Recycling at Condominiums and Private Apartments

Condominiums and private apartments are not covered under the National Recycling Programme (NRP). But the National Environment Agency (NEA) are working with the Managing Agents and Management Councils of the condominiums and private apartments to introduce recycling programmes. Similar to the National Recycling Programme, recycling bags would be given to residents for their recyclables or recycling bins would be placed at selected locations.

As of Dec 2007, there are 353 condominiums and private apartments with recycling programmes. Recently, the ministry has also announced that it will make it mandatory to have recycling facilities in condominiums and private apartments. This mean that soon all the residential premises (HDB estates, landed properties, condominiums and private apartments) in Singapore will have some form of recycling programme and all residents have the opportunity to recycle.

(This article was first published in SG Recycle.)

Recycling at Home through the National Recycling Programme

The National Environment Agency (NEA) has implemented the National Recycling Programme (NRP) since 2001, where recycling bags or bins are given to residents living in HDB housing estates and landed properties. These recycling bags and bins are provided by appointed recycling contractors and the recyclables are collected fortnightly under the NRP.

You can make use of the recycling programme to recycle items such as paper, plastic and glass bottles, metal cans and old clothing, instead of throwing them away.

In addition, there are recycling bins placed at housing estates (one set of recycling bins placed for every five blocks), and also public recycling bins placed at train stations and high traffic locations. Check out the locations of the nearest recycling bins at the NEA website.

With all these recycling programmes and facilities in place, it’s easy to recycle and there’s no more excuses not to.

Images source: NRP brochure.

(This article was first published in SG Recycle.)

Waste Management and Recycling in Singapore

The public waste collection in Singapore is divided into nine sectors managed by four licensed Public Waste Collectors (PWCs) as shown below.

1. Pasir Ris-Tampines; Bedok; Tanglin-Bukit Merah (by Altvater Jakob Pte Ltd
2. Jurong (by Colex Holdings Ltd)
3. Clementi; City; Hougang-Punggol; Woodlands-Yishun (by SembWaste Pte Ltd)
4. Ang Mo Kio-Toa Payoh (by 800 Super Waste Management Pte Ltd)

The PWCs are responsible for the collection of waste from residential and trade premises in Singapore. They are also required to provide recycling services under the National Recycling Programme (NRP). For commercial and industrial premises, the waste are collected separately by licensed general waste collectors.

The waste collected by the PWCs and general waste collectors are disposed of at the four incineration plants (Tuas, Tuas South, Senoko and Ulu Pandan) and the offshore Semakau landfill. Waste that are incinerable are sent to the incineration plants while non-incinerable waste and incineration ashes are sent to the landfill. About 90% of waste are incinerated and 10% are landfilled.

In 2007, about 2.57 million tonnes of waste was disposed – 58% was generated from residential premises, food centres and markets; and 42% was generated from commercial and industrial premises. Each person generated about 0.88 kg of domestic waste per day.

Waste that are not disposed of are sent for recycling. In 2007, about 3.03 million tonnes of waste was recycled and an overall recycling rate of 54% was achieved. The quantity and recycling rate for each type of waste are shown in the table below:

Image credit: pakalakamino. Table source: National Environment Agency.

(This article was first published in SG Recycle.)

For more tips on how to reduce, reuse and recycle your waste, visit the Zero Waste Singapore website.

What is Recycling?

Recycling refers to the processing of used and waste materials into new materials and products. This helps to prevent the disposal of the waste materials and reduce the use of virgin raw materials to manufacture products. Using existing waste material to manufacture products also tends to consume less energy and water resources as compared to using virgin material. The different types of materials that can be recycled includes paper, plastic, metal, glass, wood, horticultural, tyres, food, etc.

Recycling is one of the 3 ‘R’s – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (in order of sequence) in waste management. The sequence is important, as source reduction is usually the best way to minimise waste while recycling still has some impact on the environment and should be done last. Reduce by not creating the waste or minimising the waste in the beginning. Reuse by using the waste several times or for another purpose. Recycle by sending the waste to be processed as a resource.

For example, let’s take a look at a plastic bottle of mineral water. Reduce by not buying the plastic bottle and drink from the tap or use your own water bottle. But if you really have to buy the bottle of water, then reuse it after finishing. Reuse the plastic bottle as your water bottle for refilling, use it as a flower vase, use it for storing other liquids, or use it to make art decorative items. After reusing the plastic bottle for some time and when it becomes dirty or damaged, don’t throw it away. Recycle the plastic bottle by depositing it into the recycling bag or bin under the recycling programmes.

