1.
ANNEX 2: Proposal to
curb killer litter in
Singapore
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2.
Mark
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3. Content Page
Abstract ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ 2
Background research and findings ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ 3‐8
Finer details of our proposal ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ 9‐10
Petition (with signature) ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ 11
Conclusion ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ 12
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4. Abstract
We are a group of students from Raffles Institution who have embarked on a project
called “Design for Change”. This is a project started in India and it aims to empower children to
make a positive difference in the world. It encourages children to come up with ideas to
improve their local community and has just recently spread to Singapore.
A pressing problem that we have identified is the rising trend of killer litter in Singapore.
News reports have shown that there was a staggering amount of 4900 warning letters issued to
residents living in HDB estates for placing their belongings in dangerous positions in 2009 and
this number has continued to increase ever since then.
Through our project work, we hope to create a change in people’s mindset about the
issue of killer litter. By showing them the adverse consequences of killer litter, we hope to
influence them to become more civic‐minded Singaporeans and at the same time, cut down the
number of casualties resulting from killer litter.
However, even with constant encouragement and reminders, many irresponsible
Singapore citizens will continue to put others at risk by committing acts of killer litter. This is
when we would need the help of the government to either increase the penalty for killer litter,
or conduct more spot‐checks around neighborhoods, or preferably both. The government may
also consider modifying HDB flats to protect against killer litter. Thus, we sincerely hope that
the government would help to curb this pressing issue and have petitioned for a change to be
implemented in the current system of dealing with killer litter cases.
In conclusion, the three solutions that we are proposing are:
 Increase penalty for killer litter.
 Conduct frequent spot‐checks for potential killer litter.
 Install ledge on HDB flats to trap and collect killer litter.
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5. Background Research and findings
Firstly, through our literature review, we have discovered that the number of warnings
given out to HDB residents regarding placing their belongings in dangerous positions has hit an
all‐time high of 4900 just recently in 2009. These objects are placed riskily on the edge of the
windows, etc. and may potentially result in killer litter, eventually causing injuries and even
death. This represents an increasing pattern in the number of potential killer litter and is a
worrying issue to the Singaporean community.
As the majority of Singaporeans live in high‐rise HDB flats, they are constantly at a risk
of being hit by killer litter. This does not only pollute the environment and damage our
reputation as a “clean and green country”; it also endangers the lives of residents. One example
was during 2009, a woman had thrown a chili bottle out of her 16th floor apartment in
Compassvale. This disrupted the on‐going wedding at the void deck and injured a guest who
had to be hospitalized.
Other than information from our literature, we have also conducted a perception survey
among the public to find out their awareness and views about killer litter. The results that we
received reflected very badly of the respondents and goes to show the ignorance of the
Singaporean community on this issue.
The results are as follows:
1. Awareness of killer litter among Singaporeans:
After compiling our results, we have
discovered that many Singaporeans have a false
perspective about killer litter. Many of them feel
that they know what killer litter is, yet are unable to
properly define the term.
The first part of this conclusion is supported
by the results from the question, “Do you know Figure 1: Awareness of killer litter among respondents
what killer litter is?” As shown in figure 1, 100% of
our respondents are confident that they know what killer litter is. This figure is astoundingly
large and shows us that most Singaporeans are aware of what killer litter is. However, this
initial assumption was later proven wrong when many of the respondents failed to provide an
accurate explanation and definition of killer litter in the second part of the question.
From Figure 2, we can see that many respondents are unable to accurately define the
term “killer litter”. This result is contradictory to the previous finding as it shows that the
Singaporean community lacks awareness about killer litter. From these two findings, we can
infer that while many Singaporeans feel that they knew what killer litter is, more than half of
the respondents gave a wrong explanation of killer when asked to do so. This finding, along
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6. with the previous one, shows us that while many
Singaporeans feel that they know what killer litter
is, they actually do not much. In fact, what they
have is a false perception of killer litter that is
inaccurate and unreliable.
This may prove to be a problem as they
would not know what is included within the
boundaries of killer litter and thus, may commit
such an act unknowingly. For example, one may not
Figure 2: Awareness of killer litter among respondents
think that throwing a 10 cent coin out of a HDB flat
is considered as killer litter. However, the
momentum caused by gravity may exponentially increase the impact of the coin and may
eventually cause injury to passers‐by.
In order to solve this problem, we feel that we need to raise the awareness of killer litter
among Singaporeans and educate them about what killer litter is. This is to ensure that do not
develop a false perception of killer litter and unknowingly commit this heinous act. A few ways
to do so would be to conduct talks about killer litter, organize exhibitions in local community
centers, or even to put up simple posters educating
the people about killer litter.
