Remember the occasional long drawn hollers of ‘Karaaang Guniii’, peppered by the iconic honks of rubber & metal horns?
Rag-and-bone men – fondly termed as Karang Guni uncles & aunties – exist in our memories as hardworking individuals who tour our heartlands with trolleys of recycled loot in tow.
Going door-to-door calling out for used newspapers and old gadgets, they are our unsung heroes when it comes to recycling. However, it is sometimes difficult to predict the schedules of our Karang Guni crews.
Well, very soon you will be able to summon one to your doorstep with the help of this new Telegram initiative.
A Telegram bot to hook residents up with a Karang Guni of their own, has been created by NUS Social Impact Catalyst recently.
The idea is streamlined and fairly simple to execute.
Going by a Bot username of @RecyclablesBot, users can enter their postal code for an eligibility check. Following that, one can then schedule the collection of recyclable items straight from their homes.
In addition to that, a scripted message from the bot will inform residents on what incentives may be earned for their recyclables.
While the exact rewards have yet to be disclosed, we believe that recycling in itself is already a fulfilling endeavour.
Their trial run begins this week.
The conception of the Telebot is still in its early stages, but the service is open under these conditions for now.
Electronics need to be filled up via the form in the bot. The Telegram uncle will contact you if he is interested. There are also not accepting bulky goods for now.
Users are advised not to leave recyclables outside their homes for self-collection as there had been cases of missing items.
By tapping on the expertise of the unsung heroes of Singapore’s domestic recycling scene, the pioneers of the project hope to create a platform to make it easier for everyone to recycle from their homes.
In addition, a successful roll-out of this initiative could mean reducing the chances of waste contamination from our blue recycling bins.
Our Karang Guni community remains the backbone of our household recycling scene.
While this TeleBot is only in its beginning trial stages, it is a step forward in the right direction for a greener Singapore.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on this initiative. And if you recall the sound of our Karang Guni arriving with their trademark honking.
Featured images adapted from Instagram and Instagram.
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