Recycling in Condominiums & Private Apartments

16 Jul 2009

Gillian OhGillian OhNational Environment Agency, SingaporeNational Environment Agency, Singapore

Presentation OutlinePresentation Outline

• Waste situation1) Waste management challenge2) NEA strategies – focus on waste recycling

• Mandatory provision of receptacles for recycling in condominiums & private apartments

• COPEH addendum 3

• Discussion

OVERVIEW OF SOLID WASTE SITUATION

20001970

WasteExplosion

1 new incineration plant every 5-7 years

1 new landfill (350ha) every 25-30 years

Increase 6 times

1,200 t/d1,200 t/d

7,700 t/d7,700 t/d

WASTE CHALLENGESWASTE CHALLENGES

--

By 1999, all landfills onmainland werefull & closed

Scarce land resource:Scarce land resource:

WASTE CHALLENGESWASTE CHALLENGES

High cost of constructing IPs and Landfill:High cost of constructing IPs and Landfill:

IPs &Landfill Year Capacity Cost

Ulu Pandan 1979 1,100 t/d $130 m

Tuas 1986 1,700 t/d $200 m

Senoko 1992 2,400 t/d $580 m

Tuas South Tuas South 20002000 3,000 t/d 3,000 t/d $ $890890 m mSemakau Landill 1999 630x106 m3 $610 m

WASTE CHALLENGESWASTE CHALLENGES

WASTE STRATEGIESWASTE STRATEGIES

• Reduce waste volume via incineration to reduce landfill needsReduce waste volume via incineration to reduce landfill needs

• Minimise waste at sourceMinimise waste at source

• Waste Recycling Waste Recycling

Long term goals:Towards zero landfill & zero waste

Year

1,200

2,600

5,700

7,700

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

9,000

1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

Tonnes Per Day 2001

7,170

2008

Recycling efforts pay offRecycling efforts pay offDrop in waste disposed of though waste generation has risen due to increasing GDP and population :

Domestic & trade waste 4,050 tonnes/day

Non-domestic waste 3,120 tonnes/day

Waste Output : 7,170 tonnes/dayWaste Output : 7,170 tonnes/day

43.5%56.5%

Domestic Vs Non-domestic Waste Domestic Vs Non-domestic Waste (2008)(2008)

Recycling in Domestic Sector Domestic Sector 1) National Recycling Programme

- Serves all HDB / landed property estates (about 87% of households)- Condominiums not covered

2) Recycling in Condominiums - Only 38% have recycling receptacles within estate voluntarily

- Mandate receptacles for recycling as of 1 Nov 08

Launched in 2001

Bundled with public waste collection contracts

Residents given recycling bags or recycling bins

Door-to-door collection every fortnight

National Recycling ProgrammeNational Recycling Programme

Recyclables collected:PaperDrink cans/ metal containersGlass bottles/jarsPlastic bottlesCarton boxesClothing

National Recycling ProgrammeNational Recycling Programme

Semb Visy MRF

1600 HDB Centralised Depositories 1600 HDB Centralised Depositories & Recycling Bins at Public Places& Recycling Bins at Public Places

All HDB estates (1600 set)

Outside MRT stationsShopping streets and malls

Recycling in Domestic Sector Domestic Sector 1) National Recycling Programme

- Serves all HDB / landed property estates (about 87% of households)- Condominiums not covered

2) Recycling in Condominiums - Only 38% have recycling receptacles within estate voluntarily

- Mandate receptacles for recycling as of 1 Nov 08

Recycling in Condos – Status• Recycling programme launched in 2002

• Only 38% have recycling bins/bags within estate

• Placed recycling bins in public areas : helps cover another 12%

• Continual requests from various residents for recycling facilities in estate

• In 2007:

– Consulted with major stakeholders (MCST, APFM, NC, SISV, etc) in 07 to encourage recycling

– Followed up with letters and reminders to MCST

• Only slight improvement

Barriers faced to set up structured recycling programme voluntarily

From feedback:

• There is already informal collection of newspapers, clothing, etc by cleaners

• Space constraints, visual impacts, NIMBY syndrome

• Security concerns

• Some waste disposal companies lack capacity to provide structured recycling programme

• Occasional change in the waste collector

Mandate recycling receptacles in condominiums

• EPHA amended and came into effect 1 Nov 08

• All condominiums and private apartments required to provide recycling receptacles within estate – e.g. recycling bags, bins

• All recyclables collected shall be sent to recycling facilities

• Notices send out in phases, starting from larger condominiums - 6 months grace period for compliance

