TECHNICAL REPORT DRAFT 1

Ideal: 

In 2017, the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) rolled out a campaign “Sustainable Singapore Movement” to cut down on waste generation and wants Singapore to be a “Zero Waste Nation”. According to the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) vision and mission statement, the university seek to be an innovative leader in the education industry. By being the first educational institution in Singapore to fully recycle all single-use plastics in canteens, SIT will be a model of “Zero Waste Nation” for other educational establishments in Singapore.

Gap: 

Currently, SIT canteens use non-recyclable plastic products such as Polystyrene (PS) and Low-density polyethylene (LDPE). The difficulty in recycling such plastic materials will result in an increase in plastic waste generated as it will take hundreds of years for it to fully decompose. Also, the location of recycling bins are not strategically placed, hence, it is not fully optimized. The lack of awareness of recycling impedes the university’s vision of being a model for other educational institutions in Singapore.

Goal: 

By removing single-use plastic in SIT@Dover, the amount of general waste generated in campus canteens will decrease. Thus, having a ban on the provision of disposable plastic cutleries and take-out box by the school can further control the use of single-use plastics in the campus. To facilitate the removal of disposable cutleries and take-out box in canteens, reusable bento kits would be issued to new students during freshman orientation. Bento kits will also be given out to current SIT students as well. Locations of recycling bins in the campus can be strategically placed, to encourage more people to recycle hence, reducing the amount of waste generated in SIT.


Purpose statement: 
The purpose of this proposal is to convince SIT Estates Division to include “No sales of single-use plastic” (eg. plastic utensils, takeaway containers, cups, and bags) condition into the leasing agreement between SIT and vendors and provide new students at SIT@Dover with bento starter kits.


Background: 

This proposal has been developed in response to the campaign “Zero Waste Nation” created by the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) for finding solutions to the issue of increasing waste generation in Singapore.

Under the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint 2015, Singapore aims towards becoming a zero waste nation by 2030 (MEWR, 2017). This campaign focuses on the 3R; Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. It is a joint effort between the government, businesses, and the community so as to build a sustainable Singapore for its citizens and future generations to come. Figures from the National Environment Agency (NEA) have shown that out of the 7.7 million tonnes of waste generated in 2017, only 61% of the waste are being recycled. The amount of waste generated peaked at 2016 at 7.8 million tonnes.

The extensive waste generation has resulted in a decrease in the capacity of Singapore’s only landfill, Pulau Semakau, to store these waste. At the rate of which waste is generated, the lifespan of the landfill is expected to shorten by 10 years (mewr.gov.sg, 2018). Ultimately, the resultant waste generated are negatively impacted due to lack of awareness on what can and cannot be recycled, how to recycle, and the importance of recycling.

Therefore, reducing single-use plastic waste in Singapore Institute of Technology at Dover (SIT@Dover) is the first step towards a zero waste nation campaign.
Plastics have a huge carbon footprint and the resources used in the production and disposal of plastic emits toxic chemicals. Specific infrastructure is needed to recycle certain plastic materials while non-recyclable plastics are sent to incinerator plants which result in the release of toxic gas into the environment. Only a meager 6% of the total plastic waste generated was recycled despite it consisted of up to 10% of total waste generated (NEA, 2017).

Single-use plastics are disposable plastics such as utensils, straws, cups, drink stirrers, and bags. These plastics are for one-time usage before they are being thrown or recycled away. An article by Hicks (2018) from the Eco-Business observed that a customer used nine plastic bags to buy six buns. This shows the over-reliance on plastic bags due to its convenience. The convenience that single-use plastic provides will result in the increase in plastic waste generated which leads to dire consequences.

According to SIT mission statement “To develop individuals who build on their interests and talents to impact society by providing a nurturing environment that is uniquely enriched by world-class partners”, the school aims to develop individuals to create an impact to the society. This is in line with the goal of being the first educational institution to take action against single-use plastic. By eliminating single-use plastic completely and reducing plastic waste, SIT will be a role model for other educational institutes in Singapore, encouraging them to follow suit. Ultimately, this will benefit the environment and SIT will gain recognition for being a pioneer in this project.

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