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LIFE&FAMILY
February15
Envir onment News
FOOD FOR ALL
Reducing food waste is important; it’s estimated that almost 800,000 tonnes of food was
wasted in Singapore last year. Two organisations on the island collect food donations for
people in need.
Food From The Heart
accepts in-kind and cash donations,
and is also on the lookout for volunteers,
while
Food Bank Singapore
collects
non-perishable and packaged food that’s
approaching its use-by date. The food is
redistributed to over 130 beneficiaries,
helping underprivileged individuals and
families through soup kitchens, charities
and voluntary welfare organisations.
Donations must be unopened and unused, with at least four weeks of remaining shelf
life. Donate at Level 2, City Square Mall (beside the Customer Service Counter) at 180
Kitchener Road and #01-02/04 Tanjong Pagar Distripark.
foodheart.org
|
foodbank.sg
TYRE RECYCLING
Like all excellent innovations, this one
is simple and obvious: recycling used
rubber vehicle tyres into shoe soles.
A collaboration between US retailer
Timberland and Singapore-based tyre
company Omni United will see Timberland
shoes with tyre soles for sale in the US
from April. When the tyres reach their use-
by kilometres and are taken off the road,
they will be recycled into an alternative
rubber product suitable for Timberland
shoe soles.
timberlandtires.com
PLASTIC
POLLUTION
An independent report released in December
estimates that a mind-boggling five trillion
plastic pieces weighing over 250,000 tonnes
are floating in the world’s oceans. The great
Pacific garbage patch is well known as the
largest marine trash vortex, but the Atlantic
and Indian Oceans both have vortexes too, where non-biodegradable plastic is a danger
to marine life, not to mention a massive environmental problem.
plosone.org
TURN ON THE TAP
• Singapore relies on four sources for water: local catchment water,
imported water, desalinated water and NEWater reclaimed water.
• The country plans to be self-sufficient by 2061 when the current water
agreement with Malaysia comes to an end.
• Two separate systems collect all rainwater and all used water for
recycling.
• Rainwater is collected through a network of canals, rivers and
reservoirs, and treated at waterworks for the drinking supply.
• A network of sewage pipes funnels all used water into the Deep
Tunnel Sewerage System. This 48-kilometre underground tunnel runs
from Kranji to the Changi Water Reclamation Plant at depths of 20
to 55 metres. The plant can treat 176 million gallons of used water a
day, equivalent to 320 Olympic-sized swimming pools. It is treated to
international standards and then discharged via two deep-sea outfall
pipes, or sent for further purification and eventual use by industry.
• A second massive, deep offshoot tunnel heading west to Tuas is under
construction, as well as a new reclamation plant at Tuas.
pub.gov.sg
DID Y OU KNOW?