Well, I know that Singapore is one huge city and one small island. Where does the trash go?!


Just a random thought of mine...

Originally posted by Style

Well, I know that Singapore is one huge city and one small island. Where does the trash go?!


Just a random thought of mine...

....giant hi-tech incinerators.......

I once visited the one in Tuas........very impressive at that time! (it was back in 1994) :)

Everything was recycled and basically the only substance that are let out from the chimney are water vapour! :eek:

The heat that are generated are used to power the incinerator. ;)

That does sound hi-tech! I had a feeling it was not put into a huge land fill. With the size of land and the number of people it would grow very fast! ;)


Does the government encourage people to recycle a lot?

This might help:
http://app.nea.gov.sg/cms/htdocs/article.asp?pid=1459

"In Singapore, about 90% of the waste is incinerated and the remaining non-incinerable waste is landfilled. "

"They are located at Ulu Pandan, Senoko, Tuas and Tuas South. The Tuas South Incineration Plant is one of the largest in the world. "

"Now, Pulau Semakau, the first offshore landfill, is the only landfill in Singapore. It started its operation on 1 Apr 1999. Everyday, we have to barge our non-incinerable waste and incineration ash to Pulau Semakau via the Tuas Marine Transfer Station."

This is Pulau Semakau, Singapore's only landfill
http://www.iadc-dredging.com/beeld/toa-2.jpg
http://www.worldwidebbguide.com/maps/aa_singapore.gif http://www.dry-treatasia.com/p_semakau.jpg

There used to be rural villages on Pulau Sakeng ,the last of them in the Southern Islands.The villagers had been evicted and the whole island incorporated into Pulau Semakau.

http://www.iadc-dredging.com/beeld/toa-2.jpg
In this picture it was the small piece of land near the top right-hand corner.

http://picas.nhb.gov.sg/data/tn_pcd/19980005714-8120-3181-1631/img0115.jpg
http://picas.nhb.gov.sg/data/tn_pcd/19980005715-8120-3181-1612/img0016.jpg
http://picas.nhb.gov.sg/data/tn_pcd/19980005785-8106-3181-7865/img0011.jpg
The friendly neighbourhood police post.
http://picas.nhb.gov.sg/data/tn_pcd/19980007382-8105-3181-0498/img0001.jpg
Those good old days.

Whatever is left from incineration is often also used as materials to build bricks and roads.

Originally posted by Style
Does the government encourage people to recycle a lot?

Well I wasnt too aware of such campaigns, they might have increased nowadays or are promoted in schools today but I know the government has always urged us to use water wisely. But I do know that Singapore takes great effort in keeping the environment clean.

@Cliff great information! I wonder if that is a viable way to reclaim land too! Using it for roads is an excellent idea!

What I can say for sure, if that we dont have a waste recycling habit, no matter how much the govt tries to promote it. Then again, the promotion does seem rather sporadic, and is not consistently pushed for. I recall instances of folks writing into the press complaining about how recycling bins ended up like regular trash bins, and even if some bins happen to be filled up for the intended material, it was not cleared for too long a time!

In this regard, they should get their act together!

How safe is that island? Did they did down into it and expand its area or what?

Originally posted by Style

How safe is that island? Did they did down into it and expand its area or what?

I'm not sure, but I know that they are planting trees on the island.:D

Er....safe in terms of what?

Btw they are planting a whole forest of mangroves on the island. :angel1:

Originally posted by huaiwei

Er....safe in terms of what?

Btw they are planting a whole forest of mangroves on the island. :angel1:

I think he means "is it safe to build buildings on the island since the ground is all junk? WOuldn't it be soft and mushy?"

Originally posted by EyeToEye

I think he means "is it safe to build buildings on the island since the ground is all junk? WOuldn't it be soft and mushy?" Hmm..........u usually give them plenty of time to settle, before other soils and content are mixed into it? Anyway, are we sure the burnt material is supposed to be soft and mushy?? :D

Originally posted by huaiwei

Hmm..........u usually give them plenty of time to settle, before other soils and content are mixed into it? Anyway, are we sure the burnt material is supposed to be soft and mushy?? :D

Well i don't know? Maybe when it rains?

Originally posted by EyeToEye

Well i don't know? Maybe when it rains? But if you think about the properties of soil...isnt it the same? ;)

Originally posted by huaiwei

But if you think about the properties of soil...isnt it the same? ;)

Yeah. That's true. Anyway, i heard they'll be making a nice golf course on it. Or was that already mentioned?

Originally posted by EyeToEye

Yeah. That's true. Anyway, i heard they'll be making a nice golf course on it. Or was that already mentioned? Hm...cant quite remember, but let me see if i can find it online...hold on...

Cant find the info yet, but found a few interesting articles about the place:

September 25, 1993
$1.3b dumping ground at Pulau Semakau

IMAGINE rubbish spread over 630 hectares, or 840 football fields, piled three storeys high. That is the amount of ash and non-incinerable refuse it will take to fill up the new offshore landfill at Pulau Semakau, south of Pulau Bukom. The $1.3 billion dumping ground will cover an area of 350 hectares and have a capacity of 63 million cubic metres.

Giving an update on the project on Wednesday, the Environment Minister, Mr Mah Bow Tan, said that although offshore dumping was very costly, it was necessary because there were no sites on the mainland which were suitable for landfilling. The four-fold increase in the amount of waste thrown by Singaporeans over the last 20 years is another factor which makes a new and larger landfill necessary.

The Lorong Halus landfill, the last one on the mainland, is expected to be completely filled by 1998. The 230-hectare site has been in use since the 1960s. The Environment Ministry (ENV) is now working with other authorities to develop a land use plan for the Lorong Halus dumping ground.

An ENV spokesman said treatment of the land to stabilise it may take between five and 15 years, depending on what it is used for. "Parks and recreational use will need a shorter treatment time compared to industrial use. Without treatment, 40 years or more will be required before the land can be used," he said. Apart from taking up land which can be put to better use, a rising refuse load also means that you pay more for refuse disposal.

To control the cost of refuse disposal, Singaporeans will have to throw away less and recycle more. Mr Mah noted that the response to education efforts and recycling projects in town councils so far had been "disappointing".

But he added that this was an indication of the need to step up efforts to educate and, if necessary, apply disincentives to minimise waste. The Green Plan, to be announced soon, will include recommendations to tackle this.

Wow... that's alot of land for a golf course.... lol.. expensive too...

15 October 2003

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/imagegallery/store/phpNqoHgd.jpg

Pulau Semakau landfill project shows development & environment can go together

SINGAPORE: Tree planting will take place on Pulau Semakau as part of Clean and Green Week. The landfill is an example of how development and care for the environment can go together.

