Is Singapore Really a First-World Country? Culture Shock as a Japanese ft. Annette Lee

[@AnnetteLeeMusic]

thanks for having me ghib!! ;) ps. sorry if my mother scared you with her super intense rubbish-throwing🤚🏻

[@otooto2715]

Really is that your mother, she looks so young just like you, hmmmmm, you disguise n act like your mother right????

[@littlepixie2023]

Cute and humorous! Love this video!

[@prisca0065]

​@@otooto2715😅😅😅Hahaa

[@spencerchapmanbarra7888]

Wow Annette your mum is just as hot as you!😅

[@MrRazorteeth]

Your mother and ghib's mother-in-law same pattern 😅

[@alvinmah6148]

In some countries, unrecyclable trash goes straight to the landfill. But in sg, the trash are burned and turned into ashes 24/7. The toxic air is also filtered. The heat energy from the incinerator is then used to generate electricity. The ashes stored on semakau island are used for land reclamation projects. E.g Tua megaport. This is a very practical and efficient way of handling waste.

[@MrJonslife]

Check out articles on singapore's waste disposal system. It is more expensive to do recycling in Singapore than to burn all rubbish in incinerators in Singapore. Singapore spends billions on incinerators that will filter away pollution caused by burning. It is much more expensive to filter away recyclable materials.

[@0rangeBubblez]

I love Annette & thanks for collaborating with her! I'm probably the 0.0001% Singaporean who washes the plastic containers from my bento takeouts & wipe them dry before I dispose them into the recycling bin. 😅 It's a habit that has been inculcated in my family so we have been doing it for many years.

[@rosidahariff2365]

I do too! Learned from former neighbour 10 yrs ago.

[@GhibOjisan]

Wah that is amazing!

[@SCPtp]

Me too! I feel that it eases the job of the trash collection workers by lessening the stink.

[@Jay-ru2cw]

I have been washing my recyclables for more than a year. I am also recycling more on top of reducing and reusing my items. We need more of such videos to encourage locals to be more considerate when it comes to recycling. In fact, more videos should be on reducing and reusing since recycling is the final resort if we want to save the earth.

[@karenchow1867]

It will take up a lot of water to clean containers

[@siewpeng6873]

Omg. Ojisan thank you for collaborating with Annette. She is so versatile. Good video. Please work with her more frequently.

[@GhibOjisan]

I really enjoyed the shoot with Annette too! Hope to make more videos next time.

[@testinghere9818]

good time to bring up this topic! I think its also partially how recycling is handled in Singapore. Also its more important to reduce! reduce > reuse > recycle, recycling should be the least favoured option!

[@1changi]

The rubbish are sorted out in the recycling factories in SG after disposal collection. Eventually, those paper wrappers and general waste are incinerated and turned into ashes. To wait for the day of collection means the thrashes have to be aggregated and stored somewhere in the house. This is totally not acceptable in SG culture as it means taking up space with different bags in already cramped house environment and then the smell would wafts and lingers whenever one needs to open up the bag to put in fresh thrash. SG has adopted a pragmatic approach to waste recycling thus far.

[@kaiyin3842]

Yes we must think about the environment but not to the point our whole lives become slaves to recycling. Now supermarket charge 10c for plastic bags, Uniqlo charge 10c for paper bags not even plastic, fast food restaurent all dw give straws anymore, dayum jiat lat sia. Why punish consumers and innocent people like this?? Too much already.

[@TaroIkai]

I'm a 53-yo Japanese uncle who moved to Singapore 7 yrs ago. The Japanese didn't always sort the trash by category. The change happened in my life time. It should not take a generation for the habits to change.

[@obiwan88]

Thank you for the faith in our Singaporean collective humanity dear Japanese uncle!

[@aero.l]

​@@missplainjane3905He meant it's a relatively recent time in less than a generation's. Maybe within 25 years.

[@irisyeo07]

I also believe this change should happen in this generation, else there won’t be the next few generations. As a Singaporean, I am also ashamed that we don’t classify our waste and I would say, as an Asian country, we are lagging behind countries like Japan and South Korea in terms of caring for our environment and sustainability. I hope more can be done to bring about awareness & myself included, to start from bringing containers out so that we don’t need to use plastic containers from buying food home for dinner.

[@julielimsy]

Korea has even stricter recycling practises than Japan. I stayed in Korea for 2 months. They have special trash bags for different types of trash and for different districts. There are fines for doing it wrong too. Thanks for this episode. It’s really time for Singaporeans to learn how to properly recycle trash.

[@kaiyin3842]

As a Malaysian working in Singapore, I say no thanks, its too OCD. Also no privacy in throwing trash anymore.

