Man dives into e-waste bin at Yishun community club, allegedly takes phone & tablet

A man apparently went dumpster-diving at an e-waste recycling bin at the Nee Soon Central Community Club.

His antics were witnessed by a Nee Soon resident, who said she came across a pair of legs dangling out of the bin on Jan. 10, 2026.

The resident told Mothership she saw the man retrieve a phone and a tablet, which he put away in his bag, before walking off.

The resident said the man appeared to be in his mid-twenties and spent about five to 10 minutes looking through the bin.

Feedback sent to recycling company

The resident said that she has since submitted a report via the OneService app.

She was told that her feedback had been forwarded to Alba E-waste Smart Recycling Pte Ltd, the company behind the recycling bin.

Alba is the only appointed Producer Responsibility Scheme (PRS) Operator in Singapore designated by the National Environment Agency (NEA).

In response to Mothership's queries, Alba said they are aware of the feedback and online content showing individuals entering e-waste recycling bins and removing deposited items.

They said they will be increasing the collection frequency of the e-waste recycling bins for "a greater peace of mind for residents".

They added:

"Items placed in ALBA E-Waste’s e-waste recycling bins are intended for collection and processing through authorised recycling channels after they are sent to the ALBA E-Waste depot. The bins are not designed for public access, and entering or tampering with them may pose safety risks and could potentially constitute an offence."

Members of the public are advised to securely erase personal data before recycling their devices.

For greater assurance, data-bearing devices can also be dropped off at ALBA E-Waste E-Drives held in neighbourhoods, or at retailers where collection points are manned.

Under the Environmental Public Health Act, all waste brought to a public disposal facility or collected by NEA employees, contractors, or agents is considered the property of NEA.

Similar incidents

A similar incident took place a few months ago on Nov. 24, 2025 at Woods Square Mall.

TikTok user @checkweii posted a video of a man looking through an e-waste recycling bin with half his body inside the bin.

@checkweii ? #singapore #dailylife ♬ Chopin Nocturne No. 2 Piano Mono - moshimo sound design

More recently, a group of women were spotted climbing into a a textile recycling bin at Bedok North on Feb. 2, 2026 to retrieve donated clothes.

Top photos from Mothership reader