Why NUS could not continue with the old system of having recycling vendors to do door to door collection?
Due to the size of NUS, the logistics costs involved is simply not feasible. Our previous contract for paper point to point collection for 2008 teaches us that logistically it is too cumbersome for recycling vendors and we had lots of complaints about non collection from users too.
Another common complains from users with regards to recycling vendor point to point collection is that when they want to add a new recycling point, OED-EM/OES notify them that we can not do so cause our number of points is fixed for X number of years, due to contract agreements.
We have to make it logistically profitable for recycling vendors, otherwise NUS has to pay for recycling services when common sense indicates NUS should be earning from the “sale” of recyclables.
Some of housekeeping staff are already having an informal arrangement with rag and bone man, and this is often additional income for them. Can we not consolidate and allow them to earn this pocket money?
The issue is that housekeeping staff will collect the valuable cans and leave out the plastic bottles and sometimes paper. When we set up this spoke and hub system, we incorporate paper, plastic and cans collection.
You can also look at it from the point of job redesigning as encouraged by the government. As OED-EM awards the housekeeping contract, it is included inside that housekeeping staff has to assist with recycling efforts. Hence NUS is already paying for this “extra service” to the housekeeping company.
Last but not least, OED-EM/OES is tracking point to point collection with the aid of current recycling vendor. We intend to reward housekeeping staff whose area accounts for a higher amount of collection of recyclables.
Doesn’t this system create more work for housekeeping staff, especially of whom many who are elderly?
In consideration of this, the housekeeping company has a pool of “floaters” who are younger. You can help by informing the housekeeping staff in your office early if you have sudden increase of recyclables due to spring cleaning etc. Your housekeeping staff can then inform their supervisor to activate their “floaters” to manage the increase in work load.
Setting up more recycling points surely creates more work for the housekeeping staff, now that they have to assist with recycling. However, whatever that is not recycled ends up as waste that still has to be cleaned by housekeeping staff. Hence at least for new recycling points, the total weight of recyclables/waste cleared by the housekeeping staff will be the same although there is double the effort from clearing the bins.
Why does the recycling vendor empties all different types of recyclables into a single truck? What is the point of users segregating in the first place?
The recycling vendor actually brings all the recyclables back to their sorting plant for segregation. It is a semi automatic process where magnets can be used to pick up the iron based items but human labour is still needed to sort out certain items such plastics and paper.
By segregating different recyclables into different plastic bags and bins as it happens in NUS, it actually facilitates the human sorting portion of the process. The same worker now only has to distinguish the various types of plastics instead of having to pick out the plastics among the different types of recyclables.
Sorting out the recyclables is a laborious and often smelly process, let’s separate our recyclables properly and make the life of a physical labourer easier.
