2008 Waste Statistics and Current Waste Situation in Singapore (Part Three)

Continued from Part Two, which looks at the % composition by weight of the waste output, waste disposed and waste recycled in 2008.

Just to recap, we concluded that the focus should be to achieve greater waste reduction in Paper/Cardboard, Plastics and Food Waste, as they are common in households and offices, and there exist opportunities for projects and campaigns to reduce their output.

Besides waste reduction, let’s take a look at the recycling rate of the different waste in 2008.

As mentioned in Part Two, the waste quantity of construction debris and ferrous metal being recycled are high. The recycling rate is 98% for construction debris and 94% for ferrous metal.

On the other hand, the recycling rate for plastics (9%) and food waste (12%) is much lower. The recycling rate for paper/cardboard is 48%, which means that half of the paper and cardboard waste generated ends up being burned in the incineration plants.

Clearly, more effort need to be put in to first reduce the waste output of Food Waste, Paper/Cardboard and Plastics, and then to recycle them when they are generated as waste.

Let’s look at some local and overseas campaigns and projects to find opportunities for waste reduction.

Love Food Hate Waste

The Love Food Hate Waste campaign in the UK aims to:

raise awareness of the need to reduce food waste. The campaign shows that by doing some easy practical everyday things in the home we can all waste less food, which will ultimately benefit our purses and the environment too.

The website is a fun and interactive platform to learn about food waste and how to reduce them. It includes a Portion Calculator that shows you how much to cook depending on the number of people, and ways to measure it. There’s also a 2-week menu, recipes for cooking leftover, and food storage tips.

Food for All

Food for All is a youth initiative dedicated to food-related issues in Singapore.

Food for All’s mission is to encourage conversations amongst various stakeholders in the food industry – producers, consumers and everyone in between – in order to achieve the aim of creating an equitable and sustainable food system in Singapore and beyond.

Their recent Food Report 2008 gives an excellent summary on the issues of hunger, agriculture, food security, ethical food, and nutrition in Singapore. The report also looks at the gaps within the local food system requiring both immediate and long-term action.

Opportunities for Food Waste Reduction

We need a more holistic approach to reducing food waste in Singapore, and go beyond the current recycling of food waste after it has been generated. We can learn from the Love Food Hate Waste campaign on reducing food waste due to preparation, and also from Food for All’s report, which has good suggestions such as implementing Food Banks and food distribution systems.

To reduce food waste, we should look at the different food stages:

1. Food Production (ensure that enough food is grown or imported, and that there are no excess wastage during transportation and  storage)
2. Food Preparation (prevent food wastage through proper storage, good cooking habits, and sufficient food portions)
3. Food Consumption (change eating habits and buy enough food to prevent wastage)
4. Food Distribution (sell or give unsold or soon-to-be expired food and products to the needy)
5. Food Reuse and Recycling (encourage food waste composting, or producing enzyme, and biogas generation using anaerobic digestion)

The different government agencies such as NEA, AVA, HPB and CDCs should also work together to coordinate programmes and campaigns to reduce food waste.

To be continued, watch out for Part Four.

2008 Waste Statistics and Current Waste Situation in Singapore (Part Two)

Continued from Part One, which looks at the waste disposed, waste recycled, total waste output and the recycling rate for Singapore from 2000 to 2008.

Just to recap, Waste Disposed refers to the total amount of waste disposed at the four incineration plants and the offshore Semakau Landfill. Waste Recycled refers to the total amount of waste that are recycled locally or exported overseas for recycling. Total Waste Output refers to the total amount of waste generated in Singapore, which is the addition of Waste Disposed and Waste Recycled.

To find out opportunities for greater waste reduction, let’s take a closer look at the % composition by weight of the waste output, waste disposed and waste recycled in 2008.

The above graph shows the % composition of total waste output. We can see that the top 5 waste types make up the bulk or about 70% of the total waste output in Singapore. The top 5 types of waste that are generated, which are either disposed of at the incineration plants and landfill or recycled locally and exported, includes:

1. Paper/Cardboard (21%)
2. Construction Debris (15%)
3. Ferrous Metal (13%)
4. Plastics (11%)
5. Food Waste (10%)

The two graphs below show how these 5 waste types differ in terms of disposal and recycling.

