Bedok Mall refutes claim that items dropped off at Recycle N Save machine end up in trash

SINGAPORE: Bedok Mall has refuted a man’s claim that the trash items brought to a Recycle N Save machine at the mall were merely being dumped in the trash.

Facebook user Jack Chng took to the Complaint Singapore Facebook page on Thursday (13 June) to allege he had just witnessed a “shocking scene” at Bedok Mall. He claimed that the Recycle N Save machine is “just for show” because the plastic bottles and cans that were deposited into the machine were not being recycled but merely dumped, according to the man who cleared  the machine.

“The uncle… said the recycling company has gone bust so they don’t collect cans and bottles any more, so he has to periodically clear the machine cos it fills up quickly.”

Mr Chng added that the man has suggested that the machine should just be removed, as he just keeps having to remove the contents and dump them, but this suggestion has been refused.

“And I thought I’ve been ‘saving the earth’ all this while,” he added.

The Independent Singapore reached out to Mr Chng for further comment. We also reached out to the National Environment Agency, as Reverse Vending Machines (RVM) are a joint project of the NEA and F&N. NEA referred us to CapitalLand, as Bedok Mall is under the company’s purview.

As Bedok Mall spokesperson told TISG that they are aware of Mr Chng’s Facebook post, but further clarified “that plastic bottles and drink cans are collected from the RVM at Bedok Mall daily and sent to a designated recycling area at the mall. These recyclables are collected by our recycling vendor twice a week for further processing.”

NEA and F&N’s project to distribute RVMs all across Singapore is an initiative whose goal is to encourage everyone to adopt a lifestyle that is eco-conscious lifestyle through providing a  convenient way to recycle as they can deposit cans and plastic bottles into the machines.

CapitaLand was an early adopter of the initiative, rolling out RVMs in several of its malls, including Plaza Singapura, Tampines Mall and Westgate.

Reverse Vending Machines, which are used in many countries across the globe including the United Kingdom, Russia, Norway, Sweden, Australia, Canada, and the United States, are widely considered to be an effective way to encourage recycling as they’ve been proven to help reduce litter and save natural resources. /TISG

Read also: Reduced rewards at reverse vending machines see shorter lines, fewer recyclers