How to save our planet!

Did you know "Only 9% of all plastic waste ever produced has been recycled. About 12% has been incinerated, while the rest — 79% — has accumulated in landfills, dumps or the natural environment." - https://www.unep.org/interactive/beat-plastic-pollution/

My family and I after a successful beach cleaning!

My family and I recycle our products after use on a daily basis and attend beach cleanings once a month. However, when I realised that most of the plastic bottles we recycled aren't even eligible for recycling, I was shocked. I wasn't given a "save the earth" speech or guided through the recycling process in school, but it was about time I stopped being ignorant on the topic and educate myself.

Disclaimer: I am not an expert on the subject I just researched everything I needed to know. But even with little knowledge on recycling, I hope we can all share more about our different recycling methods or find reputable organisations with the goal of protecting our planet.

HERE ARE SOME WAYS YOU CAN HELP FROM YOUR OWN HOME:

These are just some of the methods I have adopted since learning more about recycling.

1. Google what can and can't be recycled before throwing them in the bins.

I chose this photo from: https://www.towardszerowaste.gov.sg/recycle/what-to-recycle/

I was surprised to find out that only certain types of paper products can be recycled. An example would be cardboard with tape on it or sticky residue can't be recycled. You would have to tear off those parts of the box before placing it in the bin! Imagine how many boxes that weren't actually recycled due to this small issue.

Something really important to note is that you have to WASH OUT TIN, PLASTIC AND GLASS BEFORE RECYCLING. They also have to be COMPLETELY DRY before being placed into the recycling bins. If there is still residue left, it would not be recycled and the effort would've gone to waste.

Other products that cannot be recycled would be glossy paper, wrapping paper, books etc. But don't worry, you can always take one minute to google what can and can't be recycled before throwing it into the bin. For old books and backpacks etc, you could donate them to Salvation army and other organisations if their in decent condition! One minute of your time could contribute to lesser polluting of land fills and oceans, how cool is that!

2. Proper ways of disposal

I took this photo when I visited Marymount CC last week.

Have you ever noticed the little symbol on the bottom of your electronics before throwing them out? It should be a little garbage bin with a line slashed over it. I recently found out that products like these should be properly disposed at E-Waste bins and not regular trash bins! Singapore has these machines that would give you rewards when you throw away E-Waste (White machine on the left of picture). Even if you do not have this machine nearby there are regular green E-waste bins where you can dispose of these items safely.

You could also accumulate magazines, cardboard, paper etc (according to the instructions on the machine) to recycle in regular blue bins which you can find easily around your neighbourhood. If you happen to come across the government recycling machine nearby, (blue machine on the right of picture) you could also recycle paper products and accumulate money (per kg) that you could withdraw via paynow once you hit $10!

Regular green bins to recycle E-Waste. Photo from: https://honeykidsasia.com/recycling-singapore-batteries-appliances-ewaste/

Recycle paper, plastic, glass or tin in this blue bin you can find around your neighbourhood. Photo from: https://www.towardszerowaste.gov.sg/recycle/where-to-recycle/

3. Help out in recycling organisations and beach cleanings

Singapore has many recycling organisations where you can volunteer on your own time. I attended one as a volunteer a few months ago held by Tzu Chi Organisation where people would bring down their recyclables for us to sort out accordingly into respective bins (glass, paper, tin, bottle, bottle caps etc). "The recyclables are then remade into usable items, a value-added process that not only helps to reduce trash, but also to conserve precious natural resources." - extracted from their website: https://www.tzuchi.org.sg/en/

I truly loved the experience as everyone who volunteered was so warm and friendly. It was nice to work together as a community with the same goal of creating a better environment.

If you don't think you could commit to a scheduled time for volunteering but still want to do your part, you could head down to any beach in Singapore (East Coast Beach Park, Changi Beach Park, Pasir Ris Beach Park, etc.) and start picking up litter!

Photo from: https://www.eastcoastpodiatry.sg/blog-post/hidden-dangers-of-singapores-beaches/

Things to note about beach cleaning by yourself:

1. Read up on the guidelines for what to pick up and what to avoid as we do not want to disturb the sea life. https://www.publichygienecouncil.sg/docs/default-source/beach-clean-up/briefing-for-participants.pdf

2. Bring the necessary tools (eg, Tongs, Gloves, Trash Bags) and wear the proper attire (try to wear slippers and not go barefoot if there is alot of litter)

3. Have fun and stay hydrated!

I hope this article comes into handy and inspires you to get your own little recycling bin at home and start your journey. Thanks to modern technology we are easily accessible to recycling bins and rewarded with incentives when we recycle. So if you haven't already, let's start saving our planet one step at a time!