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A few months ago, The Sustainability Project, together with Green Nudge, organized a trip to Semakau Landfill to learn more about the island, the technology used for landfilling, the process of treatment of our trash, plans for the future and even witness the amount of space we have left for our waste.

During which, we certainly learnt a lot about Semakau! It was truly an eye-opening experience. Visiting where our trash is dumped allows for a greater understanding of the need to reduce our waste and hence, reinforces the need to slowly embrace a low-waste lifestyle.

If you had yet been to Semakau, here are 7 things you might not know about our landfill!

It’s 7km long and made up of 2 islands

Semakau Landfill is an island located south of Singapore. In order to get there, one would have to take a 45-minute ferry from Marina South Pier Ferry Terminal.  A rock bund, stretching over 7km long encloses a part of the sea off Pulau Semakau and Pulau Seking, creating the space for the landfill. According to the National Environment Agency, the bund is lined with an impermeable membrane and a layer of marine clay, ensuring that leachate* from the refuse is contained in the landfill.

*Leachate is the bacteria-filled liquid that usually collects at the bottom of your garbage can. It’s a pollutant that is often found in garbage tips.

It used to be inhabited!

A newspaper article featuring Pulau Seking  from 10 Oct 1983

 Before Semakau Island and Seking Island became a landfill, it was home to roughly 100 people.  Houses on these islands were built on stilts and villagers were subsistence fishermen, catching fish at the nearby coral reefs. There was even a community centre, police post and a primary school on the islands.  In 1987, these people were moved out of Semakau and Seking and resettled in HDB flats in order for Semakau Island to be built.

There is little to no information on the lives of these people. Hence, it is difficult to access the possible implications of this resettlement. I would personally think that it was difficult for these fishermen to get a proper job upon resettlement and I wonder if they have successfully integrated into the Singaporean society. It is a pity that no light was shed on their lives and whether or not they continued to thrive on the mainland, or if their lives were significantly changed upon moving to the city is a great unknown!

It’s surrounded by a super massive seawall!

As previously mentioned, Semakau Landfill is actually made up of both Seking and Semakau Islands that have been made into one by building bunds. Bunds are actually seawalls that go all the way down to the sea bed. This is also the reason for Semakau’s odd shape. The seawalls go down to the shallowest part of the sea bed, roughly 20m deep. An impermeable geo-membrane is used to line the walls, preventing the ash or leachate from seeping out.

A mangrove was also planted at an area outside of the seawalls. Before placing the geomembrane, most of the plants persistent, and they tried again, planting 400,000 saplings with the help of volunteers. Today, the lush mangrove is an indicator that the water outside of the seawalls is clean.

Dumping Ground

Picture from The Smart Local 

In the past, the island was split into various cells. However, after half of the island was full, Singapore’s previous Minister for Environment, Vivian Balakrishnan decided that to save money, a floating platform was to be used instead of building sea walls (for trucks to empty the ashes into the cells) to section off the areas.

Now, Trucks carry the ashes to the dumpsite and go onto a floating platform (which moves as sections are filled). Overflowing water moves into pipes located on the sides of the sea walls. The water is pumped to the water treatment plant located on the island before it is pumped back out into the sea. Once full of ash, the pipes are closed off before cells are filled with clay, soil, seeds and insect eggs. This allows it to be covered in green.

You can see this dumping in action in this video by Nas Daily on youtube!

They found supposedly extinct coral reef.

Image of coral reef taken from The Straits Times

In order to use a cell, fishes are removed by employing individuals to fish out as many fishes as they can over the course of a year. In addition, divers were employed to remove coral reefs. These coral reefs are placed in a Marine Park located in Sisters islands. During this, they found 1,408 types of coral and 4 of them were coral reefs that were thought to be extinct.

To this day, not all fishes have been fished out, so fishes eventually die due to the toxicity of the ashes. In addition, one has to think if moving the corals was actually a good conservation effort, or if moving them out of their natural habitat is against conservation.

It’s more than just a place to dump ashes.

NTU Ried on Semakau Island 

 
There are also fish farms around the island. One of them is on land, a small place where fish fries are grown. And another, where fish is bred and grown to be sold locally. There is also a solar and natural energy plant by NTU REID!

