Tag: trash

#13: One Man’s Trash is Still Another Man’s Trash

AliciaThe Solution

Now let’s talk about the impact we have when we dispose of household objects we don’t want with the intent of someone else reusing the item, or the item being recycled into more useful materials. Huge amounts of waste are produced annually in 1st world countries, and to lessen that guilt and environmental cost, many people attempt to at least recycle some of their waste. While recycling is definitely a more eco-friendly solution than simply incinerating all trash, we often overestimate its environment-saving potential. Moreover, indiscriminate recycling, or aspirational recycling, actually serve to hinder, and even nullify the benefits of recycling.

 

The act of recycling usually comes from a good place, but lack of information and laziness often reduce the potential goodness that can come from this waste solution. Thus, it is important to learn a couple things about how recycling is actually carried out by waste management companies.

 

  1. Throwing non-recyclables into a recycling bin hinders the recycling process.

Did you know? Non-recyclable items in recycling bins can cause an entire batch of recyclables to be thrown into the landfill or incinerator. This is because non-recyclables such as greasy pizza boxes and low-grade plastics can contaminate other perfectly recyclable objects. Moreover, it is difficult for waste management companies to sift out a few of these offending objects amidst tonnes of recyclable waste. Recycling companies still depend on making a profit after all, and it is not cost-efficient to employ people to sort through every object recycled. This required cost to manage recyclables, combined with the decreasing prices for selling recyclables, put pressure on recycling companies to package and export recycling more hastily. Not to mention, in 2018 China greatly reduced the imports of “foreign garbage” (Albeck-Ripka, 2018), banning certain types of recyclables and only accepting recyclables that are no more than 0.5 percent contaminated (World Trade Organisation, 2017). This means that much more recycling is in fact going to landfills, especially if people recycle indiscriminately. Do your part and check out this list of non-recyclables.

 

2. Recycling still negatively impacts the environment, just at a slower rate.

There are limitations to recycling. Not only does a portion of recycling still routinely end up being incinerated or dumped, but the process of recycling also consumes energy and emits pollutants. Many countries are still dependent on exporting their recycling to other countries who are willing to process it. This process requires fuel to sort through and transport recycling to the designated country. Moreover, increased fuel consumption also means more air pollution generated as a result of burning fuel. While recycling is a beneficial process, it may be more effective to reduce the rate of consumption altogether by encouraging reuse of objects, thus reducing waste output, as shown in this TED talk video below:

 

 

3. Clothing recycling is not as effective as we are likely to believe.

Have you ever come across a clothing recycling bin in fast fashion stores like H&M (below)? While clothing retailers might lead you to believe that you can lessen the burden of fast fashion by recycling clothes, the technology required to properly recycle clothing is unable to catch up with the sheer speed of consumption. Not only does the process of breaking down clothing fibres reduce the quality of the fibres, but the amount of clothing being thrown out is too much to process with the current level of technology (Bain, 2016). A lot of fabric is still dumped in the trash, and the remainder is being ‘donated’ (read: dumped) by the tonnes in developing countries like Africa, where it causes further damage at its final destination (Rodgers, 2015).

 

Author: Alicia Tiu

 

References

Albeck-ripka, L. (2018, May 29). Your Recycling Gets Recycled, Right? Maybe, or Maybe Not. Retrieved July 22, 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/29/climate/recycling-landfills-plastic-papers.html

Bain, M. (2016, November 30). Recycling or donating your unwanted clothes “is not a solution” for the planet, Greenpeace says. Retrieved July 22, 2020, from https://qz.com/849209/greenpeace-takes-aim-at-clothes-recycling-for-doing-next-to-nothing-to-reduce-fashions-environmental-footprint/

Miller, K. (2017, January 14). 13 Advantages and Disadvantages of Recycling. Retrieved July 22, 2020, from https://futureofworking.com/13-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-recycling/

Rodgers, L. (2015, February 11). Where do your old clothes go? Retrieved July 22, 2020, from https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-30227025

We Want Refill. (2018, August 14). Aspirational Recycling: When Good Intentions Have Harsh Consequences. Retrieved July 22, 2020, from https://wewantrefill.com/aspirational-recycling-when-good-intentions-have-harsh-consequences/

 

#12: So what can we do?

