SINGAPORE — Under 60 seconds — that is how long it takes for rubbish across the neighbourhood of Yuhua to reach a Centralised Bin Centre, sucked through underground pipes that are half a metre in diameter.

In fact, once residents throw waste down the rubbish chute, it will not be seen again until it reaches Tuas for processing and incineration.

This has been a way of life since early last month for residents of six of the 38 blocks with the largest pneumatic waste conveyance system in Singapore, in the first phase of retrofitting the estate with the automated system.

The new system is being constructed as part of the Housing and Development Board’s Greenprint project, which aims to make mature estates green and sustainable.

Yuhua is the first estate to be part of the scheme, and more than half of the estimated cost of S$23 million will be used for the pneumatic waste conveyance system.

The system sucks disposed waste from refuse chambers at blocks at speeds of 50kmh to 80kmh through underground pipes.

This does away with the need for waste collectors to go block to block and collect waste, cutting down manpower needs by 70 per cent. It also a cleaner alternative to waste collection, as it is completely enclosed, reducing spillage, risk of pests and unpleasant odours, said the HDB.

Blocks 209 to 240 at Jurong Street 21 are scheduled to be retrofitted with the system by the third quarter of this year. The underground pipe network that is being installed spans an estimated 4.6km and is a major part of the Greenprint project to transform Yuhua into a more sustainable neighbourhood.

The HDB has done small-scale tests of the new waste system in precincts such as Choa Chu Kang, Kim Keat and Clementi, but never an entire neighbourhood as with Yuhua, said HDB deputy director of technology research, Mr Tan Check Sim.

He called Yuhua the test bed, with future Greenprint projects relying on its success and residents’ receptiveness. “As Yuhua is a live-in environment, the HDB took great care to minimise the inconvenience to the residents,” added Mr Tan.

One resident, Mrs Jeanie Eng, said the construction process was smooth and that the inconveniences were well-managed and minimal. “They’re building something for our own good, so we don’t mind if we have to suffer a bit,” she added.

The upcoming HDB precincts of Punggol Northshore, Bidadari and Tampines North will also be equipped with the pneumatic waste collection system, as a way to “bring better living to HDB towns”, said HDB chief executive officer Cheong Koon Hean.