It’s running out of space!

When it opened in 1991, it was predicted that Semakau will be able to hold Singapore’s incinerated waste till 2045. However, since 1999 and with globalization, more trash is generated daily. This is because more items are imported, meaning more packaging waste is also brought into Singapore. Now, Semakau is expected to be full by 2035. Because of this, NEA and MEWR are now campaigning for Singaporeans to go Zero-Waste and encouraging Singaporeans to minimize their waste.

The most expensive road in Singapore 

The building of Semakau Landfill cost the government a total of SGD600 million. Thus, roads on Semakau (Which are the top of the sea walls), have been dubbed, “The Most Expensive Road in Singapore’. Due to its hefty price tag, expanding Semakau or even building a new landfill is the last thing the Singapore government wants to do in the near future. Henceforth, the Singapore government is now trying to change consumer behaviour…but is it too late?

With that said, why not learn all of these things firsthand? We will be organizing another trip to Semakau Landfill soon! So keep your eyes peeled!

Imagine holding something you love the most. Just that, this item is now slowly burning in front of your eyes and being destroyed bit by bit. What do you do? Watch it burn or put out the fire? This is not a false alarm. This is a reality as highlighted by Greta Thunberg on what exactly is happening to the Earth – our one and only home.

You might be thinking: “Not again, another article to remind us of climate change.”

But yes, as with all the thousands of articles being shared about the drastic impact of climate change, we are compelled to do the same. We simply want to let you know that there is no time to waste. The longer we wait, the shorter the time we have to salvage the situation.

If you are not convinced about the occurrence of climate change, here are some figures for you to reflect and to crunch on:

• 75% of the planet’s land surface has been “significantly altered.”  Relatedly, biodiversity “is declining faster than at any time in human history.”
• 1 million species already face extinction. Without any action to reduce the intensity of drivers of biodiversity loss, there will be a further acceleration in the global rate of species extinction, which is already at least tens to hundreds of times higher than it has averaged over the past 10 million years.”
• Loss of mangrove forests and coral reefs along coasts. This could expose up to 300 million people to increased risk of flooding.

The list goes on and on. Just do a simple google search and you will find many other statistics and data about the damaged we have done to our natural habitat.

Most of us have this conception that because Singapore is in a safe location, free from natural disasters, we might be in the sweet lucky spot.

Unfortunately, the effects of climate change on Singapore is more evident than we thought. Try to recall when was the last time your family or friends complained that it was hot. Probably, just several hours ago. In recent years, days when maximum temperatures exceed 34 deg C and nights when minimum temperatures exceed 26 deg C have been more frequent. 

The last and most severe climate impact Singapore faces in the next 50 years and beyond is sea level rise. This is caused by thermal expansion of seawater volume and from melting land ice. The average sea level around Singapore’s coasts has risen steadily at a rate of between 1.2mm and 1.7mm per year and is projected to increase to about 1m by 2100.

Do not ignore the tell-tale signs.

Maybe it is slightly too much to take in for you. Maybe you feel powerless in the grand scheme of things. Maybe you feel like giving up because of the negativity revolving climate change.

But, have faith.

Have faith that when we come together as a whole, we are able to make a change. Have faith that there are still millions of people out there who care for the earth and is doing their best to conserve it. Have faith that the new age of changemakers will drive the remedy and slow down our harmful effects on earth.

With that faith, transform it into actions. As we continue to live on the earth, we still have the time and chance to care and make a difference. All you need to do is take a step and do SOMETHING. Every step however big or small contributes in their own way that you might not be able to see now, but will definitely help in the future. As Anne Marie Bonneau said “We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.”

Given that this is such an urgent situation, you should not even be hesitating on whether your action will make an impact but instead, you should consider how big of an impact can your action contribute to the earth.

How to start? Here are our suggestions:

1. Reflect and re-evaluate on your current lifestyle habits
2. Identify which areas you can make changes to lead a more sustainable lifestyle
3. Make a commitment to make those changes
4. Come out with a plan or schedule on the changes you wish to make
5. Ensure you stick to this commitment and document down the change
6. Take the next step, do more and go further

So yes, we want you to panic. We want you to wake up from this dream that everything is going to be okay. We want you to make a change. We want you to take action. We want you to realise that you need to make a change NOW.