From the above graph on waste disposed, we can see that the top 3 waste types make up the bulk (about 70%) of the total waste disposed in Singapore:

1. Paper/Cardboard (25%)
2. Plastics (24%)
3. Food Waste (19%)

The top 3 types of waste disposed (also in the top 5 waste output) are not a surprise as they are common waste that Singaporeans throw away frequently: junk mail, used paper, paper and plastic packaging, plastic bags, plastic bottles and containers, disposable cutlery, leftover and expired food from homes, eating outlets and industries.

The other 2 types of waste (in the top 5 waste output), Construction Debris and Ferrous Metal, only make up 3% of the total waste disposed, which means that they are mostly recycled.

The above graph shows the waste recycled and we can see that the top 3 waste types make up the bulk (about 70%) of the total waste recycled in Singapore:

1. Construction Debris (27%)
2. Ferrous Metal (22%)
3. Paper/Cardboard (18%)

Construction Debris and Ferrous Metal are indeed being recycled and they make up about 50% of all the waste that are being recycled in Singapore. Although a large quantity of Paper/Cardboard is being recycled, there is a similar amount that is being disposed. The other 2 types of waste (in the top 5 waste output), Plastics and Food Waste, only make up 4% of the total waste recycled.

Where are the opportunities for greater waste reduction? Obviously, we should focus on the top 5 waste types that make up the bulk of the total waste output in Singapore.

However, we would place less emphasis on Construction Debris and Ferrous Metal because of two reasons. One, it is not easy to reduce the waste quantity of construction debris and ferrous metal as they are tied to the economy. The generation of construction and metal-related waste varies according to the construction and business activities, which ultimately depends on the economy. Two, the waste quantity of construction debris and ferrous metal being recycled are already high.

Therefore, the focus should be to achieve greater waste reduction in Paper/Cardboard, Plastics and Food Waste, as they are common in households and offices, and there exist opportunities for projects and campaigns to reduce their output.

To be continued, watch out for Part Three.

2008 Waste Statistics and Current Waste Situation in Singapore (Part One)

The latest 2008 waste statistics for Singapore can be found at the National Environment Agency’s website. Together with previous waste data from the NEA’s annual reports, we present a snapshot of the current waste situation in Singapore below.

In the graph above, Waste Disposed refers to the total amount of waste disposed at the four incineration plants and the offshore Semakau Landfill. Waste Recycled refers to the total amount of waste that are recycled locally or exported overseas for recycling. Total Waste Output refers to the total amount of waste generated in Singapore, which is the addition of Waste Disposed and Waste Recycled.

The total waste output has increased about 28% from 4.65 million tonnes in 2000 to 5.97 million tonnes in 2008. If we factor in population growth (4.03 million people in 2000 to 4.84 million people in 2008), the actual increase in waste output per capita from 2000 to 2008 is only 7%. The 28% increase in waste output is also less than the 61% increase in Singapore’s GDP ($160 billion in 2000 to $257 billion in 2008). In addition, from 2000 to 2008, the waste disposed has dropped by 6% and the waste recycled has increased by a massive 80%.

The recycling rate in Singapore for 2008 is 56% and has been increasing steadily over the years. Based on this steady rate of increase, there should be no problem of reaching the 60% recycling rate target set in the Singapore Green Plan 2012. However, the recent financial crisis and slump in the recycling industry might pose some problems.

The waste data show that the efforts of the government in promoting waste minimisation and recycling has paid off. The increase in total waste output is low while the increase in waste recycled is high. However, to work towards zero waste, there is a need for the total waste output to reach a peak and decrease every year.

This means that we can’t depend only on high rates of recycling but we also need greater reduction in the waste disposed, in other words, more reduce and reuse of waste. Recycling is still the least effective of the 3 Rs and should be practised last after reduce and reuse.

To be continued, watch out for Part Two.

