The United Nations General Assembly had proclaimed in December 2022 that every year henceforth, 30 March would be International Day of Zero Waste. It aims to raise awareness about – and eventually – meet targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Importance of Achieving Zero Waste

Due to population growth and economic expansion, countries around the world generate tons of waste each year. 

From 2.24 billion tonnes of solid waste in 2020 to 3.88 billion tonnes in 2050, the World Bank estimates that annual waste generation will increase by 70% in 30 years. This waste is either sent to landfills or incinerated, varying from country to country.

In Canada approximately 97% of the waste requiring final disposal is sent to landfills and 3% is incinerated. In Turkey, 81 million tonnes of waste was disposed of in controlled landfill sites and 450 thousand tonnes of waste was disposed of in incineration plants in 2022.

One of the problems of landfills is that they contribute to climate change due to the methane gas generated.

Here in land-scarceSingapore, about 79% of waste is incinerated. Subsequently, the incinerated ash and other non-incinerated waste goes to the country’s only landfill at Pulau Semakau. However, as reported by Channel News Asia in 2023, Semakau is already half full and will reach full capacity by 2035.

If we lose our one and only landfill, where else can Singapore’s trash go?

Zero Waste… in a Nutshell

Our government has already put in place a Zero Waste Masterplan. One of the targets is to reduce the amount of waste Singapore sends to landfills by 30% by 2030, plus achieve 70% recycling rate by the same year. This involves moving towards as more circular economy where resources are reused endlessly instead of being disposed of. Our “throwaway culture” needs to change and here are some simple ways we can put them to practise in our daily life.

#1 Cut Down on Single-Use Packaging

The Bring Your Own (BYO) Singapore movement was started in 2017 and encourages the public to bring their own reusables or refuse single-use disposable. Since then, many retailers have been charging for plastic or paper bags, including H&M, Uniqlo, Miniso, Valu$ and all major supermarkets.

As part of its sustainability efforts, the majority of takeaway packaging at SaladStop! is made from 80% recycled PET. Customers are also encouraged to bring their own bowl to enjoy a free standard topping or receive a 80 cents discount for a hot beverage or smoothie when they bring their own cup. Going one step further, SaladStop! had also launched two Net-Zero stores at CapitaSpring and Marina Bay Link Mall, making them the first net-zero F&B establishment in Southeast Asia.

#2 Reduce, Reuse Plastic

Plastic is one material that doesn’t biodegrade. You can literally make a mountain out of plastic and it probably won’t break down in the next 1,000 years! In Singapore, only 6% of plastic was recycled in 2022 – out of more than a million tonnes of plastic waste generated.

One organisation that aims to increase awareness of plastic recycling is Plastify. It conducts fun educational, sustainable workshops to recycle plastic waste. Mainly using an injector, an injection molding machine, plastic shavings from your everyday plastic containers can be hand molded into reusable goods like coasters and Jenga blocks.