[@kaiyin3842]

Yes we must think about the environment but not to the point our whole lives become slaves to recycling. Now supermarket charge 10c for plastic bags, Uniqlo charge 10c for paper bags not even plastic, fast food restaurent all dw give straws anymore, dayum jiat lat sia. Why punish consumers and innocent people like this?? Too much already.

[@zerodegreescelsius]

I think it's got to do with how we're charged for rubbish disposal. For each residence, there's a rubbish disposal fee charged each month as part of our utilities bill. This is a fixed fee regardless of how much waste you dispose of per month, and it will not be removed even if a residential unit did not use the rubbish chute at all in a particular month. In Japan and South Korea, people pay for designated trash bags when disposing of non-recyclables. The city or municipality do not charge a flat rubbish disposal fee. In turn, residents will have to take on the added responsibility of classifying trash and paying for general/food waste disposal. Non-compliance will result in fines and the disposal service refusing to collect your trash. Also, there are no fines imposed on the particularities of waste disposal in Singapore. Nothing will deter people from mixing trash, or even throwing trash into rubbish chutes without properly bagging it. No penalties = no deterrence. In short, if people are being charged for something (in this case waste disposal), then civic/moral duty will take a backseat to value. Our way of handling trash is a response to the system that is imposed on us. There are no incentives to going out of our way to do otherwise.

[@GhibOjisan]

Yes I also think there needs to be a system. Thanks for your input!

[@zerodegreescelsius]

@@GhibOjisan you're very welcome 😀

[@jdavideast]

This was very interesting, ran across the vid looking for things to do in Singapore for our trip this next week. Really enjoyed the between the two countries and experiment. You brought the topic to attention, nice job!

[@GhibOjisan]

Thanks for watching!! :) Enjoy your trip to Singapore.

[@emalejack]

Singapore is business orientated. They calculated that it will cost more to cycle and it's not all green. I'm not suggesting people not to recycle but it's fact that most items especially plastic cost more energy to recycle. If Singapore decide to incinerate all waste to generate electricity energy they must have done their research and did their calculation that this is greener or at least more cost effective

[@jaytso1883]

Correct. A pristine environment cannot be realised at the expense of a bankrupt economy. There must be a balance between them.

[@MayMay-wr6pn]

I cleaned bottles, tins, flattened boxes etc, and pack them nicely & throw into the blue bin. A small effort for recycling. As time goes by, I felt that its so therapeutic to recycle, and I realized we have so many things that we can recycle. Pls recycle it correctly.

[@myoung1970s]

I am thankful we don't have to practice pain-in-the-ass recycling routines as Japan. Very Thankful. Thank you very much.

[@dennisheng8976]

Thank you for highlighting this issue in Singapore and thank you for bringing Annette on this video! My family recycles but I really hope our system and habits in Singapore can improve - I hope we can talk more about this and see some changes in the future generations.

[@haruhi7745]

Welcome Back. Ah so nice video. Love your interview with her, which is so cool and interesting topics about how people view in Singapore culture and habits. 😌👍🌷💙🤍

[@wwpoof]

Check in. I cleaned all the plastics before putting them into the recycling bin. But often times, I see a big mess of mixed rubbish instead of clean containers/ plastics so I start to wonder whether my efforts are wasted or not.... 🤨🤔??! LoL.

[@prisca0065]

I do clean, wash and dry all plastic containers before disposing I was told I am wasting water😢

[@rosidahariff2365]

I wash them too before putting in the blue bin. Its not a waste of water coz it can be recycled. What I found irritating is when some people who just leave cardboard boxes beside the blue box.

[@simplyme3306]

It is a waste of water to most of us as it's counted in our water bill@@rosidahariff2365 😅

[@natalieho7599]

I have been following both Ghib and Annette’s YT channels. So this collab is a nice surprise. I like it 👍

[@GhibOjisan]

Thanks for watching! :) Huat ah!

[@dawnho7744]

I was about to mention about the excessive packaging and waste and recycling system in Japan and the two of you touched on that. It was my biggest peeve whenever I visited Japan. Moving on to the topic of categorizing waste and recyclable items, I think if the sorting system is reduced to just 3 basic groups, when given enough time to adapt, you won't need to wait for a few generations later for the change.

[@alvinmah6148]

Just like japanese work culture. The staffs have finished their work, but can’t go home because their bosses are still in the office. All stayed back pretend to be busy eating potato chips scrolling through the same emails over & over again. After work will be drinking sessions with the boss, and going back to work with tired and bloodshot eyes the next day. They hated it, but are helpless due to the culture. Total impractical, inefficient & superficial.