Recycling is not THE solution to our overconsumption and waste problem. Recycling is only ONE of the waste management solutions to reduce the disposal of waste to our incineration plants and landfill, and encourage the reuse of used and waste materials. Recycling has to be practised with other green ideas such as reduce and reuse, sustainable design, design for the environment, cradle to cradle, biomimicry, zero waste, circular economy and sufficiency, in order to solve our waste problems.

Recycling is here to stay. Either you choose to criticise it and don’t practise recycling. Or you can make it work and encourage others to recycle. Whichever choice you make, SG Recycle will give you more information and answer your queries or criticisms on recycling. Stay informed on recycling with our weekly posts.

(This article was first published in SG Recycle.)

World Environment Day on 5 Jun 2008: Kick the Habit! Towards a Low Carbon Economy

World Environment Day is celebrated on 5 June each year to increase environmental awareness and action. This year’s focus is on climate change, with the theme, Kick the Habit! Towards a Low Carbon Economy. There will be activities around the world on 5 June to highlight the problem of global warming and climate change, and how we can do our part to reduce carbon emissions. Check out the World Environment Day website for more details and activities.

The message for World Environment Day 2008 by United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, is shown below:

MESSAGE FOR WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY 2008

KICK THE CARBON HABIT

Addiction is a terrible thing. It consumes and controls us, makes us deny important truths and blinds us to the consequences of our actions. Our world is in the grip of a dangerous carbon habit.

Coal and oil paved the way for the developed world’s industrial progress. Fast-developing countries are now taking the same path in search of equal living standards. Meanwhile, in the least developed countries, even less sustainable energy sources, such as charcoal, remain the only available option for the poor.

Our dependence on carbon-based energy has caused a significant build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Last year, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change put the final nail in the coffin of global warming sceptics. We know that climate change is happening, and we know that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that we emit are the cause.

We don’t just burn carbon in the form of fossil fuels. Throughout the tropics, valuable forests are being felled for timber and making paper, for pasture and arable land and, increasingly, for plantations to supply a growing demand for biofuels. This further manifestation of our carbon habit not only releases vast amounts of CO2; it also destroys a valuable resource for absorbing atmospheric carbon, further contributing to climate change.

The environmental, economic and political implications of global warming are profound. Ecosystems — from mountain to ocean, from the Poles to the tropics — are undergoing rapid change. Low-lying cities face inundation, fertile lands are turning to desert, and weather patterns are becoming ever more unpredictable.

The cost will be borne by all. The poor will be hardest hit by weather-related disasters and by soaring price inflation for staple foods, but even the richest nations face the prospect of economic recession and a world in conflict over diminishing resources. Mitigating climate change, eradicating poverty and promoting economic and political stability all demand the same solution: we must kick the carbon habit. This is the theme for World Environment Day 2008. “Kick the Habit: Towards a Low Carbon Economy”, recognizes the damaging extent of our addiction, and it shows the way forward.

Often we need a crisis to wake us to reality. With the climate crisis upon us, businesses and governments are realizing that, far from costing the Earth, addressing global warming can actually save money and invigorate economies. While the estimated costs of climate change are incalculable, the price tag for fighting it may be less than any of us may have thought. Some estimates put the cost at less than one per cent of global gross domestic product — a cheap price indeed for waging a global war.

Even better news is that technologies already exist or are under development to make our consumption of carbon-based fuels cleaner and more efficient and to harness the renewable power of sun, wind and waves. The private sector, in particular, is competing to capitalize on what they recognize as a massive business opportunity.

Around the world, nations, cities, organizations and businesses are looking afresh at green options. At the United Nations, I have instructed that the plan for renovating our New York headquarters should follow strict environmental guidelines. I have also asked the chief executives of all UN programmes, funds and specialized agencies to move swiftly towards carbon neutrality.

Earlier this year, the UN Environment Programme launched a climate neutral network — CN Net — to energize this growing trend. Its inaugural members, which include countries, cities and companies, are pioneers in a movement that I believe will increasingly define environmental, economic and political discourse and decision making over the coming decades.

The message of World Environment Day 2008 is that we are all part of the solution. Whether you are an individual, an organization, a business or a government, there are many steps you can take to reduce your carbon footprint. It is message we all must take to heart.

Source: World Environment Day, UNEP. Image: World Environment Day, UNEP.

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