Summary of Waste Issues in the Committee of Supply Debate 2009

The Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, gave his speech at the annual Committee of Supply Debate yesterday in Parliament. Here’s a summary of the waste issues covered:

The participation rate in the National Recycling Programme (NRP) has increased from 15% in 2001 to 63% in 2008.

Since 2007, there are 1,600 centralized recycling bins at HDB estates and one for every five blocks of HDB flats. The average amount of recyclables collected from each set of bins increased from 65 kg per month in 2007 to 103 kg per month for 2008.

NEA targets to achieve full implementation for the mandatory provision of recycling receptacles in condominium and private apartments by the end of 2009.

Singapore’s recycling rate has improved from 40% in 2000 to 56% in 2008 and we are on track to meet the Singapore Green Plan 2012 target of 60%.

NEA will be launching a $8 million 3R Fund to co-fund new waste minimisation and recycling projects. The fund will co-fund up to 80% of qualifying costs and subject to a cap of $1 million per project.

We are aware that some developed countries have used legislation to mandate recycling. In view of the current economic downturn, we are not looking at introducing legislation in the near future as it would likely increase costs for businesses and households. However, in the longer term, we will study the use of legislation to further improve our recycling rate.

The Ministry is developing a plan to turn Semakau landfill into an Eco Park, where companies can conduct field testing of renewable and clean technologies.

Source: Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources

Paper Recycling

Paper is the most common type of waste in Singapore and about 1.26 million tonnes of paper waste was generated in 2008. The recycling rate of paper is 48% in 2008, and most of this paper waste is sorted, baled and exported overseas for recycling as there are no paper recycling mills in Singapore.

Let’s take a closer look at paper recycling:

1. Types of Paper for Recycling

The different types of paper waste are collected and usually separated into the following categories for recycling.

• Newspapers
• Corrugated cardboard
• Magazines
• White office paper
• Mixed paper

2. Why Recycle Paper

There are environmental benefits to paper recycling. According to Waste Online:

Producing recycled paper involves between 28 – 70% less energy consumption than virgin paper and uses less water. This is because most of the energy used in papermaking is the pulping needed to turn wood into paper.

Recycled paper produces fewer polluting emissions to air (95% of air pollution) and water. Recycled paper is not usually re-bleached and where it is, oxygen rather than chlorine is usually used. This reduces the amount of dioxins which are released into the environment as a by-product of the chlorine bleaching processes.

And according to Friends of the Earth:

Paper recycling leads to savings in the use of raw materials for pulp and paper production and less wood is used. This should result in less intensive forest management and take the pressure off exploitation of old growth forests, vitally important for their biodiversity.

3. The Paper Recycling Process

At the paper recycling plant, sorted paper goes into a pulper where they are washed and screened to remove unwanted items like metals and plastics. The paper pulp then undergoes a floatation process to remove inks and adhesives. The resulting paper slurry is spread on wire meshes and drained of water using rollers to form sheets of paper.

Watch this animation video on the paper recycling process from RecycleBank:

4. Recycled Paper Products

Paper waste such as white office paper, corrugated cartons and newspapers can be recycled back to its original use. Magazines, mixed paper, newspapers and corrugated cartons are recycled as cardboards, toilet papers, paper towels, egg cartons, kraft paper, etc.

Watch how toilet paper is made from recycled paper:

5. Paper Recycling in Singapore

In Singapore, about 1.26 million tonnes of paper waste was generated in 2008 and the recycling rate is 48%. Paper waste is usually collected through the recycling programmes and traditionally by the karang guni men, waste paper collectors and traders.

The paper waste are sorted by type, baled or placed in containers, and exported overseas for recycling as there are no paper recycling mills in Singapore.

6. Collectors, Traders and Recycling Companies for Paper

The list of collectors and traders for paper is available at the NEA website.

7. What Can I Do

You can recycle paper through the various recycling programmes at home, in school and your office, or through the public recycling bins in your neighbourhood. But before you do so, remember to minimise your paper waste by Reduce and Reuse.

Plastics Recycling

In Singapore, 684,400 tonnes of plastic waste was generated in 2008 and the recycling rate is 9%. Plastic waste, especially plastic bottles and containers, are usually sorted, baled and exported overseas for recycling. There are also plastic recycling companies in Singapore that sort and process plastic waste into small pellets to be used as feedstock for making plastics products.