A half hour boat ride brings you from the mainland to Singapore's only landfill - Pulau Semakau. It covers an area equal to 440 football fields. Built by reclamation - a 7-kilometre perimeter of rock encloses part of the sea off Pulau Semakau, and what used to be Pulau Sakeng. And within this perimeter - 11 cells were built in phase one.

Solid waste - like ash from incineration plants - is dumped into each cell after seawater is pumped out. Four cells have been partially filled, and soil and grass seeds are strewn over the waste. The landfill was to last till 2030, but its lifespan will be longer as Singaporeans are recycling more of their waste.

That's not the only piece of good news. During construction, some 13 hectares of mangroves were destroyed. An experiment to replant 400,000 saplings on about 14 hectares of specially created mudbeds has proven so successful, the mangroves are thriving and have overgrown.

Professor Lee Sing Kong, Dean of the National Institute of Education, led the replanting efforts. "The depth of inundation by the seawater must be right. If it's too deep, you can kill the mangrove saplings, and if it's too shallow, the mangroves will not grow. Pulau Semakau is a landfill project but we can integrate the development of the mangrove ecosystem, into this landfill project to ensure that the environment of the area is balanced," said Professor Lee.

The mangrove saplings are also a biological indicator. They can give an early warning if toxins leak into the sea. For now - environmentalists hail the project as an example of how development does not have to be at the expense of the environment. And in years to come, this rubbish dump might just be land for your condominium. - CNA

This may be a dumping ground, but it looks like an Idyllic resort

http://www.southwestcdc.org.sg/images/enewsletter/nov03_13.jpg
Welcome to Pulau Semakau landfill, where 2000 tonnes of waste are deposited daily

DO YOU know that Singapore’s only landfill for waste disposal, situated in the South West Community Development Concil (SWCDC) district, used to be part of the sea linking the southern islands of Semakau and Sakeng?

To create the 350ha Pulau Semakau Offshore Landfill, the sea lying east of Pulau Semakau and south of Pulau Sakeng was enclosed by a 7km perimeter bund. In the process, Pulau Sakeng was enlarged through reclamation. The project, which started in 1995, took four years to complete at a cost of about $610 million.

Every night, two barges carry tonnes of non-incinerable waste and incineration ash from the Tuas Marine Transfer Station on the mainland to the offshore landfill, a three hour journey in all. On arrival at the landfill, the barges are emptied, a process which takes about six hours. The refuse then makes a final journey to the tipping site for disposal.

According to the National Environment Agency (NEA), which manages the Pulau Semakau Offsore Landfill, every consideration was given during the construction phase to protect the marine ecosystem, especially the mangroves and corals in the vicinity of the landfill. For example, about 13 hectares of mangrove were replanted at Pulau Semakau to replace those that were removed during the construction of the perimeter bund. The mangrove also serves as a biological indicator for the proper and ecologically safe operation of the landfill.

Pulau Semakau Offshore Landfill became Singapore’s only landfill when the last of the old dumping grounds at Lorong Halus reached capacity and was closed in 1999. You may wonder why we need a landfill when the bulk of our waste is incinerated in Singapore's four government incineration plants, which are also managed by the NEA. The problem is not all waste can be burnt. About 8 per cent, which cannot be burnt, needs landfill sites, as does incineration ash. About 7,000 tonnes of solid waste are incinerated daily, resulting in about 1,400 tonnes of ash to be disposed of daily at the Pulau Semakau landfill.

http://www.southwestcdc.org.sg/images/enewsletter/nov03_14.jpg
An aerial view of the Pulau Semakau Offshore Landfill, enclosed by the 7km bund (above). From the visitors’ lookout at the southern gap of the landfill (left picture, above), one can see the islands of Senang, Pawai and Sudong and even Indonesia on a clear day.

Another 600 tonnes per day for the landfill comes from waste that cannot be incinerated - including solid construction waste and sludge and slag from industrial uses making a daily total of 2000 tonnes. To introduce more greenery to the landfill, the SWCDC organised a first-ever tree-planting session there on Nov 5, which was attended by about 100 participants, including Mayor of SWCDC district Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, other MPs, students, CDC councillors and resource persons, and grassroots leaders.

In all, some 360 coastal trees were planted, including the Sea Grape, which bears fruits that grow in bunches, resemble grapes, and can be eaten like all other grapes. Participants also enjoyed a guided tour of the mangrove vegetation that day, in an event aimed at cultivating community involvement towards nature awareness.

http://www.southwestcdc.org.sg/images/enewsletter/nov03_15.jpg

This is an interesting thread. I am actually suprised that Recycling isn't widespread and mandatory in SG. Kind of disappointing actually and short sighted.

Interesting articles huaiwei, its quite cool how new land is being made from rubbish! Although that island really feels like an island:cheers:

nice article!! yeap very cool thing..make a island with rubbish:) :)



I think politicians or business leaders tend to think that environmental regulations is bad for the economy. That has proven to be a myth,,environmental regulations creates jobs and $

:)

Originally posted by EyeToEye

I think he means "is it safe to build buildings on the island since the ground is all junk? WOuldn't it be soft and mushy?"



I was thinking of...if it rains or there is a high surf. If the water gets in and then goes out and makes the sea water around it bad. That would be terrible!

Originally posted by Style

I was thinking of...if it rains or there is a high surf. If the water gets in and then goes out and makes the sea water around it bad. That would be terrible!

That too.. Lol. Actually, they build these huge bunds around the island so it's kind'a elevated and the water will have a hard time getting at it.

I'd like to see it turned into a resort when all the landfill areas are used up ,but then again ,the govt would have to find a new place for a landfill.

This article mentions some things about future uses:

DEC 26, 2003
Welcome to 'Pulau Rubbish'

By Desmond Ng

SWAYING palm trees, crystal-clear blue water and a rich community of egrets, kingfishers and the occasional dolphin in a world of their own. You would think this is an exclusive island off the Bahamas or the beautiful Maldives where the rich and famous spend their summer holidays. But this tropical paradise is right here in the southern part of Singapore.

What rubbish, you say. Well, you're quite right there - this is a waste disposal landfill a 15-minute ferry ride away from Pasir Panjang Ferry Terminal. It's pretty hard to imagine that your usual household rubbish of unwanted food remnants, furniture and clothes is the foundation for this fabulous resort-like islet, isn't it?

Pulau Semakau, managed by the National Environment Agency (NEA), is Singapore's only offshore landfill for waste disposal, a project which started in 1995. Just last month, the South West Community Development Council organised a tree-planting session there to introduce more greenery to the landfill. In all, some 360 coastal trees were planted there.

NEA said about 13ha of mangroves were replanted to replace the mangroves removed during construction. The mangrove swamp is now thriving and today reaches more than 4m in height.