These findings are further supported by the
results of the mini‐quiz included in the survey that
we distributed. This mini‐quiz requires the
respondent to identify and tick 3 out of 5 pictures
depicting cases of killer litter. The results of this
mini‐quiz were very bad and illustrated how
ignorant Singaporeans are about killer litter. From
figure 3, we can see that 60% of our respondents
scored 2 points or less out of a maximum of 3. For Figure 3: Results of mini‐quiz
such an easy and straightforward quiz, these results
are terrible and clearly show the low levels of
awareness among Singaporeans about killer litter.
Furthermore, results from figure 4 shows
that 80% of our respondents are not aware of the
numerous cases of killer that have been happening
in Singapore, some of which resulted in injury and
even death. This could mean that there is not
enough coverage of these cases by media. This lack
of coverage could lead to the undermining of the
seriousness of killer litter in the Singaporean Figure 4: Awareness of the numerous cases of killer litter
community. One may feel that because it doesn’t
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7. appear in the news much, it is not as important or significant enough. However, this problem is
actually very real and commonplace in the high‐rise HDB estates found around Singapore. Thus,
a food for thought for us would be to include information about previous cases of killer litter in
our posters and exhibitions.
In conclusion, we can summarize our findings into 3 points:
 Many Singaporeans have a false perception of killer litter.
 There is not enough coverage of killer litter cases in Singapore.
 We should try to raise more awareness about killer litter in the Singaporean
community.
2. Reasons behind the rising trend of killer litter in Singapore
To tackle the problem of killer litter effectively, we wanted to find out about the root cause
of killer litter to begin with. Only after we have discovered the causes of killer litter are we able
to nip the problem in its bud. It would also better equip us to select the best solutions to use to
curb killer litter.
Firstly, we wanted to know if people committed killer litter knowingly or unknowingly. If
most Singaporeans commit killer litter unknowingly, it means that awareness levels about killer
litter in the Singaporean community are low and it would be better to focus our project on
educating the public on killer litter. However, if more Singaporeans commit litter knowingly, it
would be better to come up with some sort of deterrence that would make Singaporeans think
twice before throwing rubbish out of their high‐rise
apartments.
From figure 5, we can see that most of our
respondents feel that Singaporeans commit killer litter
intentionally. However, there are still quite a large
proportion of respondents who feel that Singaporeans
commit killer litter unintentionally, about 35%. We feel
that this figure is significant enough for us to focus our
project on both aspects of educating the public about
killer litter, and to come up with deterrence for killer Figure 5: Intentions of killer litter
litter.
But to come up with more detailed solutions to the problem of killer litter, we would have
to identify specific reasons as to why people commit this heinous act.
Figure 6 shows the different reasons as to why people commit killer litter intentionally. As
we can see, many culprits of killer litter either do it to purposely hurt someone, possibly out of
anger or as a prank. Such cases can be considered as a crime and thus, a possible solution
would be to increase the penalty for killer litter. Another main reason for intentional killer litter
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8. is that people knowingly place objects in a
dangerous position. This demonstrates how
uncivilized and ill‐mannered our Singaporean
community is. In order to prevent such cases from
happening, we suggest organizing frequent spot‐
checks around the HDB estates to catch and identify
possible killer objects placed in dangerous positions.
If people still refuse to change their bad habits, a
last resort would be to install a protective ledge on
Figure 6: Reasons for intentional killer litter
new HDB flats to “catch” any falling rubbish or
debris and prevent them from falling onto passers‐
by.
According to our findings, as shown in figure 7,
there are two main reasons as to why people
unintentionally commit killer litter. The first is
carelessness, which is voted by 68% of the
respondents to be the most pressing reason. The
second is that many Singaporeans do not know the
consequences of killer litter and thus, feel that it is
alright to do so, despite having no intentions to hurt
anybody. In order to solve the problem of
carelessness, an effective solution would be to put up
posters around the HDB estates to constantly remind
Figure 7: Reasons for unintentional killer litter
residents to be careful not to throw any litter from
their high‐rise apartments. Another effective solution
targeted at those who are unaware of the dire consequences of killer litter would be education.
Through organized talks and exhibitions, we can educate the general public on the dangerous
effects resulted from killer litter.
In conclusion, we have identified a few possible solutions to curb the problem of killer litter:
 Increase penalty for killer litter
 Conduct frequent spot‐checks around neighborhoods
 Install protective ledges on HDB flats
 Organize talks and exhibitions about killer litter
 Put up posters
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9. 3. Public views on killer litter
Killer litter has always been a pressing problem that the government has yet to solve. In
order to get rid of this problem, HDB (Housing Development Board) has launched an anti‐killer
litter campaign to urge Singaporeans to adopt a zero‐tolerance policy towards killer litter. As
part of its plan, HDB have sent advisory letters to HDB households; put up displaying posters on
all notice boards; and worked with town councils, grassroots organizations, and even religious
groups to educate Singaporeans on the consequences of killer litter. However, according to our
survey results, these efforts have either gone unnoticed among the Singaporean community or
stirred little interest amongst Singaporeans.
