A plastic bag filled with hypodermic syringes and needles were found on Aug. 9, 2014, during a cleanup of Lim Chu Kang mangrove by a group of volunteers.

The find was first documented on Facebook by one Chua Li San, but it appears the post is no longer available.

However, it was reproduced on the WildSingapore blog, together with the other wastes that were found that day, which included plastic bags that could have originated from fish farms and heavy duty industrial trash:

A bag full of used needles and syringes found in a mangrove is highly suspicious.

Here are some hints they were meant for recreational drug use: Firstly, hospitals have proper methods of disposing of hazardous waste. Secondly, professional opinion:

Source

Lim Chu Kang mangrove is an unprotected patch of mangrove facing the Western Straits of Johor. The wildlife there has been studied by researchers for many years.

And this is not the first time used needles and syringes have been found.

In May 2011, student volunteers on a coastal cleanup of a Kranji mangrove swamp found more than 30 used syringes with needles still attached.

Used needles and syringes are not that uncommon finds as they have been found littered on beaches, albeit in smaller numbers.

If the public finds any needles on the beach, the proper way to dispose of them is to first handle them with gloves on and dropping them into an empty plastic bottle or container and putting the cap back on to secure it. It can then be disposed of in a normal rubbish bin.

All photos of trash by Chua Li San via WildSingapore blog

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