There are 25 trillion pieces of plastic debris in the ocean and every day, each person in Singapore throws away 13 plastic bags.  Yes, that amount is no longer a shocker to us anymore. We are all well aware of the dire state of plastic pollution happening in our oceans and how plastic is now the number one enemy of everyone.

So, what if we told you, there is a way to reduce the amount of plastic being thrown into the ocean? Plus, you can actually do it from the comfort of your home and it requires only 2 minutes of your time?

What exactly is this magical method that holds the potential of solving the top global problem now? Well, the answer is – an Ecobrick!

Here is the basic information you need to know about these magical building blocks:

What is an Ecobrick?

An Ecobrick is essentially a reusable building block created by solid non-biodegradable waste placed into a plastic bottle to a set density. By packing the bottles with a set density, it makes them suitable building blocks for virtually any construction. They can also be packed with other non-biological un-recyclables that, uncontained, are toxic to the environment (i.e. styrofoam, wires, small batteries, etc.).

Ecobricks are a sustainable way to reuse non-biodegradable plastic waste as the plastic waste are regarded as a long-lasting and durable material. Hence, keeping plastic out of the ecosystem and prevents the contamination of the environment.

Ecobricks are used to make many things such as furniture, walls and buildings. It allows communities and companies to get control of their plastic waste to create modular furniture, garden spaces, walls and even full-scale buildings.

How does it help the environment?

• EcoBricks prevent plastic waste from disrupting the ecosystem: 

  Usually, when thrown away, plastic breaks down into tiny pieces and contaminates the area where it is. EcoBricks seal the plastic away preventing the buildup of toxic gases emitted during the degradation of the plastic, such as methane. PET bottles are perfect for sealing away the plastic because they have an incredible longevity and protect the contents from UV rays.

• Ecobricking raises ecological consciousness: 

  We often do not think about the afterlife of our discarded plastic bottles. Ecobricking addresses our short-sightedness, as making Ecobricks demands time and dedication, it leads to questions on the uses of plastic.

• Ecobricks are a low energy solution to plastic:

  Recycling isn’t necessarily the best solution since the facilities demand technology, funds and a substantial amount of human energy. It also involves transportation and the waste can travel around the world before reaching its destination only to end up in a saturated recycling plant. EcoBricks don’t require all that fuss, with anyone having the ability to make their own Ecobricks. It is a simple solution to a complex problem which can be applied anywhere by everyone.

How do I make an Ecobrick?

Follow the following steps and you can be an owner of an Ecobrick!

1. Get your plastics ready

Only use clean, dry plastic or else microbiologicals beings can grow and form methane in the bottle. If there is any food, oil or dirt on your plastic, be sure to wash then dry. Clean and dry plastic includes styrofoam, bags, packaging, straws, cellophane and is basically anything else that is not recyclable.

Do note that you are not supposed to put any glass, metal or biodegradables into the bottle.

2. Choose a bottle

Find 1.5 litres or 500ml bottle and you are ready to start!

3. Find your perfect stick

Find the correct stick which will allow you to pack the plastic well, it should be twice the height of your bottle, with a slightly rounded tip and with a diameter roughly one third the width of a standard bottle opening– about 6mm

4. Get creative with your ecobrick

The first piece of plastic should be soft plastic with a solid colour, so be creative as it will make your trash look colourful!

5. Pack your bottle!

Pack your bottle with plastic, alternating between soft and hard plastic to maximise the density. The smaller the pieces, the denser you’ll get, so cut up big plastics into smaller pieces!

6. Weigh your Ecobrick

Minimum Ecobrick weight = Bottle volume x 0.33

Minimum density goals are essential to ensure the quality of ecobricks as it helps to ensure good constructions, make the most of the volume and energize the social spread of ecobricks.

Do be careful as Ecobricks should not be too soft as they will not be reliable enough for construction.

Build Your Own Ecobricks!

Now that you have an idea on how to build an ecobrick, why not get your hands dirty and join us in for our Ecobricks Workshop! You will get a chance to build them yourselves.