[@barriechew9826]

.. Singapore has never claimed herself as First World Country! SINGAPORE is just a high income , developing, progressively industrialized country. It is some guys out there that classify Singapore as a developed country. Singapore's government and public sector are regarded as one of the most efficient and cleanest in the world. Its infrastructure facilities are world-class. All these factors combined contribute to Singapore being ranked amongst the top in terms of global competitiveness and development. Still, we never claimed we are First World. What makes a country First World? There are many definitions, such as 1) First world countries are often characterized by prosperity, democracy, and stability-both political and economic. A high literacy rate, free enterprise, and the rule of law are other common characteristics of first world countries 2)While highly subjective, “first world” is a term that consists of countries that may have the following characteristics: stable democracies, high standards of living, capitalist economies, and economic stability. ....etc It's funny ... What has the majority of people living in government public housing have to do with the status of being First World? Bear in mind, the public housing in Singapore is something that is uniquely Singapore and rarely can be compared by any other countries in the world. The quality of living conditions and environment , if not, is better than many of the First World and other countries! The affordability of housing and one of the highest rates of ownership of hosing in the world is unbeatable! What is wrong with providing work to other neighboring countries worker to make a living for them and their families? Look at US, so called First World, they too depend on 3rd world country like Mexico and Latino Countries for the lowly paid job. Look at European countries, they are dependent on other neighboring countries Turkey or Arab to support their lower level jobs too. look at Japan, so called First World. Do you know that they also largely dependent on the Iranian, Middle East countries worker for their construction work too? There is a great sense of sourness from some when they view the achievements and successes of Singapore... when her government and people only want to strive and excel industriously,focus to achieve and to provide what is best for her people ,be it from the past, to now, and or even to future!

[@natico-w812]

Singapore definitely is not First World!! Why? -uptight people -haolian people (like to boast when ownself is empty shell) -people just follow the law without own thinking (like you give order to a dog and the dog follows 100%) -foreigner-loving -money launderers loving -open leg -people talk big -people with no manners -people get angry easily -majority population doesn't have cars -majority population stay in leasehold shoeboxes -only know how to pad metrics in rankings -love foreign talents -leasehold houses -small houses -cars very expensive terrible value for money -pay $$$ to buy a piece of paper to own a car -petrol very expensive -things are very expensive and bad value for money especially condominium and private housing -no natural resources -young men have to give up 2 years of precious youth -too many foreigners (around 1 in 3 are foreigners?)

[@mechinois21]

1. Why are commingled recycling bins used in Singapore? Our co-mingled recycling system makes it cost effective for recyclables to be collected and easy for residents to recycle. Residents do not need to segregate their recyclables nor set aside additional space to store the different types of recyclables (paper, plastic, metal and glass) separately in their homes. All the recyclables can be placed in a bag and deposited into the commingled recycling bin at any time. Commingled or single stream collection of recyclables is a cost-effective method of collection practised in several US cities as well as some parts of Europe and Australia. 2. Why don’t we need to sort our recyclables in Singapore? We want to provide households with an accessible, reliable and convenient avenue to recycle so as to encourage more households to recycle. Items deposited in the blue bins will be collected and eventually sorted by workers at materials recovery facilities into different waste streams for recycling.

[@MagichourManila]

I understand that you guys discussed food and waste, which many people can relate to. However, let's pause for a moment and think about the packaging of luxury items (perfumes, watches, fashion/cosmetic kits, and high-end accessories). Recycling these items can be quite challenging due to their fancy packaging. Even if we could improve recycling and close the loop, it would still require a significant amount of our resources, such as energy. In my opinion, a logical way forward is to reconsider our approach to consumption itself. The degrowth movement offers an interesting perspective in this regard. Great job on the collaboration video, Annette and Ghib! It was both enjoyable and enlightening. I hope to see more of these efforts in the future.👏👍

[@Feb30th]

The outlier here is Japan not Singapore, nowhere else in the world sort their trash to that level. I'm from Canada and we sort trash at home between organics, recyclables and regular trash, but not to the point the Japanese do it where you have to remove the label from plastic bottles or clean and dry plastic containers in order to recycle. Over packaging is also an issue in Japan, I guess it's because of the gifting culture in Japan, but wrapping one piece of fruit with plastic AND styrofoam is over the top

[@GhibOjisan]

Yes I agree. If the consumers change, companies will change. There's a big demand on "nice packaging" and that drives companies to over-package.

[@rosyap2431]

wonderful collaboration ! I 💗it!

[@ethanf.6848]

Unlike Japan, Singapore does not have bioreactors or compost bins to deal with public food waste. To reduce plastic waste, food groceries sold in supermarkets should be upsized to large, wholesale packaging as much as possible. There is too much downsizing due to the inflation and companies trying to make more profit selling smaller packages.

