Donate a book in south-west S'pore and earn 5 cents in recycling points
Singapore residents can now donate a book to a community reading space in south-west Singapore and earn five cents in return.
The amount will be given in the form of recycling points in an app.
Share-Your-Book @ South West, an initiative by the South West Community Development Council (CDC), aims to encourage donation of books to the 14 community libraries and reading corners in the district and give old books a new lease of life.
Under this initiative, people can list books they want to give away on the mobile sharing platform app, Sharetings.
If these books are deemed desirable by any of the community libraries or reading corners, donors can then take their books to the location to claim recycling points.
The points earned can be redeemed for discounts or vouchers from eco-friendly retailers on the Alba Step Up app. The app was created by Alba, a company that has been appointed by the National Environment Agency (NEA) to collect and recycle the nation's e-waste since July 2021.
This latest initiative is part of a series of sustainability measures introduced by the council, driving the district to achieve its zero-waste target under the CDC's Sustainable South West masterplan.
As part of these sustainability efforts, the district currently has 53 recycling points and, as at the end of 2021, has collected 979 tonnes of recyclables from these points. This translates to saving more than 16,500 trees, said Ms Low Yen Ling, Mayor of South West District.
Ms Low, who is also Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth, and Trade and Industry, said: "Through the years, championing sustainability has become a hallmark of our South West District and we are committed to doing even more."
The district has also collected 11.6 tonnes of e-waste since collection points for such waste were introduced in the area three years ago.
Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong, adviser to Chua Chu Kang grassroots organisations, said: "I am heartened to see such partnerships between corporate organisations and government agencies to drive sustainability actions in the community."
He added: "Each of us can do more to complement the efforts at the national level and strengthen the ecosystem."
At the national level, the NEA is collaborating with public waste collectors to distribute recycling bins to every household this year.
This initiative aims to help cultivate good recycling habits in each household and boost the nation's domestic recycling rate.
Ms Low said: "I urge everyone to continue giving a helping hand to realise our aspirations for a clean, green and sustainable future."
Sharetings and Alba Step Up can be downloaded from the Apple App Store and Google Play.
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