Let’s take a closer look at plastics recycling:

1. Types of Plastics for Recycling

Plastic waste can be divided into pre-consumer and post-consumer plastic waste. Pre-consumer plastic waste are plastic scraps generated by companies during the manufacturing of products. These plastics are usually easier to recycle as they are clean and homogeneous.

Post-consumer plastic waste are generated by the consumers after use. These plastics are usually not favored by recyclers as they are difficult to collect, easily contaminated with food, and not homogeneous.

There are many types of plastics in the market. To make sorting and recycling easier, The Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI) in the United States developed the SPI resin identification code to provide a standard marking code for consumers to identify the main types of plastics.

It is quite common to find this identification code on plastic bottles and products. There are seven types of plastic codes:

1. PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) – Used for water bottles, soft drink and cooking oil bottles, and meal trays.

2. HDPE (High density polyethylene) – Used for milk and detergent bottles.

3. PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) – Used for plastic pipes, food trays, shrink wrap, and bottles.

4. LDPE (Low density polyethylene) – Used for plastic bags and bin liners.

5. PP (Polypropylene) – Used for bottle caps, margarine tubs, and meal trays.

6. PS (Polystyrene) – Used for food containers, egg cartons, vending cups, plastic cutlery, and protective packaging for electronic goods.

7. OTHER – Includes any other plastic that does not fall into the above categories.

2. Why Recycle Plastics

By recycling plastics, we reduce the environmental impacts associated with the production and disposal of plastics. The production of plastics requires significant quantities of non-renewable fossil fuels and according to Waste Online:

It is estimated that 4% of the world’s annual oil production is used as a feedstock for plastics production and an additional 3-4% during manufacture.

Plastics are non-biodegradable and takes hundreds of years to break down. When they are landfilled, they take up landfill space. When they are incinerated, they release carbon dioxide and potential toxic gases such as dioxins.

3. The Plastics Recycling Process

At the plastics recycling plant, plastic waste are sorted according to their type and colour manually, by optical sensors or by a flotation process. The sorted plastics are shredded, washed and then melted to produce strands of plastics. The strands are cut into small pellets, which are used as feedstock for making new plastics products.

Watch this animation video on the plastics recycling process from RecycleBank:

4. Recycled Plastic Products

Depending on the type of plastics, the recycled plastic pellets can be used to make a wide range of plastic products such as plastic bags, containers, trays, pipes, CD cases, garden furniture, carpets, and clothing.

5. Plastics Recycling in Singapore

In Singapore, 684,400 tonnes of plastic waste was generated in 2008 and the recycling rate is 9%. Pre-consumer and post-consumer plastic waste are usually collected by the plastics collectors and traders, and through the recycling programmes.

For pre-consumer plastics, there are plastic recycling companies in Singapore that sort and process these waste into small pellets to be used as feedstock for making plastics products. Pre-consumer plastic waste are also sorted and exported overseas for recycling.

Common types of post-consumer plastics that are collected include PET and HDPE bottles and containers, which are sorted, baled and exported overseas for recycling.

6. Collectors, Traders and Recycling Companies for Plastics

The list of collectors and traders for waste plastics is available at the NEA website.

A list of plastic recycling companies can also be found at the NEA website.

7. What Can I Do

You can recycle plastics through the various recycling programmes at home, in school and your office, or through the public recycling bins in your neighbourhood. But before you do so, remember to minimise your plastic waste by Reduce and Reuse.

Metal Recycling

Metal scrap is the 3rd largest type of waste in Singapore. In 2008, 784,800 tonnes of ferrous metal scrap and 85,000 tonnes of non-ferrous metal scrap was generated. The recycling rate is 94% for ferrous metal and 85% for non-ferrous metal in 2008.

Ferrous metal scrap is usually sent to a local steel mill for recycling or exported. Non-ferrous metal scrap is usually sorted and exported overseas for recycling.