NO STINK

And, surprise, surprise, there's hardly any horrid smell of waste - save for the diesel fumes from the trucks and barges. The landscape is simply picturesque - if you can look beyond the ugly treatment plant, barges, trucks and bulldozers. A small skittish monitor lizard scuttled across the road in front of our van. There were white and grey egrets soaring above the mangrove swamps and even an impressive eagle which proceeded to pick off a quick meal from the sea. An NEA employee even recalled seeing the odd dolphin swimming off Pulau Semakau now and then.

This landfill is over 350ha big - about the size of 540 football fields. (See report on facing page.) So, why not turn it into a camping haven for beach bums and nature lovers, asked some beach-goers. Production engineer Lee Wai Loon, 31, said: 'I wouldn't mind going there to do some water-sports or just laze around.'

Pulau Semakau Landfill's general manager Vincent Teo agreed it would make a lovely recreational park. But don't hold your breath. He reckoned it would take about 45 years for the landfill to be completed before any other development can take place. Right now, the landfill, for operational reasons, is not open to the public, he said. A pity, for the scenery is worth every minute of the rough ferry ride.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Will we see people living here?

CAN the island be turned into one big residential estate? Just think about the potential, especially when you consider that the up-and- coming Sentosa Cove waterfront housing district will have about 2,600 homes on mostly reclaimed land on the eastern stretch of the island. The 117-ha development comprises about 13 plots for condos, one for a hotel and about 450 other plots for bungalows and terrace houses, according to earlier reports.

And this Pulau Semakau Landfill is even larger - twice as big at 350ha to be exact. Mr Teo did not discount the housing possibility, although the decision will be left to the Government, he said. He estimates it will take at least 70 years for the landfill to be stabilised for any housing plans.

He explained: 'It'll take about 40 years for the landfill to be filled. 'But then, you'll need another 30 to 40 years to ensure that the landfill is stabilised for any infrastructure to be built on it.'

WILL PEOPLE WANT TO?

But will people want to live on a landfill in the first place? DTZ Debenham Tie Leung executive director Ong Choon Fah felt while some may be concerned with what's inside the dumping ground, many people would not mind living there.

She said: 'So long as it's environmentally safe, it's okay. I'm sure in 70 years' time, there would be so much progress in modern science that it won't be an issue. As the population grows, land use is needed and people may be adventurous enough to try new things.'

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Where your trash goes

ABOUT 1,450 tonnes of incineration ash and another 550 tonnes of waste that cannot be burnt are disposed of and levelled at this landfill daily. The incinerable wastes are burnt in the incinerator plants. Their ashes then are carried by barges - along with other rubbish that cannot be burnt - to this offshore landfill for final disposal.

MEANT FOR BEYOND 2030

This landfill is expected to meet Singapore's need for landfill space beyond the year 2030.

Originally posted by Style

I was thinking of...if it rains or there is a high surf. If the water gets in and then goes out and makes the sea water around it bad. That would be terrible! Hm....I dont knoe if this quote will answer your queries:

"Semakau is an island 8 kms from the Singapore mainland. A rock "bund" 7 kms long encloses the water round the island, forming a basin 350 hectares in size and around 20 metres deep. This basin is divided into "cells", or sections. Waste is packed into the cells and so, gradually, the island grows in size. To prevent refuse from leaching into the surrounding sea, the rock bund is lined with a thick industrial membrane and a layer of marine clay.

Every night, barges carry non-incinerable refuse and ash from the incineration plants on the mainland to Pulau Semakau. Large excavators unload the refuse. It is then transported by dump trucks to the landfill cells, where bulldozers and compactors level and compact it. Once a cell is full, it is levelled off with sand and left undisturbed. Eventually, wild shrubs grow over the area.

It cost S$610 million to construct the landfill at Paula Semakau. It is estimated that the site will last until 2030 at least. In fact, if the recycling rate can be increased to 60%, Pulau Semakau will last much longer."

I also quote this from the Singapore Green Plan 2012:

http://www.env.gov.sg/sgp2012/

"But do not expect foul smells and hellish sights. Apart from a slight acidity near the pier, the air is normal. Plants thrive. Birds stop over. White monitoring wells dot the perimeter at 100-metre intervals, for scientists to measure the quality of the surrounding water. To prevent refuse from leaching into the surrounding sea, the rock bund is lined with a thick plastic industrial membrane and a layer of marine clay. The landfill will last Singapore at least until 2030."

70 years... that's sad. Looks like we won't be around to see what happens....

Originally posted by EyeToEye

70 years... that's sad. Looks like we won't be around to see what happens.... At least you have a much higher chance of witnessing it then this old man here! :D

Originally posted by huaiwei

At least you have a much higher chance of witnessing it then this old man here! :D

Age 86? I don't think so. I'll probably die at 20 or something...

Originally posted by EyeToEye

Age 86? I don't think so. I'll probably die at 20 or something... Cool! Im already pass the age of 20!! :D

Originally posted by huaiwei

Cool! Im already pass the age of 20!! :D

Congratulations! :) :colgate:

One life, live it up!:D

Originally posted by Cliff

One life, live it up!:D

Ah! But remeber; it's not our lives that we're living...

Originally posted by rj2uman

This is an interesting thread. I am actually suprised that Recycling isn't widespread and mandatory in SG. Kind of disappointing actually and short sighted. I tried checking on this figure, and I was surprised by some of the stats I found:

(From the Singapore Green Plan 2012)

NO-WASTE LAND, NO WASTELAND

Caring for our land begins with ensuring that it does not get overwhelmed by the waste people generate. That possibility is a fate developing countries flirt with when waste management is given low priority in the rush to climb up the development ladder fast.

To avert that disaster, Singapore’s policy towards waste management covers the entire spectrum from generation to recycling to disposal. Because of our limited land - only 682 square kilometres - we aim for “zero landfill”, by minimising the amount of waste generated and recycling as much as is feasible. That way, we need not allocate any of our scarce land resources for landfills.

Waste collection takes place daily, and covers all homes, industries, public places and even offshore islands. All high-rise homes and offices come with hygienic garbage disposal chutes while landed houses and commercial premises are equipped with weather- and pest-proof trashcans. Regulations also stipulate how hazardous or bulky waste is to be disposed of. Illegal dumping, once rampant, is no longer a major problem.

Singapore recycled about 44 percent of its waste in 2001. Most of the materials recovered came from the industrial and commercial sectors. We target to raise the overall recycling rate to 60 percent by 2012. In tandem with this, we also hope to reduce the need for additional incineration plants, from the current one every 5 to 7 years, to one in 10 to 15 years, and longer if possible.

