Since implementation in September 2012, our household recycles whatever garbage we can. Slowly, over this period of nearly two years, my housemates also got into the habit of separating their non-recyclable waste from the recyclable ones on their own accord despite their low-level interest in environmental/ wildlife issues. All it took me to win the cooperation of my housemates was to place a special bin for recyclables and display consistency in the initiative by setting an example. Now what if we applied that simple formula on a global scale with a pinch of education and perhaps a little encouragement in the way of small rewards? The results would be tremendously significant.
I was riddled by what really happens to the garbage we dispose in Singapore. Does my negligible contribution to the overall recycling efforts of Singapore actually count, I wondered. This thought stagnated at the back of my mind until earlier this week. Recently, a colleague of mine was intrigued by Sri Lanka as a tourist destination after I brought him some tea (which the island is famous for) from home for sampling. He then lent me the July 2014 edition of Expat Living and pointed me to one of articles which featured hiking adventures in my hometown in Kandy. Not only did I make a mental note of where I would like to visit on my next visit to Sri Lanka, my curiosity also led me to accidentally discovering the infographic below.
An "Aha" moment after finding out what really happens to our garbage in Singapore as published in the July 2014 edition of Expat Living
Basically, the waste we recycle (paper, glass, plastic, metal, clothes, etc) makes its way to the Material Recovery Facility where it is sorted, baled and sent to local and overseas recycling plants. The solid waste that we conveniently throw down our chutes makes its way to one of four waste to energy plants in Singapore, where it is incinerated and reduced to 90% by volume. The heat generated by the process is used to generate electricity to power the boilers. The air released is filtered of dust and pollutants as per environmental standards. Following incineration, the any leftover ferrous scrap metal is sold to a local steel mill for recycling. All non-incinerable waste and ash is transferred by barge to Semakau landfill situated 8km from the main island of Singapore.
Even a simple FAQ like this also goes a long way in creating awareness among the general public
Source: Expat Living
Semakau will meet Singapore's need for landfill space for about 20 more years until 2035. By then, let's hope the further need for landfill sites will be vastly reduced by active public participation in reducing, re-using and recycling efforts.
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