With the billions of products being generated to fit our norms, have you ever wondered, where exactly does our trash go? With global warming being on the tip of our feet, what would we do with the excess plastic? Well, Singapore has created an ingenious way of getting rid of the excess trash.
Singapore’s Waste Management System
In Singapore, most of the trash is sent to the island nation’s only landfill, Semakau Landfill. The landfill is located off the coast of Singapore and is designed to be environmentally sustainable and safe for the surrounding ecosystem. The waste is also managed through processes such as incineration, recycling and conversion into energy.
Singapore’s waste management system involves burning of the trash and filtering the smoke. First, all rubbish from garbage cans and trash bags is gathered. The trash is then transported to an incinerator plant, where it is burned. This fire has a temperature of nearly 1,000 degrees Celsius, which is hot enough to devour the flames. Almost all of the garbage is burnt, however some ash would still remain. This ash is then moved to a body of water that does not come into contact with ocean water, making it safe. Using this method, scientists were able to create an actual “trash island” out of repeated ash deposition. With such a tedious process, it kept Singapore environmentally sustainable.
Other Countries Method Of Disposing Trash
While understanding that underdeveloped nations might not be as privileged and advance as Singapore. Waste management tend to be more difficult in industrialised countries since there are few robust taxation, tariff, fee-for-service, and loan and debt service systems to sustain infrastructure. In general, developing nations lack the resources to support relatively stringent air emission requirements. As a result, such governments rely heavily on overseas donors and limited domestic assistance.
Paper and cardboard garbage are often burnt before being collected and disposed of, whereas metallic debris (iron, copper, aluminum, zinc, and lead) is collected for recycling. With such facts, some establishments such as restaurants, and resorts, collect food waste to compost or utilize as animal food. Others make an attempt to reuse and recycle anything they can, even if it means incorrectly reusing sugar, pesticide, and lime bags to hold groceries, feed, and other items. The World Bank estimates that by 2050 we will be generating 3.88 billion tonnes of waste each year, a 73% increase from 2020.
Majority of the countries uses incineration to get rid of the trash. Incineration is a waste treatment technique that involves the burning of waste materials’ constituents. Incineration is critical for making waste management simpler and more efficient. Incineration has the potential to burn up to 90% of total waste produced, and occasionally even more. Landfills, on the other hand, only allow for organic decomposition while non-organic trash continues to accumulate.
However, a major drawback would be the toxic fumes and the residual ash. Singapore, on the other hand, was able to overcome these challenges. The hazardous gases are cleaned away, resulting in exceptionally clean air released by incineration facilities.
Many variables influence our environment, and selecting a dependable way of emptying our fuel is critical for enhancing the state of the planet we live in. Ideally, there should be no remains from any rubbish. Trash disposal should be both cost-effective and environmentally friendly.
Personally, I think that incinerating waste and filtering smoke is an excellent technique to achieve both of these objectives. In addition, heat may be captured and converted into energy, which can power several dwellings. The amount of waste will soon rise tremendously, creating a significant demand for a dependable method of removing rubbish, and Singapore’s solution may be a realistic and viable choice for the rest of the world.
With that being said, what do you think are some ways we can further promote a zero waste policy?
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