We will be conducting an Ecobricks Workshop on 25^th May 2019 and we want you to join us! It will be a great opportunity for you to gain insights on the plastic waste situation in Singapore to understand why eco bricks are so necessary.

Following the informative session, we will dive straight into creating our own ecobricks. Some tips and tricks will also be shared, so do listen out for them so that you can use it when building your own bricks in the future. The next part of the workshop is an exciting one, where we will learn how to create functional items, like tables and stools, with the ecobricks we made. There is no limit to what you can create! It all depends on your creativity and imagination.

After all that fun and hands-on experience, we hope that the workshop would allow you to:

1. Develop an understanding of the concept of ecobricks and how it may be used;
2. Explore solutions to tackle both recyclable and non-recyclable materials in your household lifestyles; and
3. Build up your knowledge and skills that help to develop long term green habits and reducing personal waste consumption.

Workshop Details:

Date: 25 May 2019, Saturday

Time: 2.30pm – 5.30pm

Venue: Serene Centre, 10 Jalan Serene, #02-5a, Singapore 258748

Price: $15/pax

If you are already as excited as we are, sign up here and we will see you there!

This is an article written by Yasira Yusoff from Food Unfiltered and edited by The Sustainability Project

“Make sure to pick the best-looking apple, all right?”

“If it’s bruised, it’s probably rotten on the inside!”

“It has spots so it must be bad…”

Are these phrases familiar to you? Well, growing up, we were taught that the best indicator of quality while picking our fruits and vegetables is their external appearance. Our mothers told us to avoid apples that had a dent in them, our fathers told us to stay far away from oddly-shaped carrots and our grandparents told us to throw out spotted mangoes. But what we weren’t told was that these blemishes are purely on the surface. Ugly food meant just that – ugly on the outside, but perfectly edible, nutritious and tasty on the inside.

As a result, this habit we picked up has developed into a bias that that has become second nature when it comes to grocery shopping and consuming food. We shy away from bruised produce at the supermarket and are quick to toss out any vegetable that looks less fresh. In a survey conducted among 243 Singaporeans aged 20 to 59 by the Food Unfiltered campaign, it was found that 68.1% of respondents were unwilling to purchase ugly food and 40.7% of respondents were unable to look past slight external flaws and consume ugly food. A greater cause for concern? It was found that even though 93.7% of respondents indicated they were environmentally conscious, almost two in five of them indicated they would continue to refuse ugly food — even after learning that doing so would help to reduce food waste.

Unfortunately, this prejudice we hold has contributed greatly to the issue of cosmetic filtering — the discarding of food that does not meet perceived or market standards. It not only occurs on the consumer level but has also has led retailers and suppliers to reject them from their stores. Ugly food is deemed as unfit for sale, so both retailers and suppliers much rather throw them out than waste resources to transport and store them appropriately. With this understanding, it is no surprise that 46% of all food produced globally does not make it from farm to fork due to imperfect appearances.

We hold misconceptions about ugly food — that they’re less fresh, less nutritious, less tasty and even pose health risks. But this is what we assume of them, solely due to their imperfect appearances. If we open up to ugly good, we can discover the inner good.

We know it’s hard to change our habits, but here are three easy ways to change your perceptions of ugly food and learn to love them:

Know the facts behind ugly food and their impact on the environment

Ugly food is simply any food that is perfectly edible but appears unappealing because they are odd-shaped, discoloured or slightly blemished. They are subjected to cosmetic filtering at every point of the supply chain and even worse, improper handling by consumer (yes, people like me and you!) is a common occurrence that renders the food unfit for sale.

Give ugly food a chance

Ugly food might be off-putting at first glance but if you pick them up and cut them open, you’ll discover that they’re no different on the inside from their perfect-looking counterparts. You’ll find that they are equally tasty and just as fresh as perfect-looking food. Don’t believe us? Check out our mini-series, Ugly Food: Fact Checked, to hear a nutritionist debunk myths about ugly food. At the core, we eat to get the nutrients we need to maintain our health and feel good, and ugly food does that just as well!

