Glass, used diapers... and a trolley? Punggol residents plagued by high-rise littering
After he was almost struck by a falling plastic bottle down his block, one resident decided enough was enough and is set to move out.
Every night, Adam would hear the sound of something heavy hit the ground. "Someone would throw glass bottles and a mirror, among other things, out their window," he told Lianhe Zaobao, adding that he would see glass shards on the ground the next day.
Long unhappy with the situation, he and his family are finally moving into a new home next month.
And more residents may follow suit.
High-rise littering has plagued the residents of an HDB block in Punggol over the past year.
Food, bottles, and used diapers are just a few of the things seen on the ground floor every morning at Block 223A Sumang Lane.
Once, a shopping trolley was thrown down to the grass patch below.
Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, a resident surnamed Chen said: "On April 29, I woke up and heard a loud noise outside my window. I saw a shopping trolley on the grass below."
"Every morning, there would be all sorts of rubbish on the ground. Once, someone threw a bag of curry down the block; it was still hot," he added.
When a Shin Min reporter visited the scene on April 30, they found a bag of rubbish on the grass below the block, with food packaging scattered in the area. The trolley had already been removed.
There was also a notice put up at the lift lobby, reminding residents not to engage in high-rise littering.
One resident, Liu, said she was concerned about people's safety, as kindergarten children frequent the playground near the block.
Another resident, Shafiq, said the high-rise littering often happens at night, and residents avoid hanging out their laundry to dry.
"There are 32 households on every floor that share two rubbish chutes," he told Lianhe Zaobao. "I believe some people are too lazy to use the chutes at night, so they throw items down the block."
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