[@GhibOjisan]

That's interesting to know. Thanks for sharing! Yes, buying in bulk can solve some of the issues.

[@simplyme3306]

I sometimes buy for myself or for 2 persons, big packaging is not suitable for people like us. I prefer loose stuff (but there are a lot of "itchy" fingers out there)

[@prst99]

Why is paper so much different than food waste? What is the processing of the food waste?

[@shaunkee6998]

bottles and bottles caps are not all recyclable. usually HDPE and PP are generally easier to be recycled and not all plastic bottles uses HDPE and PP as raw materials

[@liahalim1671]

Don’t give up! Keep thinking of ways for the future

[@KanojoRinko]

Thanks for the video! I took a module where we analysed whether Japan is a green nation, and the conclusion was, no it is not as green as it seems to the rest of the world! It would probably be another long wall of text for me to explain why and how, but Japan has not been able to get away with burning all the unrecyclables despite trying to do so, and there are certain industrial players at play as well (Fukushima being one example, but there were other incidents too. I highly recommend people to look up the Four Big Pollution Diseases of Japan). It was great that you mentioned how Japan has an over usage of plastic. My brother prefers to use disposable utensils precisely because he does not want to wash but it's also perceived as 'cleaner' since these utensils don't come dirty before they are used, whereas for reusables, you worry about whether it has been washed properly. It was the same reason as during the COVID-19 pandemic; it's easier to dispose of the masks than to wash these masks to use them again. We are living in a super consumerist lifestyle where time is gold and we rather throw these things for our convenience. I find that there is a specific mental load that people avoid when it comes to having to classify these recyclables and cleaning them. I believe some Japanese living in Singapore liked the convenience of not having to classify in Singapore as well. People rather pass the bulk of that load to someone else than to think about it. In the end, our planet suffers the costs of the loads constantly building up on each other. At any rate, Singapore's current disposal system is going to fail once the island that contains all our burnt trash runs out of space by 2030. Singapore better hurry and find a solution then XD

[@joshualee8151]

2035 u mean or extended to 2045... they are making trash into a substance thats good for the environment... it 8 min long video but it will answer r question kzbin.info/www/bejne/eHqQfpSIe9OKr7c

[@missplainjane3905]

What is considered a green nation

[@IZTheOne]

It will take some time to adjust to recycling, but personally I'm more into reusing than recycling. Having something reusable will help to reduce more waste. Singaporens should go to that direction instead.

[@NEAAFFAIRS]

I want to know in Japan, after household split up the trash for recycling. how much does the industry actually recycled? Is there a percentage? Vs other countries

[@judymckee5992]

In my opinion, it is a waste of funds, especially household because I asked the recycling plant with my household stuff and they said it doesn't work as u need so much classification and it is not feasible,

[@judymckee5992]

In my opinion, it is a waste of funds, especially household because I asked the recycling plant with my household stuff and they said it doesn't work as u need so much classification and it is not feasible,

[@rurounigaijinn]

I'm not saying I know the BIS of everything, but having been living here, I can see a lot of things that don't necessarily reflect the state of recycling in Japan. 1) Yes, you do need to separate your trash, but from my observation, apartments, especially those owned by companies and rented out to people, they outsource their trash disposal to have another team clear it for them. I don't normally see them scrutinize the trash they pick up. Most just take it and on it goes into the dump truck. 2) Have you bought Japanese omiyage or bought food at the underground level of a department store like Isetan or Takashimaya? Have you seen the amount of over packaging they do with all their food? They don't look like they are as big on being environmentally friendly from the things that I'm seeing.

[@aprilius20]

Cool, didn't know of the term Tingkat (Floor). I've been calling it by the English(?) term "tiffin carrier" for ages.

[@keeyanho]

Whoa! I haven't come across 'tiffin carrier' for over 50 years! Thanks for bringing that up!

[@kennySg101]

Guys, the schools are doing it in a small way. We can start from school. With high water.price in SG, washing plastic comtainers dry them b4 u throw it overkills? There might be a better way

[@chenyinmei6466]

This is very educational..indeed..love this..love you 2..for what you are..haha

[@T92-c7n]

I really wish to recycle but there is really no point in doing so in Singapore, like washing the plastic bottles clean etc. There is only a single recycle bin to throw recyclables, no segregation of recyclables at all. Worse still, everything in the bin will eventually be dumped together in the recycling truck and be contaminated anyway.

[@maebr1302]

Can consider doing a video on Recycling Proper Waste, visit the Recycling centre and see how they sort out the waste by categories

[@choonkeonglim6178]

Food for thought. If we bring our own bags for grocery shopping, but the government requires us to properly bag our rubbish which we need to seal, some may resort to buying trash bags. Are we encouraging the use of single use plastics? Also there are companies that charge for paper bags, is the store trying to profit under the disguise of being an "environmentally friendly" shop? Wouldn't it be a better solution if we mandate the use of biodegradable carrier alternatives that could be use as a trashbag be better?

