Town Council says workers recycling bottles under BCRS in viral video were off-duty: 'They may participate like everyone'

Marine Parade-Braddell Town Council has clarified that two of its workers seen returning bottles and cans to a recycling machine did so after work, after a video of the incident sparked online discussion.

A video of the incident, shared on Thursday (Oct 29), shows two workers dressed in uniforms bearing the town council's name depositing the containers into a machine under the Beverage Container Return Scheme (BCRS) in exchange for a refund.

A large bag of beverage containers can also be seen beside them. 

In a Facebook post on Monday (Nov 1), the town council said the containers returned by the workers were either from their own purchases or had been given to them by residents, adding that the workers were participating in the activity outside working hours.

"Our workers are not permitted to rummage through refuse or recycling bins to retrieve such items. We emphasised this requirement to all conservancy workers since the scheme began," it wrote.

The town council also said it had reminded workers to follow operational guidelines and advised them against wearing their work uniforms when participating in personal BCRS activities outside working hours.

This was to avoid any misunderstanding that they were carrying out the activity in their capacity as the town council's appointed workers.

"Our conservancy workers play an important role in keeping our neighbourhoods clean," it said.  

"They are also members of our community, and we hope residents can understand that they may participate in the recycling scheme in their own time, just like everyone else."

Video draws mixed reactions online

The video, which has since garnered over 106,700 views as at Monday afternoon, has also drawn mixed reactions from netizens, with some questioning how the workers had obtained such a large quantity of bottles and cans, while others expressed support for them.

"(If people are not allowed) to take from rubbish bins, how did they get so many," commented one.

Another shared that they regularly gave their recyclables to cleaners, saying: "We have many bottles at home and I always give away to these workers."

Meanwhile, another netizen called for a review of the BCRS, questioning whether the scheme was achieving its intended purpose.

"BCRS needs a total review and revamp. Looking at trash collected, it is definitely not serving the purpose of cultivating a recycling habit," the netizen wrote.

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