Some 18,000 residents in new Housing Board precincts will receive vouchers this month to redeem free recycling bins at Ikea.

This initiative, jointly organised by the National Environment Agency (NEA) and Ikea Singapore, is an effort to inspire more households to recycle.

The bins are designed to be durable, washable and functional, and come in neutral colours.

They are made from 60 per cent recycled plastic, and come with a prominent blue label that offers recycling tips. It advises households to ensure that recyclables are free from food and liquids, and to rinse bottles and containers before recycling them.

The bins retail at $9.90 at Ikea, but the company will provide them free to those who have received their vouchers in the mail.

Eligible residents in Build-To-Order flats in new HDB precincts, such as in MacPherson, Bidadari, Sembawang and Sengkang, will get their voucher by mail.

The vouchers can be redeemed at Ikea's branches in Tampines and Alexandra Road.

Households can empty the bins in the main recycling bins and chutes at their blocks.

The initiative is the result of household recycling surveys conducted last year by the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources and the NEA, which found convenience indicated as an important enabling factor for recycling.

Respondents also revealed that the most common reason for not recycling was that they had too few items to recycle.

"We are happy to work with Ikea Singapore to encourage households to make recycling a daily household routine," said Mr Tan Meng Dui, chief executive of NEA.

"For the HDB households which will benefit from this new initiative, the in-home recycling bin makes recycling things more convenient than disposing them as garbage. This is happening for the first time in an HDB living environment.

"The recycling bin also brings the 'recycling right' message into the homes of these residents."

Mr Tan added that the NEA will continue to encourage the public to recycle more and to do so correctly.