Transform ugly food

Surface blemishes can easily be removed by slicing off a bruised portion or removing discoloured skin. If we are using ugly food in meal preparation, skinning and slicing are common practices. Spotted fruits such as bananas can be used in baking and juicing instead — the spots actually indicate higher sugar content, which means you can replace the use of artificial sweeteners with some natural sugars. The bruised portion of vegetables can be cut off and the rest of the it puréed into soups.

At the end of the day, we only see what’s on our plate and not the raw ingredient. Challenge yourself to transform ugly food into something that’s beautiful when presented on the plate.

About Food Unfiltered

Food Unfiltered is an initiative that celebrates ugly food. Led by four final-year students from NTU’s Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, it strives to reduce food waste by embracing the natural goodness of food, regardless of their external appearances.

For more information, please visit their Facebook Page and Instagram!

The content of the article was contributed by Up and Away and re-edited by The Sustainability Project.

Were you ever caught in a situation where you have an item you need to throw out but do not bear to? … and you wonder to yourself if you can make anything new out of it? That thought by itself has already placed you in the first stage of upcycling.

Upcycling, also known as creative reusing, is the process of transforming by-products, waste materials or unwanted products into new materials or products of better quality. It ultimately prevents waste from ending up in the landfills and allow you to give an item a new life!

Why does upcycling matter to me?

Contrary to popular belief, not everything can be recycled! These include certain types of plastic (type 6 PS plastic), food waste or anything that are contaminated. Thus, upcycling is an important way of reducing waste of such items. Upcycling can be a fun and meaningful activity which is great for family bonding. Families can do upcycling activities with their loved ones to not only have fun together, to learn more about waste-reduction.

New to upcycling and want to give it a try? Here are 5 simple ways on how you can upcycle at home:

Transform your old t-shirts into bags

For decades, the donation bin has offered a guilt-free way to unload your old clothing. In a virtuous and profitable cycle, a global network of traders would collect these garments, grade them, and transport them around the world to be recycled, worn again, or turned into rags and stuffing. However, that Fast fashion in Singapore is a worrying trend and donating them away to a charity might not be that rosy of an idea anymore.

Furthermore, only 7% of textile waste in Singapore are being recycled. So, if you want to throw away that oversized shirt or that dress from last season? Think again.

Why not solve that problem by looking up on Pinterest for some simple tutorials and inspiration on how you can transform your t-shirts from yesteryears into bags again – by simply cutting and tying, no sewing require at all! Interested to learn more? There are also workshops in Singapore that offer these classes such as Taikensonzai and WahSoSimple.

Goodbye plastic containers and hello, keychains

Did you know there are 7 grades of plastic in use and not all of them can be recycled in Singapore? Type 6 plastic is an example and they are most commonly found for use in kuehs and sushi packaging. Apart from reusing them, you could also upcycle it to become shrinky-dink keychains.

Turn fruits and vegetables waste into eco-enzyme cleaner

Food waste, such as fruits peels, are almost unavoidable as we consume them on a very frequent basis. Instead of throwing fruit and vegetable scraps away, you can turn them into a household cleaner, simply by adding sugar and water. Enzymatic cleaners are powerful all-purpose cleaners that can be used safely on most surfaces, including metal and glass. So do not let those foods waste go to waste! Find out how to make your own eco-enzyme cleaner from these Facebook groups!

Turn your food packaging into zip-pouches

One of the most common plastic waste is from food packaging like the potato chips that you cannot resist. These packaging might seem insignificant but pose a great threat when they are found in our oceans, causing marine pollution. But have you ever thought of transforming these packaging into pouches? They make great gifts and bring out the inner hipster in you! It is a simple and easy item to make as it requires no sewing and all that is needed is just stapler, scissors, masking tape from your home (although you do need to purchase is a zipper). Find out how to do it here!

Turn up for huat

With Chinese New Year just around the corner, you will receive abundance of red packets. But what to do with them? Well, you can use those red packets to make mandarin orange bags or candy baskets! Online tutorials are aplenty and you can make it together with your loved ones. These items can even contribute vibrant colours to your household and brighten up the atmosphere for Chinese New Year!