Figure 8 shows the public’s response to the question
“Have you noticed the government’s efforts to curb killer
litter?” From the graph, we can see that a large number
of respondents, about 55% have not noticed the
government’s efforts to curb killer litter at all. This might
be because the government has not been proactive
enough in engaging the general public. Instead of relying
on posters and flyers, face‐to‐face exhibitions and talks
might be more effective in coaching the public into
adopting a zero‐tolerance policy towards killer litter.
These figures are very disappointing and we hope to be
Figure 8: Public views on government efforts
able to make an impact by helping to curb the problem of
killer litter.
This result justifies our project and shows us that there is a need for a solution to stop killer
litter once and for all. Through our Design for Change action week, we hope to be able to create
a positive impact in this field and change Singapore for the better.
Figure 9 shows that majority of our respondents
feel that killer litter is a pressing issue that must be
solved immediately. This also shows us that many
Singaporeans are willing to change for the better and
help to solve the problem of killer litter. Thus, as long as
a proper action plan is implemented, we feel that it is
possible to curb the problem of killer litter. This is also
another justification for our project as killer litter is a
pressing problem that we should all work to solve as
soon as possible.
Figure 9: Public views on killer litter
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10. As we can see from the results above, the government’s current efforts to stop killer
litter have not been very successful. They have either gone unnoticed among the public or it
was unable to stir up enough public interest to create a buzz about the issue. Thus, we sincerely
hope that the government would take up a more active role in solving this pressing problem
and would take further measures to ensure the safety of HDB residents.
Our research has also shown that a change can be made in the mindset of Singaporeans.
Many of them feel that killer litter is a pressing issue and are willing to change for the better.
Perhaps all they need is a little encouragement to deter from committing killer litter for the
sake of one’s own convenience and comfort.
In conclusion, we sincerely hope that the government would implement our proposal
and ensure the safety of our fellow Singaporeans.
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11. Finer Details Of Our Proposal
1. The first solution that we propose is to increase the penalty for cases of killer litter.
Currently, warning letters are first sent to offenders before any fine or punishment is
imposed on them. However, damage could have already been done and thus, we feel that
no warnings should be given and the offender should be fined immediately. Such stringent
and unforgiving punishment would definitely deter people from throwing killer litter. Also,
the current system of punishment for repeat offenders is a $1000 fine. We feel that this is
insufficient and that the penalty for killer litter should also include doing time in prison.
Considering the fact that killer litter endangers the lives and safety of others, it is as bad as
drink‐driving and thus, it is justifiable for the offenders to do time in prison. Perhaps it
would not be for a long time, but the thought of spending time in prison would be a very
strong deterrence and make people think twice before throwing killer litter.
2. The second solution that we are proposing is to conduct frequent spot‐checks around HDB
estates to catch any potential killer litter. There are a few town councils who organize such
spot‐checks but, we feel that the frequency of these checks are not sufficient enough to
deter people from committing this heinous act. Perhaps town councils could assign
volunteers from HDB estates to perform weekly patrol duties around the HDB estates to
spot for killer litter. The town council could also consider allowing the elderly to perform
these duties. There are many active aging citizens in HDB estates and this could be a way to
get them involved in their community. Through this, not only can they maintain an active
lifestyle, they can also make new friends along the way, allowing them to spend their free
time in a very positive way. Town councils could appoint a socially responsible resident as
“litter guard”, who constantly looks out for potential killer litter. Knowing that someone is
keeping an eye on them would deter those tempted to throw killer litter.
3. The final solution that we are proposing is to install an over‐hanging ledge on all HDB flats
under the windows of the apartments. Although this plan is hard to implement, we feel that
it is the most effective and direct solution to killer litter. With this ledge to trap and collect
any falling objects, we can effectively protect residents from killer litter and drastically
reduce the number of casualties from it. If it is feasible, we hope that the government
would not hesitate to implement this as it is a sure way to stop more innocent lives from
being taken by socially irresponsible Singaporeans.
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12.
As you can see from the diagram above, the ledge is effective in trapping and collecting
any rubbish disposed by residents living in high‐rise HDB flats. It can also serve another purpose
by providing shelter for the void deck and blocking out any direct sunlight. This would help to
keep the void decks cool too.
In conclusion, we sincerely hope that the government would appreciate and
acknowledge the effort that we have put into our project work and would try its best to
implement our proposed solutions.
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13.