MCs responsible for setting up / maintaining sufficient receptacles for deposit of paper, plastics, cans, glass for recycling in commingled / sorted form

All recyclables collected from these receptacles will have to be sent to recycling facilities

Requirement

Examples of recycling in condominiums

Best Practices in Condos

1) Placement of recycling bins at convenient locations within estate

2) Door to door collection of recyclables (fortnightly)

3) Twin chute or Pneumatic recyclables collection system

- Estate with 216 units

- Recycling bins located outside the Highgate Management Office

- Current licensed waste collector is engaged to transport the collected recyclables to the recycling facilities at least weekly

Recycling programme @ Highgate

- Estate with 84 units

- Recycling bags collected fortnightly by licensed waste collector to send to recycling facilities for recycling

- Similar as that provided to HDB residents under the National Recycling Programme

Recycling programme @ Mount Faber lodge

- Estates with 950 units

- Recycling bins at the entrance of the basements of each blk 

- Cleaners empty recycling bins daily

- Cleaning contractor has a general waste collector license and is currently engaged to transport the collected recyclables to the recycling facilities

Recycling programme @ Parc Oasis

COPEH Addendum 3

Objective for COPEH amendments

To provide designated main recycling point for placement of recycling bins and/or recyclables chute system in new strata-titled properties with residential units for collection / storage of recyclables, without compromising the design for the refuse storage and collection system

Amendments made available online: 15 Jan 09

Date for compliance: 30 Mar 09

Recyclables are Paper, Plastics, Metal and Glass products

( as defined under the Second Schedule of Environmental Public Health (General Waste Collection) Regulations)

Daily recyclables output shall be computed as follow:

• either an additional 30% by volume of the daily refuse output estimated under section 1.2

• or 240L/d of recyclables, whichever is higher.

(Figures based on the current market practice in provision of recycling bins for condominiums/private apartments)

Recyclables outputRecyclables output

Designated main recycling pointDesignated main recycling point

Objective: For the deposit, consolidation & storage of recyclables collected from the development

• Allow placement of receptacles for collection and storage of the minimum daily recyclables output computed

• To be sited at one location and accessible by residents.

• To be accessible by a recyclables collection vehicle, using the same road access as that used by the refuse collection vehicle.

NOTE: While an estate can have many intermediate recycling points, each estate will need to have one

designated main recycling point

Example : Intermediate recycling points

N.B: Capacity of intermediate recycling points shall not result in any reduction in the required capacity of the recycling receptacles to be placed at the designated main recycling point

Designated main recycling pointDesignated main recycling point

Example: Designated main recycling point

Calculation ExamplesFor a new strata-titled property with 100 residential units and 30 commercial units, the recyclables output will be 30% of 2000L = 600L

Extracted from COPEH section 2.1

need to allocate space for 1x660L recycling bin that occupies say 1 m2, or 3x240L recycling bins that occupies say 1.3 m2

Recyclable Chute SystemRecyclable Chute System

Similar requirement as for refuse chute system:

Non-centralised chute

• Recyclables chute chamber capacity : at least 1 day of recyclables output from all the premises connected to the recyclables chute.

• Recyclables collected from recyclables chute chamber shall be transferred to the receptacles at designated main recycling point

Centralised chute

• Recyclables collection room : minimium capacity of 2 days of recyclables output

Recyclable Chute SystemRecyclable Chute System• Pneumatic recyclables chute collection system : minimium of

2 days of recyclables output.

  Below is an example of Twin Pneumatic Refuse Collection System

in Parc Emily condominium i.e separate chutes for refuse and recyclables

• Prolong the life span of our Prolong the life span of our landfilllandfill

• Reduce greenhouse gasesReduce greenhouse gases

• Protect natural environmentProtect natural environment

Benefits of Recycling

• Save natural resourcesSave natural resources

Key to Sustainability

Involve the Community

to take Ownership

of the Environment

Public Education & Community ParticipationPublic Education & Community Participation

• Involvement of 3P Sectors– Residents – Companies – Schools – Grassroots organizations– Government agencies– Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)

•Mandatory provision of receptacles for recyclingMandatory provision of receptacles for recycling- Mgmt to provide recycling receptacles & to engage collector to send recyclables to recycling facilities

•COPEH Addendum 3 COPEH Addendum 3 - Provide designated main recycling point and/or recyclables chute system in new properties with residential units, without compromising refuse storage & collection system design

- - All QPs to note compliance by 30 March 09

Concluding Remarks

ReduceReuse

Recycle

• Let us all learn to reduce, reuse, recycle! Let us all learn to reduce, reuse, recycle!

Concluding Remarks

Thank You