XSINGAPORE, Nov. 4 -- Members of the public are discouraged from rummaging through refuse bins for empty drinks containers, regardless of whether the act causes any public hygiene issue, said Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu in Parliament yesterday.

"Apart from the potential disamenities to the wider community, there are also hygiene and safety concerns for the individuals doing so," the minister explained in a written reply to MP Yeo Wang Ling (Punggol GRC).

The second-term MP had asked what will guide the authority's enforcement approach towards those found removing beverage containers from public refuse bins, including in instances where no waste is scattered or no public hygiene issue is caused.

Under the En...