RECYCLING OF DOMESTIC WASTE - EARLY EXPERIENCES IN SINGAPORE

Rapid economic growth in Singapore has resulted in a large increase in refuse output. Landfill sites and incinerators are now reaching capac ity levels and the need to build new ones is putting pressure on Singa pore's limited land resources. In response to this as well as to risin g collection, infrastructure and operating costs, a waste minimisation strategy was initiated by the Ministry of the Environment in 1990. By 1995, it has resulted, among other things, in the establishment of 1, 313 waste recycling centres and the undertaking of various pilot recyc ling projects in housing estates. Despite some good initial participat ion rates from residents in pilot projects, findings from a 2 yr old r ecycling project in a public housing estate show that the present leve l of participation by residents there is low with the core reasons bei ng that of inconvenience, lack of incentives and unfamiliarity. For be tter results, it is suggested that future efforts should improve on th e operational, publicity, educational and financial aspects of recycli ng schemes. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.