[@GhibOjisan]

Hmm interesting! I think the foundation idea behind is actually to encourage less waste, so people will throw away less, and thus use less trash bags too!

[@MrJonslife]

That being said, japanese need to do recycling because with the amount of plastic the Japanese use for every single food and wrapping is crazy. They need to start with reducing the use of single use plastic for every single mochi, every biscuit, every tokyo banana.

[@mkngpauline]

All these wastes were generated when they started to adopt presentation more than the item itself, individually wrapped items and extra packaging to attract customers. This matketing and advertisement strategies are behind the mountains of trash created.

[@Mew77778]

I wonder if washing the containers will produce more waste instead(soap, water etc)

[@Unteroffizier]

From 11:07, something i learn from this video, the plastic bags have different melting points, probably explains why the different material make need to be separated.

[@ylein6508]

To be honest I don’t mind bringing my own container to takeaway but often times the hawkers are so busy they won’t have time to deal with your container and it’s harder for them to judge the quantity

[@silverchairsg]

Do the cleaners even actually bother to separate the different stuff in the recycling bin and actually recycle them? I was at this event once where there were separate bins for general waste and recycables, then I saw the PRC cleaner just anyhow grab the waste from both bins and throw them away.

[@keeyanho]

Yup. Always wondered that too. Reminded me of when I asked a cleaner clearing tables and he said just put it on his cart; as they were all washed together in the backroom!

[@willie8452]

Interesting topic today! I personally think that we can start off by educating the public on how to separate the trash into the various categories, then implementing the respective trash bins at self service eateries like food court, fast food chains etc. I’m sure Singaporeans who are generally educated will do it. At the start there might be mistakes, but gradually I think people will get it.

[@alvinmah6148]

What’s the point of separating trash in eateries? If you don’t wash it thoroughly clean, it can’t be recycled because there is contamination.

[@simplyme3306]

they should start by recognising what items are supposed to go into the blue bin first. Before even learn how to segregate 😂As segregating of waste is done after collection.

[@leesweehuat]

Plastic wastes are mostly incinerated to generate electricity in Singapore, rather than buried. So plastic wastes are less of a problem in S'pore. More can be done to recycle food waste? More can also be done to reduce and re-use wastes, before recycling then?

[@helenteoct]

There’s a kind of recycling that I totally support. Those who try to reuse waste wood to turn them into beautiful decorative objects or even small furniture. That is a worthwhile thing to do!

[@ckxy7681]

It’s too extreme to have to wash food containers before throwing. Isn’t this wasting more resources like water? Water is so precious.

[@rosidahariff2365]

Water can be recycled.

[@GhibOjisan]

I think it's a balance. Like without washing them clean, we cannot properly recycle the plastics.

[@natalieho7599]

Wow u went to punggol plaza to shoot part of this video! I wish I were there as I go there sometimes.

[@siokhwee77]

Always puzzled about those outdoor plastic waste sorting box whether do they only takes the plastic bottles of mineral water or all types of plastic bottles since you are unable to wash the bottles before dumping in?!

[@thewaterbearer16]

I enjoy recycling a lot. It is not just a civic duty as a citizen but also displays how educated we are from school. We learnt all this plastic problem in geography, civic studies and also D&T (Design & Technologies). I think Singaporeans can be better. A couple of months back, I visited Japan and adapted quickly to the recycling culture. I understand plastics are also classified into 7 recycling types. (I just can’t stand my family member throwing styrofoam plastics into the recyclables bag at my own house!) Recently, the mini-bloo bin for Singaporean home failed. I think only stringent enforcement and fines work. Similar to returning tray and dishes to collection points at hawker centers/food places.

[@joshnlil]

In the UK, if one does not wash & clean their recycled waste, the collector will paste a sticker on the bag that says "wash your recycle waste". It is not collected and have to wait another week. Then the whole neighbourhood knows you did not wash your recycled.

[@simplyme3306]

I have been wanting to point out too about Japan's over packaging thus generating more waste at the start. You have to waste so much resources to produce a packaging item then waste so many different layers of resources time/water/energy and many things that I don't know about is required to recycle the waste. So reduce usage is still the best. And yes we all of us do need the plastic bags to throw rubbish down the chute, hence the plastic bags are in a way reused after groceries shopping as trash bag. This is better than just buying trash bags just for trash (which is one-time usage). Why don't NEA ask food vendors to stop using plastics and styrofoam for dining in? The NEA has not been educating the public enough on how to use the recycling bin🙃Often times I'll see other waste dumped into the blue bin. It makes me feel like I'm wasting my time/water to clean rinse my bottles and then it gets contaminated by them🙃

[@leechoonhwee]

When I was in Seoul, there are about 5 classifications including food waste and different plastic bags colors for different thing. I felt that to wash is the plastic containers before throwing them makes sense because the food particles contaminate the plastic and makes the entire recycling pointless. Although a Singaporean but it felt natural to me to do all these things so after my Japan / Korea trip back to Singapore, I also felt abit strange about how we handle trash in Singapore.