Because of scarce land resources, most of the waste that is not recycled is sent for incineration at one of our four incineration plants. This reduces waste to its minimum possible volume and conserves our limited landfill capacity. We hope to reduce the demand for refuse disposal facilities to such an extent that the need to build new facilities is minimised.

Getting the message to all Singaporeans is urgent: Not to “use and throw”, but to reduce, reuse and recycle. Schools, community organisations, waste management and recycling companies, government agencies and the mass media will be partners in this educational drive. Because this land belongs to all Singaporeans, caring for it should be a responsibility that belongs to all.

44%? Sure or not? Sounds too good to be true...

Originally posted by EyeToEye

44%? Sure or not? Sounds too good to be true... Yeah, but considering its mainly from the industries, its no longer that surprising?

Originally posted by huaiwei

Yeah, but considering its mainly from the industries, its no longer that surprising?

Oh yeah hor! Muahahahahha!

Some interesting data from that source:

http://picserver.org/view_image.php/PI4632VP773/picserver.gif

http://picserver.org/view_image.php/C5722331U63/picserver.gif

From the charts Singapore doesnt do too badly compared to other developed countries and certainly better than USA where I thought recycling was part of their culture. Not.

btw after reading those articles I sooo wanna visit that rubbish dump.:cheers:

Wow... So Singapore aint that bad after all.. Then again, maybe it's because we're so small....

Haha. Anyways, how often do you guys recycle?

Originally posted by EyeToEye

Haha. Anyways, how often do you guys recycle? Do buying Azone recycled paper count? :D

Originally posted by huaiwei

Do buying Azone recycled paper count? :D

Erm. I don't think so. Azone(or whatever) does the recycling. You just buy their products. ;)

How about re-using used mineral water bottles?:D

Originally posted by Cliff

How about re-using used mineral water bottles?:D Yeah...I do that al the time....even when there was a media report recently abut the supposed dangers of having this habit? :guns1:

cool! Singapore has the same recycle-rate as the euro-area!:) :guns1:


although i am not suprised with the low US-rate(1998-rate) but i think,or i hope it is better now
:)

i recycle alot ,plastic,metal,paper,carton and the rest goes to burning it up for heating-system :)

Originally posted by huaiwei

Yeah...I do that al the time....even when there was a media report recently abut the supposed dangers of having this habit? :guns1:

Maybe for hygiene reasons but I think they should be minimal. Sounds like a good idea to reuse the bottle.

Originally posted by drwho

i recycle alot ,plastic,metal,paper,carton and the rest goes to burning it up for heating-system :) How's the recycling rate like in Sweden? ;)

Originally posted by RafflesCity

Maybe for hygiene reasons but I think they should be minimal. Sounds like a good idea to reuse the bottle. But that news got my parents so paranoid, that they bought me metal bottes instead! :D

Originally posted by huaiwei

How's the recycling rate like in Sweden? ;)

i dunno i havent found a recycle index to compare the recycle-rate in europe. It is hard to find :/

But i would guess that our recycle-rate is 60-70%

if you will find a recycle rate-index..let me know! :) ;)

Originally posted by huaiwei

But that news got my parents so paranoid, that they bought me metal bottes instead! :D

In Japan(and i suppose some other countries too) some drinks are sold in bottles that look exactly like the PET ones we have, but made of aluminium. Really cool!

Since some of you talk about visiting the isand, but probably not getting much of a chance to, here are some excusive photos from someone who made the trip! ;)

Semakau Landfill (April 2003)

http://homepage.mac.com/voyager/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2003-04-25%2023.19.30%20-0700/Image-60EEBF4577AD11D7.jpg
route from Tuas Marine Transfer Station

http://homepage.mac.com/voyager/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2003-04-25%2023.19.30%20-0700/Image-60EED0C677AD11D7.jpg
amalgamation of Sakeng & Semakau

http://homepage.mac.com/voyager/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2003-04-25%2023.19.30%20-0700/Image-60EEDB7D77AD11D7.jpg

http://homepage.mac.com/voyager/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2003-04-25%2023.19.30%20-0700/Image-60EEE80877AD11D7.jpg
'The Amber'

http://homepage.mac.com/voyager/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2003-04-25%2023.19.30%20-0700/Image-60EEF27477AD11D7.jpg
non-incinerable waste

http://homepage.mac.com/voyager/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2003-04-25%2023.19.30%20-0700/Image-60EEFC7577AD11D7.jpg
where the barges berth

http://homepage.mac.com/voyager/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2003-04-25%2023.19.30%20-0700/Image-60EF072C77AD11D7.jpg
filling a cell with ash and waste

http://homepage.mac.com/voyager/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2003-04-25%2023.19.30%20-0700/Image-60EF110077AD11D7.jpg
covering a cell with sand

http://homepage.mac.com/voyager/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2003-04-25%2023.19.30%20-0700/Image-60EF1B1E77AD11D7.jpg
vegetation growth in a cell

http://homepage.mac.com/voyager/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2003-04-25%2023.19.30%20-0700/Image-60EF255677AD11D7.jpg
replanted mangrove - five years' old

http://homepage.mac.com/voyager/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2003-04-25%2023.19.30%20-0700/Image-60EF2F2277AD11D7.jpg

http://homepage.mac.com/voyager/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2003-04-25%2023.19.30%20-0700/Image-60EF38BF77AD11D7.jpg
original mangrove stands

Other views of the mangrove:

http://homepage.mac.com/voyager/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2003-04-25%2023.19.30%20-0700/Image-60EF423F77AD11D7.jpg

http://homepage.mac.com/voyager/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2003-04-25%2023.19.30%20-0700/Image-60EF423F77AD11D7.jpg

http://homepage.mac.com/voyager/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2003-04-25%2023.19.30%20-0700/Image-60EF521477AD11D7.jpg

http://homepage.mac.com/voyager/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2003-04-25%2023.19.30%20-0700/Image-60EF5C5677AD11D7.jpg

http://homepage.mac.com/voyager/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2003-04-25%2023.19.30%20-0700/Image-60EF65FC77AD11D7.jpg

Are those mangroves growing off the rubbish dump? That is amazing!!! :eek2:

http://homepage.mac.com/voyager/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2003-04-25%2023.19.30%20-0700/Image-60EF6FA077AD11D7.jpg
an unused wet cell and pipes to open sea

http://homepage.mac.com/voyager/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2003-04-25%2023.19.30%20-0700/Image-60EF791C77AD11D7.jpg
rocks and geomembrane on bund

Originally posted by RafflesCity

Are those mangroves growing off the rubbish dump? That is amazing!!! :eek2: Sort of! :D Even thou the seedlings were mostly planted manually. ;)

Other views of the area and vicinity:

http://homepage.mac.com/voyager/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2003-04-25%2023.19.30%20-0700/Image-60EF82AE77AD11D7.jpg

http://homepage.mac.com/voyager/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2003-04-25%2023.19.30%20-0700/Image-60EF8C5677AD11D7.jpg
Pulau Sudong

http://homepage.mac.com/voyager/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2003-04-25%2023.19.30%20-0700/Image-60EF95D777AD11D7.jpg
Pulau Pawai

http://homepage.mac.com/voyager/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2003-04-25%2023.19.30%20-0700/Image-60EF9F4677AD11D7.jpg
Pulau Senang

This is simply amazing. It desreves international coverage! Even I myself wasnt aware of it till this thread.

