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

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability Let’s Imagine

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability IMAGINE: You are done with a fruit juice plastic cup:

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability And you see the following recycling bins: Recycling bins at Spring Singapore

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability 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.

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability How serious is contamination of recycling bins? NEA: About one- fifth of all waste deposited in recycling bins could not be recycled. NEA:

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability 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 RepliesStraits 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….”

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability EDUCATION!EDUCATION!! EDUCATION!!! BUT HOW TO EDUCATE?

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability NUS Recycling Story. The problems

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability Contamination in NUS (Before Nov 2008)

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability Other NUS Recycling Issues 1.Low recycling rates 2.System inefficiencies Pilfering of recyclables Recyclables contract not economically viable 3.Inefficient recyclable collection system

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability 1.Low Recycling Rates – Year NUS total waste (‘000 tonnes) NUS Population Paper (kg) Plastic (kg) Cans (kg) Organic Food (tonnes) Total Recyclables (kg) Total Recyclables without food waste (kg) Recycling rate without food recycling Recycling rate , , % , , % , ,78373, %12.23% Our Recycling Statistics

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability 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

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability 3.Inefficient paper, plastic and cans collection system Paper Plastic & Cans

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability NUS Recycling Story Infrastructural System Solutions: Aug 09 onwards

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability 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

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability 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)

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability Current Collection System - Spoke and Hub Process 1.Cleaners remove recyclables while clearing trash bins to recycling collection centres (usually bins centres) 2.Recycling vendors collect from recycling collection centres Advantages 1.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

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

Briefing to cleaners on new system Done across 4 Fridays of July. A video was made along with briefing from OED Estate Maintenance

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability Back to the Cup Contamination must first be tackled!

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability 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 Singapore Environment Council’s replyto the article

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability 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.”Straits Times Discussion Board Reply Need to move beyond just labeling paper, plastic into labeling types of paper and plastic that are accepted.

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability NUS Recycling Story Fighting Contamination: Dec 08 onwards

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability 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

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability Proper and Clear Labels

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability 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.

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability Pair recycling bins with trash bins

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability Engage the Cleaners Walk the Ground! PAP Style!

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability Education Campaigns 1. circular 2.Message of the Day (MOTD) 3.Presentations during lectures

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability SAVE Recycling Video

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability Results of SAVE surveys (Jan/Feb 09) Level of contamination dropped drastically

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability 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 arranged Recycling Video Lecture Talk by SAVE Engaging the Cleaners Mass Mails

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability Recycling Bin Design

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability 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

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability Be specific about what can be thrown

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability Trash bin with recycling bins Recycling Bins at T2 May 2009 Back of bin

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability Plastic Cans Paper

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability 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.

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability Educate at the point of Recycling Recycling Bins at KK Hospital Jun 2009

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability 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

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability Recycling bins with flaps Slow user down. Forces user to recognize as recycling bins and not trash bins.

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability Summary

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability Total Systemic Approach Infrastructural Spoke and Hub System Combined Contract Education SAVE Video and Lecture talks Contamination Surveys Mass s. Engaging the Cleaners TV and newspaper Advert Bin Design Be Specific about what can be recycled Pair Trash bin with recycling bins Educate at the point of recycling

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 s

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability Some Reference

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability The END Questions?