[@sujaniaslam2428]

Hi Ghib n Annethe,, maybe becoz i lived in japan before so i m used to do recycling, used to bring my own plastic before when shopping,, i clean the bottle when i recycle it, always told my family to bring a plastic too,, great vlog Ghib n Annethe,, Huat Ah,, 👍😬

[@simbeekuan4056]

I think that we still have a long way to go in terms of recycling. Hopefully we will take recycling seriously and hopefully we will be be able to achieve 100% recycling efforts in the near future

[@kaiyin3842]

As a Malaysian working in Singapore, I say no thanks, its too OCD. Also no privacy in throwing trash anymore.

[@kaiyin3842]

Yes we must think about the environment but not to the point our whole lives become slaves to recycling. Now supermarket charge 10c for plastic bags, Uniqlo charge 10c for paper bags not even plastic, fast food restaurent all dw give straws anymore, dayum jiat lat sia. Why punish consumers and innocent people like this?? Too much already.

[@dubu007]

At times, I find whether washing food containers to recycle them is really saving the earth, cos we are 'wasting' clean water, which is also precious resource.

[@juliettechai8470]

Watch Talking point “Do you recycle? Why it could be going to waste? and you will know why Singapore is a third world country when comes to recycling. No matter how diligent we citizens are in recycling (wash the items, sort them out, put in blue bin), the minute these items move to the recycling centre, ALL washed or unwashed items/ recyclable or rubbish would be lumped together! There is only that much citizens can do. Without the government to mandate it, it is almost impossible to see a change in the recycling scene.

[@keeyanho]

Those days are coming!

[@clementihammock7572]

Tokushima for sure damn serious about re-cycling. Ehime I have reservation, because I personally saw few illegal rubbish dumping rounds.

[@inspire1al]

Thank you so much for bringing awareness to this important topic.

[@shermanpeh21]

Classifying trash is a really good practice. It's really about civil and social consciousness, not only just about the environment. Someone on the other end is handling our trash!

[@xllvr]

Taiwan (strictness depends on area) is also very strict on this and I think like someone mentioned about Korea, there's now specific trash bags that you MUST use. As for Singapore, technically separating waste and the plate/container is something that you do in NS so I think at the very least there's a bit of it instilled in guys (albeit mostly forgotten once you return to civvy life)

[@GhibOjisan]

Wow specific trash bag is next level! Thanks for sharing :)

[@waihwangtan1662]

We actually would prefer that the recycling bins are classified. But somehow our government doesnt want to do it despite an investigating documentary by CNA showed that it would reduce contamination greatly improve real recycling rate. I get the feeling our gov is not serious about it, with such halfway effort.

[@alvinmah6148]

It’s not a practical & efficient way to handle trash. Most of these trash in the recycling bins still ends up in the landfill in other countries. Because they are contaminated. In sg, the trash are burned in the incinerator 24/7 and turned into ashes. The toxic air is also filtered. The heat energy from the incinerator is also used to generate electricity. The ashes stored on semakau island are used for land reclamation projects. E.g Tua megaport. This is most practical and efficient way of handling waste.

[@GhibOjisan]

Hmm I agree! Thanks for sharing! Also, generally getting people to reduce their waste would be the best solution.

[@GhibOjisan]

The landfill space is finite and is running out soon 😮 So in the long run, there's still a challenge.

[@ylein6508]

I have been bringing my own utensils rather than use the disposable utensils some hawker centres use

[@amandac3658]

I stayed at an Airbnb in Korea and I was so confused by the waste separation pretty sure I messed up the whole thing, hope I didn’t get the owner fined. I do make it a point to recycle cardboard boxes etc at but going to the extent of separating every single piece of trash might take a really long time to get used to..

[@GhibOjisan]

Yes i know it's not easy. Even for some Japanese!

[@dinoweiming7495]

Habits can change as long as the government of the day impose strict rules and fines. It worked for rubbish throwing, smoking, alcohol,etc. it would definitely work for recycling. Calling out the food courts in Singapore, they don’t even separate the drink-cans and lump them in the same trash bins. If the major food operators don’t even put in the effort, don’t expect the common folks to do it.