About Up and Away

It all began with a group of four individuals, who were passionate about the environment, and wanted to reduce waste in Singapore. The big question was, what else can we do to help solve the waste problem? That is when we discovered upcycling. ‘Up & Away’ is an environmental campaign which targets both parents and children (7-9 years old), to encourage families to reduce waste through upcycling! Find out more about their campaign on FB: fb.com/upandawaysg or website at upandawaysg.com.

Marine pollution has been a major issue that has been garnering attention across the world over the past few years. From pictures of shores full of plastic waste to videos of plastic straws getting stuck in the nose of turtles, these images have left an impactful impression on many individuals and spurred them to take action towards marine conservation.

The Ocean Movement, is a project started by five 17-year-old students from School of The Arts Singapore back in 2017. The founder of the group was an aspiring marine conservationist which inspired the group to start raising awareness about marine life. Since then, The Ocean Movement has conducted a session sharing common problems that our marine ecosystem faces such as climate change, plastic pollution and overfishing with their school. In addition, they initiated the sale of reusable straws in SOTA which successfully sold about 80 straws.

Over the past few month, the group’s objective also transformed into raising awareness about marine life particularly in Singapore, as well as creating platforms for students in our school as well as the public to contribute towards conservation efforts. This objective is achieved by making reusable goods accessible and creating avenues where different environmental groups can work together towards a common goal of saving our environment.

Coming this February, The Ocean Movement is organising an event – TIDAL.

TIDAL is a series of environmental events brought together by various organisations. The first 2 events in the series include a film screening of ‘A Plastic Ocean’ with a post-screening dialogue as well as a guided coastal walk/beach clean-up. (However, these 2 events are already sold out)

In addition, a ‘Know Your Seafood’ Workshop by SiBiol will be conducted on 4th Feb from 10.30 am – 12.30pm where one can observe the dissection of common seafood in an aid to explain how marine organisms function.

The main highlight of TIDAL is the awareness concert held on 4th Feb from 5 pm to 7.30pm. The event will be centred around the theme of the environment, with acoustic performances by local performers and students from SOTA, various fringe events, booths selling sustainable products and booths where you can learn how to make reusable goods out of recyclable materials or how to make your own compost bin.

All the above events are completely FREE OF CHARGE so what are you waiting for? As there are limited seats for each event, do sign up quick!

Be sure to support these young inspirational individuals and support them in their cause towards marine conservation!

It is official. 2018 has been declared to be the Year of Climate Action for Singapore!

As noted by Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli, “As a small island city-state vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, Singapore is committed to the effective implementation of the Paris Agreement”. Singapore, being a low coastal area country, will definitely suffer from climate change, with the daily mean temperature projected to rise by up to 4.6°C towards the end of the century and sea level estimated to rise by up to about 1m by 2100.

With the government making this declaration to commit towards combating climate change, it is time for us as citizens to acknowledge our responsibility and play a part as well.

Here are 3 small and simple changes in your life to contribute to the Year of Climate Action.

Just say NO

These two words hold great power when it comes to helping us make a decision in our lives! Say no to straws. Say no the plastic bags. Say no to any form of plastic. Also, these two words are free of charge! Just by saying no, you are using the power of a small action to make a big change in the world.

Think twice before buying

In Singapore, the amount of solid waste generated in 2016 increased to 7.81 million tonnes, up by 140,700 tonnes from 7.67 million tonnes in 2015. If you re-evaluate your buying habits, you will realise that you are able to eliminate unnecessary waste. Think of buying second hand. Think of using reusables. Think of borrowing books or doing book swaps. Most importantly, think of whether it is a need or a want.

Be more aware

To be able to make responsible decisions for yourself and for the environment, it is crucial to be aware of the events happening in the world. Relying solely on others to feed you information is not enough. Take a step out of your comfort zones and read on all these issues that affect your view on climate change. Go in with an open mind. Read on issues such as ocean pollution, renewable energy, starving polar bear or plastic waste. Start somewhere and you enrich yourself with the knowledge to make better and wiser decisions in your life!

These are three small and simple steps that do not require you to devote a large number of resources or time to be committed to. So what are you waiting for? Make 2018 the year you start making a change.