AliciaThe Solution

Now that we are more aware of the ecological impacts of the household objects we buy, as well as the harmful chemicals that may be released into our homes, what steps can we take to reduce these negative impacts? The most effective method is to be a mindful consumer: to reduce the number of items we buy and to know what we are purchasing.

 

This method of reducing consumption and making our purchases last longer is known as dematerialisation. It is the process of getting more out of fewer purchases. If you are interested in how dematerialisation works (on a large scale), check out this TED talk below:

 

 

This philosophy can be applied to our ordinary, daily lifestyle. Even little changes can make huge differences: An average Singaporean uses roughly 156 plastic bottles, 156 polypropylene plastics (think bubble tea cups!), and 208 plastic bags a year (Singapore Environmental Council, 2018). Imagine, if you only used a reusable bottle and a reusable nylon bag throughout an entire year, you would be saving 156 plastic bottles, 156 plastic cups and 208 plastic bags! We can apply this logic to most other purchases which we quickly consume and then trash. From clothing to electronics (do you really need a new phone every two years?!), to even food products, we can afford to reduce consumption of these items without really reducing the amount of happiness we derive from consuming these products. Moreover, instead of purchasing brand new items, we can alternatively purchase second-hand items, so that perfectly good stuff thrown out by other people do not immediately end up in the trash.

 

Dematerialisation also involves being more mindful of what we are purchasing; it is buying objects that can last longer, and have fewer impacts on our health and on the environment. For example, when we buy cheap polyester clothing, each time we wash the fabric, microplastics shed from the weave and are washed down the drain (Roos, 2017). These microplastics eventually end up in polluting our oceans and poison our fish. What we can do is reduce the amount of polyester clothing that we purchase, and instead opt for more durable cotton and organic weave clothing that we can use for longer periods of time without replacement. Alternatively, we can opt for purchasing services to repair objects, instead of replacing them willy nilly. Being aware of what we are purchasing also involves checking the label of our purchases, to see if there are any potentially harmful chemicals in them that could leech out into our air or water.

 

Author: Alicia Tiu

 

References:

Earth Day. (2018, March 29). Fact Sheet: Single Use Plastics. Retrieved July 21, 2020, from https://www.earthday.org/fact-sheet-single-use-plastics/

Mistra Future Fashion (2017). Microplastics Shedding from Polyester Fabric Report. Retrieved July 21, 2020, from http://mistrafuturefashion.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/MFF-Report-Microplastics.pdf

Singapore Environment Council (2018). Consumer Plastic and Plastic Resource Ecosystem in Singapore. Retrieved July 21, 2020, from https://sec.org.sg/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/DT_PlasticResourceResearch_28Aug2018-FINAL_with-Addendum-19.pdf

Sutherland, R. (2016). 2016 : WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE MOST INTERESTING RECENT [SCIENTIFIC] NEWS? WHAT MAKES IT IMPORTANT? Retrieved July 21, 2020, from https://www.edge.org/response-detail/26750

#2: A Wake-Up Call

madeleineshutlerThe Problem

The Hidden Pollution in our Daily Lives

The word pollution stems from the Latin word pollutionem, meaning “to desecrate, to defile” (Online Etymology Dictionary, n.d.). In today’s globalised and fast-paced world, the separation of production and consumption processes often entails that such desecration on Mother Nature and human lives pass unnoticed. Yet, pollution remains embedded in the majority of the everyday products and events we encounter. Today, we decided to take a second look at our day’s activities, to identify the hidden pollution that they may have generated. 

 

Snippets from Our Daily Routine (Circuit Breaker Edition) 

Since the start of the great Singapore Circuit Breaker (CB), we like many other Singaporeans, have found ourselves sleeping and waking up much later as compared to our pre-CB routines. Madeleine’s past habit of making a homemade breakfast has been replaced by her parents ‘dabao-ing’ lunch for her (noon being a typical wake up time for her). Today, lunch consisted of curry chicken and assorted side dishes, which she is ashamed to admit, generated a large amount of plastic trash as pictured in Image 1. 