[@janeloh6064]

Annette! Great collaboration with Ghib😊 I'll try to eat in instead of tabao, save on packaging fees and don't need to step out of my flat to throw food waste /container 😊

[@zordflea]

Here in Canada, we are very accustomed to recycling and sorting our waste. Not as anal as Japan of course. When I was visiting family in Singapore this year, it did feel quite strange to not be able to recycle easily. Good video!

[@ip3vk]

S'poreans are so pampered, it may take quite awhile to adapt to new rule. In housing estates you can see trash on the floor & grass patch etc. Japanese are very disciplined in every area.

[@jessicamong1586]

I clean all the plastic containers before reuse or recycle.

[@GhibOjisan]

Nice!

[@annew5380]

I think there needs to be education and motivation behind changing the habits. As a Singaporean, I am sure I classified wrongly when I was in Japan. Personally, I would do it better if it is explained to us why we need to separate, what "general wastes" and "food wastes" mean for example. What's "general"? And how are the various types of wastes treated. With greater understanding and appreciation, I think we'll do better. And of course, if you fine, we will do it well haha.

[@GhibOjisan]

I think I could have went deeper on why we should do it and what's the current problem and why we should all care. Thanks for the pointer!

[@annew5380]

Yes thank you@@GhibOjisan . Some of us think that by putting into recyclng bins we are already doing our part. Some of my friends do not even think our efforts matter. So yes education is important!

[@doodlemecrzy8075]

Had a funny experience in one of my ex companies where we sorted the waste into separate bins, but the cleaners would come and dump all those into a single trash bag.

[@GhibOjisan]

Why ah 😂

[@doodlemecrzy8075]

@@GhibOjisan the contract cleaning companies were not really into recycling years ago. Hopefully they have moved on with the times.

[@davidccg274]

Current generations are in progress learning, old generations not able to cope with the changes. Training must start in school, so for next generation this is normal.

[@pengembara1dunia]

World most expensive country to buy a car but taxi & ride hailing ride fare are way very low comparing to other countries like Japan, Australia, London & the list continues. Have anyone ever thought about it, driver daily overhead such as rental/lease, petrol, carpark and many more.... everything are getting expensive but fare most of the time are still pathetic. For driver, more daily trips plus longer working hours. How to have work life balance like that? Western tourists also wonder and ask driver how they earn with low ride fares in Singapore.

[@emailant]

Arghhhh….!!! My two favourite local KZbinrs callab!! 🤩😍😍 Love you!! Okay thank you so much Ghib for doing this cos even as a Singaporean I find it disturbing . Our Blue (Recycling) Bins even are pretty much contaminated trash most of the time. I don’t think Japan is being obsessive about recycling. They use plastic still but have a great way of being conscious of it. The first thing to do really is to bring people to the other end of the rubbish. Meaning show people where these recycled thrash ends up at the sorting centre. How it makes a real waste out of recyclables if contaminated. Instead of a fine, make offenders work a day or a few hours at the recycling centre, especially the sorting centre. Long ago if you litter in Singapore, you would be sentenced to CWO (Corrective Work Order) where you had to work as a sweeper and pick up trash in the street. I can guess it went very well in changing the littering mindset after that.

[@weechinjansonchua8061]

Producing the most plastic packaging waste then go through the sorting … why not just produce less plastic packaging? 😅

[@MayMay-wr6pn]

When I went Taiwan, I have to sort out my food waste, cutleries, everything separately. At Mac Taiwan too, they recycle their cups. Nice move!

[@kaiyin3842]

Too OCD liao

[@kaiyin3842]

Even the food waste they must throw in toilet bowl 🤢

[@NinJa-qr1sp]

I am extremely embarrassed by the state of "recycling" in SG. The idiots who throw their trash into the blue recycle bin. The lazy MF who cannot even flatten their boxes and just leave it next to the blue bin. It's so disgraceful. SG society has gone backwards in my lifetime and I'm not even 40.

[@keeyanho]

I thumbs upped you. Hope you do something to teach them. Commenting as you did is a great start. 😊

[@johnchang1226]

Cost and benefits. Green environment is a big business

[@GhibOjisan]

Exactly!

[@godfreytan1001]

It'll be tough to do this in HDB flats because the rubbish chute takes everything.

[@kaiyin3842]

You can always walk to your blue recycling bin if u want. But to do Japan/ Korea/Taiwan type of recycling is too OCD and controlling already. Even privacy is gone.

