Segregated recycling bins in Singapore

Segregated Bins

Info

When you see segregated bins, that usually means that the recycling is being collected by a General Waste Collector which is a private company hired for waste collection.

Unlike the Public Waste Collectors that provide blue bins and have large sorting facilities (aka Material Recovery Facilities), few General Waste Collectors have such sorting capacity and so require pre-sorted material.

Don't Panic

If you see the contents of segregated bins dumped together into a Blue recycling bin, then don't be alarmed. It is possible that the waste is being sent to a sorting facility and that the segregated bins were simply provided to educate the public about what can be recycled.

However if you see the contents of these bins thrown into the trash (usually a green or black bin) or garbage truck then do report it to NEA or on the One Service App.

Accepted Items

All the materials that can go in a blue bin can go in the segregated bins. 

However…

One of the drawbacks of these bins is that it makes it much easier for professional recyclers and karung guni to take the high value material (paper, metal) and leave the low value material (glass, plastic) to be thrown out. 

Meaning lower value materials have a higher risk of being discarded and not recycled when put in these bins.

Because of this risk, we tend to recommend that you put lower value materials like plastic and glass into the blue bins only.

Last Updated: Jul 9, 2024