Fire haiku

Away for tea-break.
Building burnt down.
We weren't inside.
Not the first time.
(Fire drill)

(2007-05-15 16:41:47 SGT) [Musings] Permalink Comments [2]

Recycling made easier with more recycling bins at HDB estates

channelnewsasia.com :

It is now even easier to get into the recycling act - the National Environment Agency plans to have one recycling station within every five blocks of flats by year's end. There are already 1120 such stations installed at HDB estates. Another 480 will be installed by the end of the year. Recycling bins are placed at strategic locations such as playgrounds and walkways, where they are highly visible to the public and easily accessible.

Household recycling in Singapore has been steadily gaining momentum. In 2005, the number of households recycling was 56%, up from 15% in 2001. Singapore hopes to achieve a recycling rate of 60% by 2012.

Few new converts in Bring Your Own Bag Campaign

channelnewsasia.com :

Not many people are being converted by the National Environment Agency's (NEA) campaign to get Singaporeans to bring their own bags when shopping. Despite a recent publicity blitz, Wednesday's [2 May 2007] Bring Your Own Bag Day received a lukewarm response from shoppers. This is the second time the event is being held, after its launch in April. The Bring Your Own Bag Day campaign is to encourage the conservation and the preservation of resources. However, it has not yet been able to convert some to a "greener" way of living, especially those among the older population.

A Channel NewsAsia straw poll similarly found there have not been many new converts to the programme. Most who brought their own bags did not credit the campaign with changing their style of shopping. However, the message did get through to some. The next Bring Your Own Bag Day will be held on 6 June.

100,000 plastic bags saved on Bring Your Own Bag Day

channelnewsasia.com :

Singapore's first Bring Your Own Bag Day on Wednesday [18 Apr 2007] managed to save an estimated 100,000 plastic bags. According to leading supermarket chains NTUC Fairprice and Cold Storage, they cut the number of plastic bags by up to 60%. They also sold about 20,000 reusable bags. Furniture store IKEA plans to charge shoppers five to 10 cents for its plastic bags from Sunday [22 Apr 2007].

At one Cold Storage outlet, most shoppers say they do not mind if they have to donate 10 cents to environmental projects for every plastic bag they take. But not everyone agrees. Some viewers told Channel NewsAsia that paying "10 cents per bag is way too expensive". One viewer said she saw "two women who went shopping at a mart without shopping bags and brought the (NTUC) baskets home". Others argued that for families who shop in bulk, it is "not feasible to bring over 20 reusable bags just for that one outing." There were also suggestions for supermarkets to waive the charges for plastic bags if you spend $50 or more.

- This is a backblog. I'm restarting from the back of the grid, so to speak. Almost a month behind. Again. This isn't exactly new, you know, not that I've backblogged before.

Okay, it was like this. 18 Apr. Wednesday. I go to the Prime supermart near the workplace to get the usual 2L bottle of fresh milk. For the kids. Why? Because the Prime supermart nearer to home always runs out of stock. You know, more families with kids in Sengkang, less in Chai Chee. I'd suppose their supply chain / logistics system isn't so sophisticated enough to adjust to prevailing supply / demand patterns.

So it goes. The speakers were blaring out this "bring your own bag" message. I asked a staff, something to the effect of "oh, it's today?" She shrugged, said she didn't know, and suggested that I asked the cashier. The cashier said something like, "oh yes, it's today". So I made the effort. I went back to the carpark, up 3 storeys to the car, took the red insulated "cake bag" that Diners Club was giving out earlier in a sign-up promotion, went down 3 storeys and walked the hundred metres or so back to Prime, bought the milk, put it in the bag, and went back up 3 storeys to the carpark.

Was it worth it? Shrug. I don't know. It is this thing, this interaction of time, money and effort, versus the very-much-delayed and none-too-obvious signals of climate change and resource depletion that people will have to deal with.

(2007-05-15 12:44:31 SGT) [Env] Permalink

« Previous day (May 14, 2007) | Main | Next day (May 16, 2007) »

Most popular blog postings on lowem.log :

1. Singapore SIBOR interest rates fall to 1.5%, lowest since Dec 2004
2. Singapore SIBOR rate falls to 1.31%, lowest since Nov 2004
3. Live spot gold price quotes chart on COMEX
4. Fuel prices seen stoking Malaysia inflation in 2008
5. 2010 Honda Civic Hybrid preliminary specifications released
6. Singapore SIBOR rate fell to 1.25% in Apr 2008, lowest since Aug 2004
7. Malaysia inflation rate jumps to 7.7% in Jun 2008, a 26-year record high
8. Singapore : electricity tariffs to increase April 2008 on rising oil prices

Featured articles on lowem.log :

1. ABC Guide to Beating Inflation in Singapore and Elsewhere
2. Singapore inflation rate hits new 26-year high of 7.5% in Apr 2008
3. Singapore : Bread price inflation continues
4. 2010 Honda Civic Hybrid preliminary specifications released
5. Peakoiler buys 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid FD3
6. How to insert currency exchange rates into Google Spreadsheets
7. Singapore SIBOR rate falls to 0.94% in Nov 2008, lowest since Jul 2004
8. Singapore : Inflation erodes away bank savings