Let’s take a closer look at metal recycling:

1. Types of Metal for Recycling

Metals are divided into two types: ferrous metal (iron and steel) that are magnetic, and non-ferrous metal (stainless steel, aluminium, copper, brass, bronze, nickel, and other metals) that are non-magnetic.

The common types of metal scrap in Singapore are:

• Steel (drink cans, aerosol cans, food containers, bars, beams, wires, pipes, chains, electrical goods, cars, etc)
• Stainless steel (clippings, sheets, turnings, etc)
• Aluminium (drink cans, clippings and turnings, windows and door frames, aluminium casting and sheet, etc)
• Copper (copper wires, strips, etc)

2. Why Recycle Metal

It is easy and cost-effective to recycle metal, and metal can be recycled continuously without losing its properties. In addition, recycling metal reduces the environmental impacts associated with metal mining and production. According to Waste Online:

Recycling aluminium requires only 5% of the energy and produces only 5% of the CO2 emissions as compared with primary production and reduces the waste going to landfill. Aluminium can be recycled indefinitely, as reprocessing does not damage its structure. Aluminium is also the most cost-effective material to recycle.

Recycling one tonne of steel cans saves 1.5 tonnes of iron ore, 0.5 tonnes of coal & 40% water usage.

Recycling 1 tonne of steel scrap saves 80% of the CO2 emissions produced when making steel from iron ore.

3. The Metal Recycling Process

At the metal recycling plant, sorted metal scrap goes into a furnace at high temperature. The molten metal is poured into casts to produce ingots or rolled into sheets of metal.

Watch this animation video on the metal recycling process from RecycleBank:

4. Recycled Metal Products

Metal scrap can be 100% recycled into metal bars, sheets and ingots for making new metal products such as drink cans, metal construction materials, and car parts.

Look at the possible aluminium products that can be made from recycling aluminium cans:

5. Metal Recycling in Singapore

In Singapore, 784,800 tonnes of ferrous metal scrap was generated and the recycling rate is 94% in 2008. For non-ferrous metal scrap, 85,000 tonnes was generated and the recycling rate is 85% in 2008. All types and sizes of metal scrap are collected by waste metal collectors and traders. Drink cans and metal containers are usually colllected through the recycling programmes.

The metal scrap are sorted by type manually or by using magnets. The sorted metals are then cut, sheared, shredded, baled or briquetted for storage and transportation. Steel scrap is usually sent to a local steel mill for recycling or exported. Non-ferrous metal is usually exported overseas for recycling.

6. Collectors, Traders and Recycling Companies for Metal

The list of collectors and traders for metal scrap is available at the NEA website.

The contacts of the steel mill can also be found at the NEA website.

7. What Can I Do

You can recycle metal scrap and metal cans through the various recycling programmes at home, in school and your office, or through the public recycling bins in your neighbourhood. But before you do so, remember to minimise your metal waste by Reduce and Reuse.

Glass Recycling

In Singapore, 57,100 tonnes of glass waste was generated in 2008 and the recycling rate is 18%. Glass waste is usually sorted and exported overseas for recycling as there are no glass recycling plants in Singapore.

Let’s take a closer look at glass recycling:

1. Types of Glass for Recycling

Glass bottles, jars, containers and glass sheets are collected and sorted into the different colours for recycling: Clear, Brown and Green.

2. Why Recycle Glass

There are environmental benefits to glass recycling. According to Waste Online:

If recycled glass is used to make new bottles and jars, the energy needed in the furnace is greatly reduced. After accounting for the transport and processing needed, 315kg of CO2 is saved per tonne of glass melted.

For every tonne of recycled glass used, 1.2 tonnes of raw materials are preserved.

Recycling reduces the amount of waste glass which needs to be landfilled. Although glass is inert and is not directly hazardous to the environment, it will remain there indefinitely.

3. The Glass Recycling Process

At the glass recycling plant, glass waste is sorted into different colours and crushed into small pieces called cullets. Contaminants such as paper and metal are removed, and the cullet is melted in a high temperature furnance. The molten cullet is then molded to form glass products.