Thank you Style!:guns1:

Yeap! A simple question can spark of lots of interesting stuff to be found! ;)

Cant imagine this is in little Singapore, eh? :D

http://homepage.mac.com/voyager/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2003-04-25%2023.19.30%20-0700/Image-60EF8C5677AD11D7.jpg

Paradise from a rubbish dump! :eek:

Yeap. :D And just look at that tranquil waters and exortic islands! :colgate:

Wow. They look so nice and peaceful... I wouldn't mind spening a day on one...

Er....several hours would suffice for me...one day is going to make me feel like Robinson. :D

Originally posted by huaiwei

Er....several hours would suffice for me...one day is going to make me feel like Robinson. :D

Some music, a good book, a nice deck chair, LOTS AND LOTS OF FOOD, my handphone...

enough... i'll have a great time....

Oh yeah! And a sleeping bag!!!!

Goodness! You actually intend to stay overnight on that island!! I think you will be most happy in the army!! :D

Originally posted by EyeToEye

Some music, a good book, a nice deck chair, LOTS AND LOTS OF FOOD, my handphone...

enough... i'll have a great time....

Oh yeah! And a sleeping bag!!!!

Hope no one throws you into the rubbish bin!

:rofl:

Originally posted by RafflesCity

Hope no one throws you into the rubbish bin!

:rofl: Oh...it wont be easy...they have to transport him back to the mainland, burn and combact him before sending his ashes back! :D

Originally posted by huaiwei

Oh...it wont be easy...they have to transport him back to the mainland, burn and combact him before sending his ashes back! :D

So troublesome..since he is organic material, he should be biodegradable..no need to go thru all the hassle:yes:

Originally posted by RafflesCity

So troublesome..since he is organic material, he should be biodegradable..no need to go thru all the hassle:yes: But there is still ash remaining rite? ;) Stll need to dump it somewhere...........

No what..if you let the body decompose it will be converted to gaseous carbon dioxide by bacteria.

The bones might be a problem.

Burn the bones...isnt that the idea? ;)

Hmm yah good idea..destroy all evidence!:D

Oh man.. you guys are sick! I shall forver remember this incident! Be warned, friends, my doom shall fall from the sky upon your filthy heads in vangeance of your deceitful conspiring!!!!!! Muahahahahahaha!

:rofl:!!

This always happens when we tot the person in question isnt around....too bad you came here prematurly and spoilt our plans! :D

Tsk tsk tsk..... how dreadful....... no wonder there are so few Singaporeans around.. they must have all been chased away! ;)

oh you're back! Dont worry..we were just theorizing only...

you can feel perfectly safe should you choose to vacation at that dump!...or not :sly:

Originally posted by RafflesCity

oh you're back! Dont worry..we were just theorizing only...

you can feel perfectly safe should you choose to vacation at that dump!...or not :sly:

It's a good thing my insurance plan covers such things.... sheesh... :baaa:

Originally posted by EyeToEye

Tsk tsk tsk..... how dreadful....... no wonder there are so few Singaporeans around.. they must have all been chased away! ;) Wat a thing to say when U still came back! :D

I dont remember anyone being burnt and dumped on Pulau Semakau except when they imagine themselves staying there for the long term! :D

Originally posted by huaiwei

Wat a thing to say when U still came back! :D

I dont remember anyone being burnt and dumped on Pulau Semakau except when they imagine themselves staying there for the long term! :D

Muahahahaha! I'm not easy to get rid off what!

Originally posted by EyeToEye

Muahahahaha! I'm not easy to get rid off what! Sure..so where are u thinking of sleeping now? Muahahaha!!

Man! I forget about this thread...take a trip into this forum and look what I find! :D


95 replies! :guns1:


Thanks for maps, and single posts with photos, huaiwei! ;)

Originally posted by Style

Man! I forget about this thread...take a trip into this forum and look what I find! :D


95 replies! :guns1:


Thanks for maps, and single posts with photos, huaiwei! ;)

Don't forget the evil plots to murder a fellow forumer and countryman... :bash:

Originally posted by EyeToEye

Don't forget the evil plots to murder a fellow forumer and countryman... :bash: Seen in another way, its just the fulfillment of a beloved fellow forumer's greatest wish? :D

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/imagegallery/store/phpIbmdF9.jpg

SINGAPORE : The price of scrap material has risen tremendously over the last year.

This has made the business of collecting rubbish a more profitable one, changing the face of the Karang Guni collector.

Trash is cash for 60-year-old Madam Wong Sok Mei.

She earns up to $4,000 a month, selling recyclables to a company called Recycling Point Dot Com, which in turn exports them overseas.

Madam Wong is a franchisee.

The company, which has 24,000 customers, gives her a list of clients, a set of guidelines and procedures, as well as uniforms for her staff.

It is then up to her to grow her business with a prompt collection service.

Joseph Tan, COO, Recycling Point Dot Com, said: "They're not directly under our employment. In fact, they control their own time. The more they work, they more they earn. If they work less, they get less."

The success of the programme has lured former bankrupts, entrepreneurs and retirees to the job.

Madam Wong had a trading business which went bust 3 years ago.

She had to overcome a mental barrier before she picked up the trash business.

She said: "At that time when I go out, I feel shy you see. Then as I think it over...this is business, right. And I don't steal, I don't do other things. This is pure business so I have that in mind.

Besides Madam Wong, about 40 others have joined Recycling PointDotCom as Area Managers or in her words, "high class" karang guni collectors.

They have joined a trade that many feel is below them, and turned it into a profitable business.

For them, if it is a proper business that brings in the dollars and cents, the rest is really all in the mind.

And the dollars and cents are significant: some who work 8 hours a day can even earn $1,000 daily!

The company benefits as it saves by not having to manage workers.

And with the value of recyclables rising - those who have made it their business have cashed in. - CNA

I remember during my army times.....i went to this landfill beside the TPE(can't remember the name)......It was filled up quite a long time ago....

