Forum: Bulky waste piling up at residential bin centres
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
DeeperDive is a beta AI feature. Refer to full articles for the facts.
Recently, I have noticed that the amount of furniture and bedding being discarded has increased in the West Coast area. A lot of such items have accumulated outside bin centres, creating an unsightly environment.
On the West Coast Town Council website, it states: “Town Council is unable to assist in the disposal of bulky items that cannot fit into the lifts. Kindly ensure that such items are dismantled into smaller pieces before seeking our removal services.”
However, I have observed cleaners struggling to dismantle huge, discarded items and then finding space to store the pieces. It would appear that cleaners are having trouble with the amount of bulky waste being discarded.
The situation in condominiums does not seem to be better, as I have noticed bulky waste and recyclables lying around for a long while.
As we embrace the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle), it is time to realign this national initiative with the free bulky-refuse removal service offered by town councils.
Some of the discarded furniture might still be good enough for reuse, or can be reupholstered, for families that need it.
Websites like www.passiton.org.sg let people donate their preloved items to those who need them.
There are also many companies which provide disposal services, with the manpower and tools for handling bulky waste.
Agencies like the National Environment Agency and town councils could encourage residents to consider other ways of disposing of their unwanted belongings, instead of providing the free bulky-refuse removal service in HDB estates, limited to three items a month.
It would be more environmentally friendly and our cleaners could devote more time to keeping the estates clean.
Candice Yeo Chay Hoon
