Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

Contrast :NUS Recycling and Singapore recycling

06 October 2009

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

Contents

• What can be recycled?• NUS Previous Recycling System and Problems• Infrastructural Improvements• Fighting Contamination• Summary

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Let’s Imagine

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IMAGINE:

You are done with a fruit juice plastic cup:

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And you see the following recycling bins:

Recycling bins at Spring Singapore

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Did you recycle correctly?

NEA spokesman : throwing waste such as leftover food and drinks into the bins contaminates the recyclable materials and renders them non-recyclable.

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How serious is contamination of recycling bins?

• NEA: About one-fifth of all waste deposited in recycling bins could not be recycled.

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What do you think is the solution?

Singaporeans just don’t have the culture…. • Look at Japan, Germany….• Users just need to be educated …

Straits Times Discussion Board Replies to the article:

“Maybe a public campaign should be launched to educate the public on how to use the recyclable bins. But of course this takes time….”

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EDUCATION!EDUCATION!! EDUCATION!!!

BUT HOW TO EDUCATE?

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NUS Recycling Story.

The problems

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Contamination in NUS (Before Nov 2008)

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Other NUS Recycling Issues

1.Low recycling rates

2.System inefficiencies•Pilfering of recyclables

•Recyclables contract not economically viable

3.Inefficient recyclable collection system

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1. Low Recycling Rates –

Year

NUS total waste (‘000

tonnes) NUS

PopulationPaper (kg)

Plastic (kg)

Cans (kg)

Organic Food

(tonnes)

Total Recyclable

s (kg)

Total Recyclables without

food waste (kg)

Recycling rate

without food

recyclingRecycling

rate

2006 2.621 39418 76,910 3469 923 0 81,302 81,302 3.01% 3.01%

2007 3.079 40963 94,510 2729 392 0 97,631 97,631 3.07% 3.07%

2008 2.833 42754 69,580 3600 203 321.4 394,783 73,383 2.27% 12.23%

Our Recycling Statistics

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2. System inefficiencies

1.Separate contracts for different types of recyclables

•3 separate contracts for paper, plastic and cans

2.Inefficient collection system•Separate term contractors paid to collect plastic

and cans recyclables all over campus •Recyclers/ contractors collect from point to point

a. 100+ points in various offices for paper

b. 39 points for plastic and cans all over campus

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3.Inefficient paper, plastic and cans collection system

Paper

Plastic & Cans

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NUS Recycling Story

Infrastructural System Solutions: Aug 09 onwards

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Recycling Contract

Problem•Plastic bottles worthless compared to paper and

cans, which makes it very difficult to find recycling contractors to collect this waste stream

Solution • Combine existing 3 separate contracts for paper,

plastic and cans recyclables into a single contract by August 2009

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Inefficient Collection System

Problem•Additional cost in engaging additional term

contractor to collect recyclables from recycling points to a central location to wash and store

Solution •Spoke & Hub system

•Cleaning contractors to move recyclables from bins (spokes) to centres (hub) (enabled by OED’s foresight in putting in a clause in all housekeeping contracts)

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Current Collection System - Spoke and HubProcess1. Cleaners remove recyclables while clearing trash bins to

recycling collection centres (usually bins centres)2. Recycling vendors collect from recycling collection centres

Advantages1. Reduce pilfering problem

since recycling points are cleared daily by cleaners

2. Increase number of recycling points on campus since we are no longer constrained by inefficient collection system

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Briefing to cleaners on new system

• Done across 4 Fridays of July. A video was made along with briefing from OED Estate Maintenance

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Back to the Cup

Contamination must first be tackled!

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Recycling well labelled?

“Recycling bins are clearly labelled with the materials that can be placed in them.” Singapore Environment Council’s reply to the article

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Not really…

Another Straits Times Discussion Board Reply:“… I for one, was surprised to read from the newspapers that cardboards that hold food cannot be recycled, cos now I am guilty of throwing my pizza box into the recycle bin.”

Need to move beyond just labeling paper, plastic into labeling types of paper and plastic that are accepted.

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NUS Recycling Story

Fighting Contamination: Dec 08 onwards

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Tackle Vital Behavioural Problems

• At the point of throwing, help people to decide if it can be recycled – Labels

• Give people an option to not throw into the recycling bin if it cannot be recycled.– Pair Recycling bins with Trash Bin

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Proper and Clear Labels

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Label to inform you right at the point of throwing

Expect Error

An important cue at point of recycling, unlike public campaigns which may not always be present when recycling ought to occur.

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Pair recycling bins with trash bins

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Engage the Cleaners

Walk the Ground! PAP Style!

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Education Campaigns

1. Email circular2. Message of the Day (MOTD)3. Presentations during lectures

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SAVE Recycling Video

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Results of SAVE surveys (Jan/Feb 09)

Level of contamination dropped drastically

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NUS Specific Measures to tackle contamination

Which is the key measure?

Black Label on Bins

Round Stickers at disposal hole

Recycling Bins all face front and neatly arrangedRecycling Video Lecture Talk by SAVE

Engaging the Cleaners

Mass Mails

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Recycling Bin Design

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Bins Design Tips

– Expect Error from users• Be specific about what can be recycled

– Expect less from good human behavior• Partner trash bins with recycling bins

– Timing of education• Educate at the point of recycling• Visibility of Education

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Be specific about what can be thrown

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Trash bin with recycling bins

Recycling Bins at T2 May 2009

Back of bin

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Plastic Cans

Paper

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Beautiful Recycling bins are not enough

• No Trash bins = forgetting about convenience for non environmentally motivated public.

• No clear labels to educate what type of plastic/paper can be recycled.

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Educate at the point of Recycling

Recycling Bins at KK Hospital Jun 2009

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Timing of education

• Educate at point of recycling.

• But make it visible! – Eye level better, even for

NUS

• Or “force” users to recognise your recycling bins

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Recycling bins with flaps

• Slow user down. Forces user to recognize as recycling bins and not trash bins.

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Summary

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Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

Moving forward

Check and audit:– Contamination Survey of Bins– Continuous check and education of cleaners– Public Education to the greater NUS Community

through mass emails

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Some Reference

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The END

Questions?