevant manufacturers or importers. Consumers are responsible for taking back used goods to shops from which they bought the goods or plan to buy the same kind of goods. They are also required to pay a fee for transferring and recycling these appliances. A television, for example, costs about 2,700 yen (S$42) to transfer. links Related articles on Singapore: plastic bags More articles on Singapore: general environmental issues |
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