[@aisharamat6977]

Boiled down to education from young. Honestly, I did not clear my own trash and Mc's or Bk or hawker centres till probably 1-2 years ago. I am in my 40s, so I have not been educated to do these in my younger years. But trying now, to show the examples for the young ones as well as my peers. However, I do sympathize the job loss for the oldies clearing tables. If there are other jobs they could do, I would feel less guilty. 😒

[@sherlyxie9892]

Thank you Ghib for your amazing effort and summarizing how is the current situation of waste management. I am From Indonesia and still struggling to classify it too, but I think I will try to reduce by bring my own food container.. Thank you 🙏😊😊

[@2xycw]

I'm Singaporean who washes the plastic containers /flatten the carton and air dry before I dispose into the recycling bin I also separate the trash into the various categories this practice has been with me for many years 😃

[@GhibOjisan]

You can easily migrate to Japan if you had to! 🤣

[@pohkhui]

i remembered hearing German said Japanese were wasteful in packaging.

[@sansoo4976]

i have to bring my bowls back and wipe the table too, i know classifying the thrash is a good thing but i will not do it unless i hv he time or a fine is imposed

[@GhibOjisan]

Thanks for sharing!!

[@lkl7045]

In Japan damn difficult to find dustbins that make me don't even wanna buy any bottle/can drink till i am back to my hotel.

[@jenniferkang5305]

You are spot on. So is Korea. I need to carry my own trash bag when in these countries.

[@GhibOjisan]

Yes true!

[@longmenkezhan3113]

How about introducing tingkat to your Country first, I think they will like it❤👍

[@soulegacy]

i think because in SG our system just doesnt make it easy to recycle.

[@babulalagurjaradausa]

I love for Japanese ❤

[@axterisk5288]

Thanks for the insightful video. I think the concept of recycling is still very murky, but having everyone cooperate is definitely something even I tried and failed. I think the problem goes with water, for us as Singaporeans will take some time to get used to. Sorting is definitely the biggest takeaway I learn from which comes down to lesser general waste.

[@SuzieSimSG]

Chicken and egg situation. Wash before recycling and on the other hand, trying to save water consumption.

[@gachaponer]

From what I have seen, many do not care about recycling. Possibly due to the unbothered attitude etc? I have seen people toss used tissues, oil blotting sheets etc into the "Paper" bin (their reason would probably be "it's paper mah") even though there is almost always a "General Waste" bin next/near them. I mean, it does not take much time to learn about recycling to know about trash contamination.......

[@py5277]

good video for singapore culture to consider. Please do one for the taxi/private hires in singapore. Recently a lot of issues as published in the newspapers. What exactly is wrong and why/how do they affect the daily singaporeans and cost?

[@jaytso1883]

The Netherlands is as extreme as Japan in segregating recyclables too. The common factor being? Both the Dutch and Japanese have a culture of "following rules". But then, so are Singaporeans. I reckon, first the Singapore government has to clearly set up the rules for recycling for the population ..... like so many other social practices in the past (jay walking, spitting on the ground, chewing gums, smoking in public, littering, trays return at hawker centre, flushing public toilets after use etc) The answer to fixing the issue should be simple for the Singapore government. Just FINE, FINE FINE lor 😄 Sure work lah

[@fantabulous6657]

As a Japanese I still feel bad to bin everything together without even washing after living in SG for five years. somehow I have a personal recycling box in my house for no reason 😅

[@lilylim6802]

Can educate but still ,it takes time😂

[@kennyzeng21]

Tell u wad. Change Food Waste to Leftover Food. People tend to associate anything tt has contact with food to be thrown tgt with the leftover food in food waste.

[@MomentArchives]

classifying the trash, and education needs to start from young. to improve the current recycling program via blue bins. imposing a fine will be a faster approach to quick improvement. Alternative, govt can looked into more centralised collection system, where user are trackable by means of camera and app to prevent mis-used or unwanted or contaminated trash. in my personal opinion, to reduce plastics, a high levy/fine should be made against merchants and not just consumers, merchants are the ones that introduced more plastics waste for their convenience and business cost. one way is merchants should encourage consumers to bring their re-useable by offering immediate cash-back rewards to their meals.

[@GhibOjisan]

Agreed! Thanks for sharing!

[@aero.l]

I stayed with a family in Germany for a while back in the early 2000s and learnt it's a norm as well for Germans to sort and recycle their trash. We can definitely improve in this area. Government ought to take the lead in making it easier for people to do that otherwise things won't change if it remains only a personal choice.

[@GhibOjisan]

I agree too! It is important to introduce a framework and people moving first.

[@quarryboats9285]

Japan has been segregating rubbish since the late 70s, Singapore is a baby at this as we started only recently.

[@longmenkezhan3113]

I like the lady who asked him those questions, he looked so awkward 😂

[@ylein6508]

I love Annette’s question. I have always wondered why they are so conscious of recycling but Japanese love to waste plastic in packaging

[@alvinmah6148]

Their culture can be rather superficial.