Petition (with signatures)
1. _______________ 36. _______________ 71. _______________
2. _______________ 37. _______________ 72. _______________
3. _______________ 38. _______________ 73. _______________
4. _______________ 39. _______________ 74. _______________
5. _______________ 40. _______________ 75. _______________
6. _______________ 41. _______________ 76. _______________
7. _______________ 42. _______________ 77. _______________
8. _______________ 43. _______________ 78. _______________
9. _______________ 44. _______________ 79. _______________
10. _______________ 45. _______________ 80. _______________
11. _______________ 46. _______________ 81. _______________
12. _______________ 47. _______________ 82. _______________
13. _______________ 48. _______________ 83. _______________
14. _______________ 49. _______________ 84. _______________
15. _______________ 50. _______________ 85. _______________
16. _______________ 51. _______________ 86. _______________
17. _______________ 52. _______________ 87. _______________
18. _______________ 53. _______________ 88. _______________
19. _______________ 54. _______________ 89. _______________
20. _______________ 55. _______________ 90. _______________
21. _______________ 56. _______________ 91. _______________
22. _______________ 57. _______________ 92. _______________
23. _______________ 58. _______________ 93. _______________
24. _______________ 59. _______________ 94. _______________
25. _______________ 60. _______________ 95. _______________
26. _______________ 61. _______________ 96. _______________
27. _______________ 62. _______________ 97. _______________
28. _______________ 63. _______________ 98. _______________
29. _______________ 64. _______________ 99. _______________
30. _______________ 65. _______________ 100. _______________
31. _______________ 66. _______________
32. _______________ 67. _______________
33. _______________ 68. _______________
34. _______________ 69. _______________
35. _______________ 70. _______________
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14.
ANNEX 3: Survey
Questions
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15. Hi, we are a group of students from Raffles Institution. We are currently doing a research
about your awareness and views on killer litter. We would appreciate if you could assist us
in our research by completing this simple survey. Thank you for your time and help! 
The survey will be anonymous so please answer as truthfully as possible.Tick the most
appropriate options below.
Gender: Male / Female
Age group:
<12 13-18 19-30
31-40 41-50 51-60
61-70 71-80 >80
Education level (tick)
No qualification PSLE (primary school) Lower secondary (sec 1-3)
N’levels O’level Polytechnic diploma
ITE diploma A’levels University degree
University masters University PH.D
Marital status
Single Married
Widowed Divorced
Income (monthly)
 N.A.
 Less than 1000
 1000-1999
 2000-2999
 3000-3999
 4000-4999
 5000-5999
 6000-6999
 7000-7999
 8000-8999
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16.  9000-9999
 10000 and above [Reconsider]
1. Do you know what killer litter is? If yes, please give a brief explanation.
Yes/No
Explanation: _____________________________________________________
2. Are you aware about the numerous cases of killer litter in Singapore? If yes, please list down
some examples.
Yes/ No
Example(s): _________________________________________________________
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17. 3. Tick the potential killer litter.
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18. 4. Do you think people throw killer litter intentionally or unintentionally?
Intentionally (proceed to question 5a)
□ Unintentionally (proceed to question 5b)
5a. What do you think are possible reasons for people throwing killer litter intentionally?
Lazy to dispose rubbish properly
Think that it is fun to watch the litter drop down
Place objects in a dangerous position when they know that the position the object is placed is
dangerous
Anger / Revenge
Others:
5b. What do you think are possible reasons for people throwing killer litter unintentionally?
Carelessness
Do not know that killer litter would harm people
Mental illness or disorder of any kind
Misbehaviour of small children
Others:
6. Have you noticed the government’s efforts to curb killer litter?
Yes, I feel that the government has been doing a lot
Yes, but only slightly
No, not at all
Not interested
7. Do you feel that these efforts have been successful?
Yes, they were very successful
Yes, they managed to stop certain killer litter cases but there are still many more
No, Most people still throw killer litter
No, They did not really put in any effort at all
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19. 8. Have you ever committed killer litter?
Yes
No
If yes, please specify___________________________________________________
Reason for doing so ___________________________________________________
9. What methods do you think will effectively reduce the frequency of killer litter? Check all that
apply.
Posters to remind people not to throw killer litter
Hold an exhibition on killer litter
Organize talks about killer litter
Install a shelter on each HDB flat to prevent killer litter from hitting any passersby.
Increase penalty for killer litter
Others (please specify):_____________________________________________
10. Do you think killer litter is a pressing issue?
Yes/No
Reason ___________________________________________________________
11. If you see any of your neighbours throwing killer litter, would you stop them?
Yes
No
Reason: _________________________________________________________
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20.
ANNEX 4: Petition for
proposal
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21.
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