Reading Task 4.
Article : My Friend, The Garbage Bag.

I was filled with motivation upon completion of my read of the article, ‘My Friend, The Garbage Bag’, written by a Singaporean student currently studying in Japan. In a bid to fight global warming and pollution, it is heartening to hear that recycling habits as well as clean disposal techniques are being exercised in countries such as Japan, and that these practices are actually ingrained into the citizens, as denoted by the incident highlighted in the article.

With the article’s emphasis on several points to note for effective residential efforts against pollution in Japan, such as strict guidelines which punish or fine the citizens who do not abide by laws set, I feel that it is high-time that Singapore takes a leaf out of Japan’s book and thread in its footsteps which have proven to be successful. The adoption of such laws would fit in well at private estates, whereas residential efforts at government flats and condominiums would have to be instilled by the regional RC to spread the message for recycling. It would certainly do the environment well if we can make use of a worked modal for recycling, rather than just rely on the traditional method of advertising recycling through campaigns, which requires maximum effort, but shows minimum results.

Besides residential recycling, the article also mentions Japanese companies doing their part for the environment by exercising environmentally-healthy methods which contribute towards less waste. To reduce wastage is an essential key to achieving a clean environment, and therefore, it is imperative that our companies do as they should and follow certain environmentally-friendly rules and regulations that should be put in place by the government.

With regards to the “Bring Your Own Bag” campaign, responses to it have been lukewarm, especially since Singaporeans actually had a stupefying record of using up to 6 plastic bags per person everyday. However, it has certainly proved to be a good effort as people realize that they would not want to pay for their plastic bags and have subsequently brought their own bags for grocery shopping. Even though this practice has not quite taken off yet, it will surely work out in the future, as Japan, too, had taken some time since the mid-1990s before the citizens feel responsible enough for their country’s well-being. Certainly, it will not take longer than a few years for Singaporeans to realize the same idea too.