 


Image 1 : Trash from today’s Lunch

 

Alicia’s day on the other hand, began with a parcel delivery, a product of her retail therapy phase on ‘Shopee’ (a popular shopping platform in Singapore) during the start of CB (Image 2). 

 

Image 2: Trash from Parcel Delivery 

 

Upon reflection, it was evident to us that pollution was very much embedded in such trash that we generated. Toxic leakages of chemicals into nearby water bodies or pollutants into the air follows plastic and such disposal packaging from its manufacture overseas to eventual disposal via incineration and dumping into Singapore’s Semakau landfill (The Straits Times, 2018). In this way, pollutants like microplastics can eventually end up contaminating our water supply and food chains or end up in our lungs itself through direct inhalation (CIEL, n.d.). 

 

After lunch, Alicia spent the rest of the afternoon playing the video game ‘Overcooked’ (Image 3), while Madeleine similarly spent her time surfing social media and YouTube, as well as watching the online lectures for our Geography module, GE3246. On a surface level, using our phones, PC computers and laptops have become second nature to us, essential to our daily functioning during CB. However, today we stopped to think about the link between pollution and my electronic devices (Image 4).  

 

Image 3: Overcooked Video Game (Source: Steam)

Image 4: Electricity Use for Activities 

 

Singapore generates 95% of its electrical supply from natural gas (EMA, n.d.), a fuel source largely touted for its efficiency and low environmental impacts. However, is it as non-pollutive as we believe? Natural gas is most commonly produced by hydraulic fracturing, and Carpenter (2016) highlights the pollutive problems associated with it, including:

  • Groundwater contamination from the leakage of toxic wastewater containing salt and chemicals, during its transportation or disposal. 
  • The release of methane and carcinogenic pollutants such as benzene, contributing to air pollution. 
  • These impacts are implicative of the short and long term health effects on “workers and near-by residents who are exposed to air and water contaminants, radioactivity and excessive noise and light pollution” (Carpenter, 2016). 

 

Additionally, the long term impact on health from PC use is still very much up in the air. Bakó-Biró (2004) points out how this is a neglected yet prominent source of indoor pollution, with ‘stealth chemicals’ decreasing air quality, leading to Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) symptoms and lower productivity. More and more, we are wondering if the multiple laptops and computers in my vicinity during CB are the culprits behind our increase in migraines and fatigue. 

Both of us then ended the day by winding down with the air conditioner switched on (Image 5). Once again, its pollutive cycle is linked to possible inefficient and improper processes during manufacture, the energy associated with its transportation and usage, and its eventual disposal should it stop working in the future. 

 

Image 5: Air conditioner Usage 

 

Such appliances highlight that we, in the comfort of our homes, may not be the ones experiencing firsthand the health and environmental impacts from the pollution generated in its life cycle. Rather, these impacts are often disproportionately felt across various communities, countries and regions, which is a significant issue within the study of environmental pollution. As such, this blog aims to uncover more well-hidden sources of pollution in day-to-day life, as well as bring about a possible revolution of lifestyle changes and solutions.

 

Author: Madeleine Shutler

 

References: 

Bakó-Biró, Z., Wargocki, P., Weschler, C. J., & Fanger, P. O. (2004). Effects of pollution from personal computers on perceived air quality, SBS symptoms and productivity in offices. Indoor air, 14(3), 178–187. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0668.2004.00218.x

Carpenter, D. O. (2016). Hydraulic fracturing for natural gas: impact on health and environment, Reviews on Environmental Health, 31(1), 47-51. Doi: https://doi-org.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/10.1515/reveh-2015-0055

CIEL. (n.d.). Plastic and Human Health: A Lifecycle Approach to Plastic Pollution. Retrieved June 25, 2020, from 

https://www.ciel.org/project-update/plastic-and-human-health-a-lifecycle-approach-to-plastic-pollution/

EMA. (n.d.). Electricity Journey. Retrieved June 25, 2020, from 

https://www.ema.gov.sg/electricity-journey.aspx 

Online Etymology Dictionary. (n.d.). Pollution (n.). Retrieved June 25, 2020, from 

https://www.etymonline.com/word/pollution

The Straits Times. (2018, November 20). Watch: Where does all your rubbish go? Retrieved June 25, 2020, from https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/where-does-all-your-rubbish-go