Watch this animation video on the glass recycling process from RecycleBank:

4. Recycled Glass Products

Glass waste can be recycled continuously and made into new glass products like bottles, jars, containers and ornaments. The glass cullet can also be crushed into powder and used as material in making bricks, tiles, abrasives and replacement of sand.

Watch this video on how abrasives are made from recycled glass cullet powder:

5. Glass Recycling in Singapore

In Singapore, 57,100 tonnes of glass waste was generated in 2008 and the recycling rate is 18%. Glass waste is usually collected through the recycling programmes. The glass waste is sorted and exported overseas for recycling as there are no glass recycling plants in Singapore.

It is also common for beer bottles to be collected from restaurants, hotels and food outlets for reuse in a local brewery (not included in the recycling figures).

6. Collectors, Traders and Recycling Companies for Glass

The list of collectors and traders for glass is available at the NEA website.

7. What Can I Do

You can recycle glass bottles and containers through the various recycling programmes at home, in school and your office, or through the public recycling bins in your neighbourhood. But before you do so, remember to minimise your glass waste by Reduce and Reuse.

Food Waste Recycling

In Singapore, 568,000 tonnes of food waste was generated in 2008 and the recycling rate is 12%. Food waste is usually processed as animal feed, and undergoes aerobic or anaerobic digestion to produce compost or energy.

Let’s take a closer look at food recycling:

Food Recycling in Singapore

There’s a local recycling company that collects soya bean waste, spent grains and spent yeast from food industries, and processes them into animal feed.

A new recycling plant collects and turns food waste into methane and compost using an anaerobic digestion process. The digestion process involves microorganisms breaking down the food waste in reactors in the absence of oxygen, thus producing methane or biogas that can be burned to generate energy. The digested food waste can be used as compost for planting.

Watch this video for a simple explanation of anaerobic digestion:

Food waste is also recycled using a mechanical composting process. Some organisations use an aerobic digestion or composting machine to turn food waste into compost. The composting process involves microorganisms breaking down the food waste in the machine in the presence of oxygen, thus avoiding the production of methane. The digested food waste can be used as compost for planting.

What Can I Do

Food waste is not commonly collected from homes for recycling, so what you can do is to reduce your food waste by not wasting food. Check out our tips on Don’t Waste Food.

Wood and Horticultural Waste Recycling

In Singapore, 269,600 tonnes of wood waste and 229,300 tonnes of horticultural waste was generated in 2008. The recycling rate is 71% for wood waste and 42% for horticultural waste.

Wood and horticultural waste are usually processed into wood chips for composting, cogeneration or used to make new wood products. Used wood pallets and crates can also be reconditioned.

Let’s take a closer look at wood and horticultural waste recycling:

Wood and Horticultural Waste Recycling in Singapore

Wood waste include pallets, crates, boxes, furniture and wood planks used in construction. Horticultural waste refers to tree trunks and branches, plant parts and trimmings generated during the maintenance and pruning of trees and plants all over Singapore.

Used wooden pallets and crates are usually sent to the recycling companies for repair and reconditioning. The pallets and crates are dismantled and the wood parts are cut to size and fixed back to form new pallets and crates.

Wood and horticultural waste are also sent to recycling companies to be grinded into wood chips. These wood chips can be used for composting, where they are piled together and turned frequently. After a few months, the wood chips would be broken down by microorganisms into mulch or compost.

This video shows a typical grinder for producing wood chips:

The wood chips are also used by some recycling companies to make new wood products. The wood chips are mixed with binders and pressed together to produce pallets, doors and floorings.

Some recycling companies use the wood chips as a fuel in cogeneration plants to produce heat and power simultaneously, whereas other companies process the wood chips and recycle them into charcoal products.

Collectors, Traders and Recycling Companies for Wood and Horticultural Waste

The list of collectors and traders for wood and horticultural waste is available at this NEA website.

A list of wood and horticultural waste recycling companies can also be found at this NEA website.

What Can I Do

If your company generates wood waste such as pallets and crates, you can find some way to reuse them. If they can’t be reused, consider sending them for recycling.

If you have some wooden furniture that you don’t want, try to Give It Away or Sell for Cash before recycling them.

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