The other day when I was in a cab, I saw the landfill again......It was like a small "hill"....haha...gosh we must have produced a lot of trash.....:D

There was this article on the Straits Times some months ago about a rag-and-bone man who set up an internet business... muahaha... talk about entrepreneurship!

tpe beside got landifll meH? i always pass by dun have leh

tpe beside got landifll meH? i always pass by dun have leh

Thats because they stop filling the land already a few years ago(I think fill to the brim already)......Now it just a green hillslope......Can't remember what's the street name though......

Lorong Halus is it? (didnt chk street directory)

Lorong Halus is it? (didnt chk street directory)

Oh yes..that's the name...you been there before(when it's a landfill)??

Oh yes..that's the name...you been there before(when it's a landfill)??
Never been there lah...go there for what? :D Get dumped?

Never been there lah...go there for what? :D Get dumped?

Haha....I don't think you will be dumped in the near future....:D

Haha....I don't think you will be dumped in the near future....:D
Perhaps you ask me that so that you can waste me and dispose me there some day? No one is going to go to aa closed landfilll will they?

Gee.....help......

Perhaps you ask me that so that you can waste me and dispose me there some day? No one is going to go to aa closed landfilll will they?

Gee.....help......

haha...."waste me and dispose me "....you think what?? I a serial killer ah?? hahaha.....but then again, it might happen if i suddenly get sick of cops...muahahahaha....:D

haha...."waste me and dispose me "....you think what?? I a serial killer ah?? hahaha.....but then again, it might happen if i suddenly get sick of cops...muahahahaha....:D
Wakao....I say you going to kill one, and you say you "serial killer" liao. So who are your other victims? Sekali serial cop killer! :eek:

352 litterbugs nabbed in eight days in anti-litter blitz

25 May 2004

SINGAPORE: The National Environment Agency is hot on the heels of litterbugs, nabbing 352 offenders in the past eight days in an anti-litter blitz at some hotspots.

Channel NewsAsia trailed one such ambush with a hidden camera.

The stakeout began outside Selegie Road's Peace Centre where three NEA officers in plainclothes were waiting for unsuspecting litterbugs.

The officers paid particular attention to male smokers and barely 15 minutes into the operation, a man was caught for throwing a cigarette butt on the ground.

He was fined $200 and given a tinbox for cigarette butts.

"One ciga butt, a slip of the finger, it slips down, you pay $200, doesn't make sense," complained 47-year old Veeno Gopal, the offender, in halting English.

But NEA officers said that the litterbug knows the law and he had his chance.

NEA spokesman Sulaiman said: "After they have thrown the litter or left behind drinks cans, we will observe for a while before approaching them."

When Channel NewsAsia's reporter asked litterbug Veeno Gopal if he would use the tinbox the next time, he said "I'm gonna throw it down the trashcan, man.......throw it down the trashcan."

The "litterbug attack" then moved on to Ang Mo Kio neighbourhood centres which are often badly littered.

True enough, two more smokers were caught in half an hour.

One of them, 48-year old Mohd Noor Bin Aris, complained: "I always put (cigarette butts) inside dustbin. But here, I was very far away from the dustbin, I just put beside me, and he (NEA officer) came to charge me."

But there's no second chance.

First offenders who throw small items like cigarette butts and tissue papers, are slapped with a $200 fine.

If they don't pay the fine within six weeks, they will be charged in court and may even be sentenced to a Corrective Work Order.

Mohd Noor said: "I can't afford. My family is poor, only me, one person working, my wife is not working. I'm a pest control worker, how much can I earn? One month, only $1,000."

NEA spokesman Sulaiman said: "If the person can't pay the summon, he can write in to appeal, and on a case-by-case basis, we may arrange to extend the payment period."

Even though previously litter-prone areas like Clementi, Holland Village and Toa Payoh are now cleaner, there are still those who just can't kick the habit of littering.

That's why the NEA is stepping up its enforcement operations from 600 hours a week to 800 hours. - CNA

I belong to the breed who applaud them for arresting litterbugs, but would curse and swear if I am the one arrested myself! :D

you shouldn't be littering in the first place! @_@

JUNE 10, 2004

Let germs clean your loo for you
By Teh Joo Lin

IF YOUR toilet never smells really clean, Sembiologics suggests that you try unleashing an army of germs on it.

Sembiologics, an offshoot of SembCorp Environmental Management (SembEnviro), and a Danish company, Novozymes, have developed three cleaning products that contain microbes.

These microscopic organisms, produced by Novozymes, remove smell and 'eat' oil and dirt by producing enzymes that digest stinking waste into carbon dioxide and water.

Leaving the work to bugs saves money, time and the environment, claims SembEnviro's chief executive officer, Ms Loh Wai Kiew.

Microbial solutions cost about the same as chemical cleaners but release no harmful gases and clean more efficiently, she said.

Once out of the bottle, the microbes start multiplying and go on doing so as long as they have waste to feed on, after which they feed on one another.

The ongoing action means cleaners do not have to wash the same place every day for it to smell good, she said.

But these cleaning solutions will not be on the shelves until next year, said Ms Loh, who estimates the market potential for such products to be worth $63 million a year.

At least one other company here wants a piece of the pie.

Calfarme, a hygiene services provider, imports microbes from the United States to make its own toilet-cleaning solutions here.

Its managing director, Mr Paul Neo, said the company will put out its own products 'very soon'.

'There's a lot of potential as these products are not yet sold on the shelves,' he said.

But there will still be a market for chemical cleaning products, said an Institute of Environmental Science and Engineering research scientist, Dr Geng Anli.

Both can work hand in hand, she said.

'For a very dirty place, chemicals and physical work can probably do a quicker job. After that, microbes can be brought in to reduce the residue to harmless compounds,' she said.

Copyright @ 2004 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

Time is GMT + 8 hours
Posted: 12 June 2004 2059 hrs

Singapore's OK campaign here to stay, as it celebrates first year
By Bridgette See, Channel NewsAsia

SINGAPORE: It has been a year since the "Singapore's OK" campaign was launched in response to the SARS outbreak, and it is here to stay.

More than 80 Constituency SARS Task Forces were formed to spread the message of public hygiene and cleanliness.

In a year, they and their volunteers have helped thousands of coffee shops, markets, and public toilets to attain higher hygiene standards.

The effort continues and since November, the number of "OK" markets and coffeeshops have gone up more than 20%.

To celebrate the anniversary, more than 400 grassroots leaders gathered to share their experiences.

The Environment Minister stressed that in order to sustain the campaign, its scope has to be broadened with additional projects like the battle against rats and mosquitoes.

Minister Lim Swee Say said: "Basically we look at "Singapore's OK" not as a 100m dash, not that it started with SARS and now that SARS is over, it will end with SARS. Instead, we'll look at "Singapore's OK" as a marathon, a never-ending race, an unending battle against unknown viruses, unknown diseases."

