Singapore’s outbreak measures may have restricted residents’ movements, but that was no excuse for not taking a few more steps to a proper rubbish bin.
Residents of a 36-story luxury condo in Tanjong Pagar were sent stern notices by management last week warning of the dangers of throwing bulky items down building garbage chutes. Among the items residents apparently tossed down the chutes of the Spottiswoode Residences? Heavy workout weights that smashed through the bottom of the waiting dumpster below.
Carton boxes and large styrofoam objects had also been dumped down the chutes, which condo management said had been blocking them.
“These items, while being thrown down, may cause severe injury to our cleaners,” read the notice, which featured pictures of the damaged bins and broken dumbbells.
Denise Lai, a resident of two years, tells Coconuts Singapore that residents have been warned against carelessly discarding heavy objects before, but she never knew of anything as dangerous as dumbbells being dumped down the chutes.
“It was an irresponsible thing to do, and dangerous for the cleaners clearing the trash. Anyone inside the garbage area below could have got their head splattered by those dumbbells,” she said.
Lai noted that there are recycling bins on the ground floor of the condo, and a communal dumpster about a three minutes’ walk away.
“Covid-19 [and circuit breaker restrictions] doesn’t excuse this kind of behaviour,” she added. “If this was public housing, where people are less educated, I wouldn’t be as surprised. But I would expect more from the people who live here.”
Spottiswoode Residences is located at 48 Spottiswoode Park Road. Just across the street is the Spottiswoode 18 condominium, which is managed by Smart Property.
A 73-year-old man died there in August after he was hit by a glass wine bottle thrown from the seventh-story. A 47-year-old Australian man was later charged for being culpable in his death. His case is ongoing.
Fortunately, no one has so far been hurt by the falling debris at Spottiswoode Residences, according to S Nallathamby of Knight Frank Property Asset Management, which manages the building.
He said residents were sent leaflets as part of an “education process” to not throw bulky items into the chute. “They have been reminded to dispose of such items in the designated recycling bin [on the ground floor],” he said.
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