Indeed, some of the 80 Constituency SARS Task Forces have renamed and restructured themselves to broaden their scope.

So, instead of being called SARS Task Forces, they are called Emergency Preparedness Groups or Environmental Hygiene and Public Health Safety Committees. - CNA

Copyright © 2004 MCN International Pte Ltd

Oh gosh.... yet another semi-useless campaign....

Its more like another excuse for another keep Singapore clean exercise lah! :D

Time is GMT + 8 hours
Posted: 13 July 2004 1701 hrs

Singapore may not need another landfill if recycling increases
By Joanne Leow/Caiying, Channel NewsAsia

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/imagegallery/store/php9ZiEZK.jpg
Pulau Semakau

SINGAPORE : Environment Minister Lim Swee Say has said Singapore may not need another landfill as Singaporeans are recycling more and producing less waste.

He said this could help make Singapore's only landfill at Pulau Semakau the last.

Mr Lim said the ultimate aim was for Singapore to have a zero landfill policy.

At present rates, this difficult task is not impossible.

Newer, more innovative ways to recycle waste - especially food waste - can help meet this goal.

Mr Lim said: "If we are able to manage our food waste...this will solve one of our big problems in public health in terms of not creating a source of food for rats and so on. But yet at the same time, if you are able to recycle the food waste, then the food waste can be turned into a useful resource.

"We have started some pilot projects where some of our hawker centres and wet markets, what we do is the food waste from these places are now being recycled to fertiliser.

"Of course in Singapore we do not have a big farming community, so most of this fertilisers will be exported to the region, to the neighbouring countries."

All waste is now incinerated and what is left is stored at Semakau Island.

Singapore's only landfill was built to hold 25 years of rubbish - recycling and cutting back on waste production has helped extend its lifespan.

Mr Lim said: "On the whole, this is what we have been working and continuing to do, that is to continue to expand the scope of recycling so that more and more waste streams will be turned into useful resources."

Currently, Singapore has 156 companies that collect rubbish. Over the past few years 20 new companies were set up to deal with contruction waste.

In the next two years, it is estimated that Singapore needs about 10 more companies to deal with the electronics and food industries waste. - CNA

Copyright © 2004 MCN International Pte Ltd

Time is GMT + 8 hours
Posted: 14 July 2004 2124 hrs

Tanjong Pagar residents benefit from cleaner environment through food recycling project
By Lian Cheong/Julia Ng, Channel NewsAsia

SINGAPORE : A pilot recycling project that turns food waste into fertilisers is taking place at Tanjong Pagar.

Residents there are giving it the thumbs-up for making the environment cleaner, while stallholders benefit from lower waste collection fees.

Egg shells, orange peels and fish gills are just some of the food waste which a machine, with the help of enzymes, turns into fertilisers after just three hours of processing.

The pilot project kicked off at Tanjong Pagar last year.

Mr Simon Koh Tee Chuan, General Manager of Tanjong Pagar Town Council, said: "Before this machine was installed, this centre is near to the hawker centre and food centres. There is a lot of food waste, which attract a lot pests, rats and cockroaches. Also it is quite smelly.

"After this machine is installed, basically because all those waste are changed to composed fertilisers, there is no longer any smell and fewer pests. "

Stallholders benefit too, as less food waste leads to lower waste collection fees.

The Tanjong Pagar Town Council has even set up a roof-top vegetable garden, where fertilisers from recycled food waste are used.

The company handling the recycling, is now working with waste management contractors on a more efficient way to collect and sort out food waste for recycling.

It plans to expand the project islandwide.

And since Singapore does not have farming activities on a large-scale, most of the fertilisers will be exported to neighbouring countries. - CNA

Copyright © 2004 MCN International Pte Ltd

Time is GMT + 8 hours
Posted: 16 July 2004 2016 hrs

Upmarket recycling bins to make recycling more sustainable
By Bridgette See, Channel NewsAsia

SINGAPORE : A waste recycling company has made recycling bins slicker and even added advertising panels on them to help defray the high recycling costs.

The new recycling bins are large, look more upmarket than the old ones... and for the first time come complete with advertisements.

It is the latest idea to get people to toss in their drink cans when they are done - and to help defray the cost of recycling.

There are 27 such bins at 17 Kopitiam outlets around the island.

"Before this concept came about, because of the outlet's size and location and storage size, some of the materials would actually have to be thrown away," said Ng Pei Ling, Kopitiam Investment.

Some 56,000 cans were collected last month - which works out to roughly 100 cans from each bin each day.

A third of the cans are dropped in by customers, the rest by cleaners.

Recycling bins seem to have an image problem, which is why people tend to throw rubbish in them.

This has spurred efforts to make the recycling bins more upmarket and sophisticated.

Singaporeans whom Channel NewsAsia spoke to said the efforts will give recycling a different feel and encourage proper disposal.

The waste recycling company which provides the bins says it needs to collect at least 500 cans from each bin each day to make the recycling cost-effective.

That is why it has added advertising panels on the bins to help defray costs.

"The main challenge was telling (clients) they were going to put their advertisements on a bin," said Roland Ang, Director, Otto Media.

"Some people were not receptive, a little hesitant, while some turned us down as they just had a no-no policy on bins."

By October, there will be more than 140 bins at all Kopitiam outlets, with a target of 2 million cans collected each year. - CNA

Copyright © 2004 MCN International Pte Ltd

ads on bins! :lol:

who wouldve thought of that

^
Here's how the bins look like.......:D

JULY 20, 2004
Kopitiam goes green

http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/mnt/media/image/launched/2004-07-20/h8.jpg
One of Kopitiam's recycling bins located at Plaza Singapura. Kopitiam now has 27 bins in 17 outlets. -- SEAN TAN

MS IRIS Lo Wei Ting (right) drops a drink can into one of Kopitiam's recycling bins in Plaza Singapura. Singapore's biggest food-court chain has jumped into the recycling fray, even while others shy away because of what it will cost them.

However, it is defraying the cost of the scheme by selling advertising space on its recycling bins, and is apparently the first to do so.

Its partner in the scheme, waste disposal company Otto Holdings, designed the bins specially to accommodate the advertisements.

Companies pay $700 per month to advertise on each bin. There are 27 bins in 17 outlets now, but Kopitiam said it hopes to equip all its outlets - more than 70 - with bins by October.

Copyright @ 2004 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

Advertising on bins....hey why didnt they think of this earlier, even thou I wont be looking at the ads when I throw? :D

We advertise on buses, trains, cabs, heck! Why not recycling bins too?!

Speak up for a cause

A NASTY little HDB void-deck exchange with a resident recently made me think Singaporeans have a long way to go to make Singapore truly their home.

The incident was over littering. My husband and I saw a resident throw away the junk mail he had retrieved from his mailbox, and we told him politely he should throw his litter in a nearby bin.

What we thought was an act of 'public-spiritedness' was met with a string of accusations that, one, we were 'very free' and, two, we acted as if we didn't litter at all.

The man became more infuriated when we replied that, one, we are Singaporeans and do not wish to see our home littered and, two, we don't litter at all.

I wonder how many Singaporeans would bother to speak up for a simple cause like keeping a place clean, and communicate that senseof social responsibility to others?

It does not take much to practise what we preach in the simple things we do each day, like holding the lift door open for someone, smiling at the street cleaner or reminding MRT passengers to give way.

Karen Goh Pheng Li (Ms)

i give dirty looks

i give dirty looks
They will be too thick-skinned to care obviously? ;)

Sometimes I could almost imagine what kind of folks will get into this kind of argument.

it would be fun to throw paper balls in their faces :)

it would be fun to throw paper balls in their faces :)
Depends on who's faces you are refering too!

Time is GMT + 8 hours
Posted: 09 September 2004 1645 hrs

'Recycled' Paya Lebar-Kovan CC cost 66% less to build
By Ken Teh, Channel NewsAsia

SINGAPORE : You have heard of recycled plates, cups and even computers but now there is a recycled community club in the Paya Lebar-Kovan estate.

Paya Lebar residents have been busy putting the finishing touches on their new community club.

But then again, the CC isn't exactly what you would call new.

The two-storey building is actually recycled; it used to be the estate's HDB Branch office.

The centre cost only about S$2.8 million to refurbish, only about a third the cost of building a regular community centre.

They used inexpensive materials and a great deal of innovation, like installing sky lights and cross ventilation techniques, which cut down on building and maintenance costs.

"Within three months we get a multipurpose court up; we get a basketball court up and we even have open air karaoke pavilions," said Cynthia Phua, MP for Aljunied GRC.

"I always find the youth have no where to go. We're trying to create an adventure learning park where the teenagers can come in for team building," she said.

But just because the CC is recycled, don't think residents are being shortchanged.

Early next year, the CC will be part of an S$8 million project to connect communities around the island.

The Community Club also broke another record: it was completed in four months, a quarter of the time taken for regular CCs.

So even though it is recycled, the Paya Lebar Kovan Community Club looks set to be the envy of many newer CCs. - CNA

Copyright © 2004 MCN International Pte Ltd

Time is GMT + 8 hours
Posted: 10 September 2004 2213 hrs

Only 3 Singapore firms publish environmental reports: survey
By Derek Cher, Channel NewsAsia

SINGAPORE : Only three companies in Singapore published environmental reports between 2001 and 2003, according to a global survey by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and CorporateRegister.com.

So, together with SembComp Industries, the association has conducted a forum to push for more environmental reporting by listed companies here.

Many companies in Asia are not comfortable with environmental reporting.

They feel it is like airing their dirty linen, telling the whole world how much pollutants they emit, how much power and water they use, and how they dispose of their waste.

But the ACCA and SembCorp Industries now want to change that attitude.

"I use the anecdote of the ying and yang. If you look at the whole earth as ying and yang, if you're mining materials from the earth, you need to bring it back down, in full form back to the earth so that you have a balance of nature," said Loh Wai Kiew, president and chief executive of SembCorp Environmental Management.

Contrary to popular belief, companies that adopt environmental reporting do not incur huge costs.

Singapore Airlines, for instance, saves millions of dollars a year by being environmentally responsible.

It is not compulsory for Singapore companies to have environmental responsibility and reporting, unlike other countries such as Hong Kong, where its public sector has to report annually on its environmental performance.

"A growing number of investors now are asking companies to demonstrate their responsibility to the environment and society. By not producing a report, companies can possibly lose investment. Another thing is you'll lose trust of the stakeholders such as consumers, buyers of your products," said Rachel Jackson, head of social and environmental issues at ACCA.

The association expects that it will take at least another 10 years before such reporting is widely adopted. - CNA

Copyright © 2004 MCN International Pte Ltd

isn't it YIN instead of ying?

isn't it YIN instead of ying?

Thats the English press mah.....:lol:

The New Paper - 13 Sep 2004

DIRTY? HEY, GIVE CLEANERS SOME RESPECT

CLEANING COMPANIES WANT MORE YOUNG S'POREANS TO JOIN THEM, BUT HOW DO PEOPLE TREAT THEM

By Esther Au Yong

NO-ONE cared.
Apparently, cleaners are not meant to be heard or seen.

I can tell you this with conviction - I was 'hired' by Campaign Cleaning Services to help clean at Toa Payoh's HDB Hub last Thursday.

From the moment I put on my maroon uniform and cleaner's tag, I felt almost invisible.

No-one gave me a second glance.

I made eye contact with some passers-by while emptying trash bins, but no-one smiled at me. When I ventured a smile, they looked at me strangely, apparently wondering whether I knew my place as a cleaner.

Those who did talk only complained.

A toilet-user came out, and commented to the air in front of her: 'Toilet very dirty, ah.'

As she walked away, she instructed, without once turning back, or breaking a stride: 'You must make sure you clean properly.'

A fellow cleaner, in her 50s, chastised me for being a cleaner at my age.

She said it was an 'aunty's' job and not something young locals would do.

It seems the belief is that cleaning is a dirty job best left to foreigners, the elderly, the cannot-make-its and the has-beens.

And of course, cleaning is also often regarded as a shameful job. That's partly why litterbugs are punished by a Corrective Work Order (CWO) - essentially being a cleaner for a day.

Still, cleaners don't want the CWO dropped just yet.

'I think it should stay because it will teach people not to litter,' said Mr Rohaizat
Rohmat, a project executive at Campaign Cleaning Services.

'Not so much to shame them, but to show them that a cleaner's work isn't easy.'

Ms Jasmine Soh, general manager of
Crusade Services, feels that cleaning and CWOs are different, and that the public should not confuse the two.

'It's shameful for those given a CWO because they are being punished, but cleaners are not. They're doing their job, and the public should not look down on them,' she said.

'Cleaners are doing honest, hard work.'

They shake their heads every morning and let out a collective sigh when they see their once spotless corner all covered with rubbish the next day.

At 11pm, after everyone had left, I saw how dirty Singapore actually is.

Many of us go to sleep, and wake up the next morning to clean streets and public areas. What we don't give a minute to think about are the people who make this a reality - the cleaners.

Madam Jaharah Makpak, my Malay-speaking toilet-cleaning buddy, is proud of her job. She even carries cleaning aids from home. She has been cleaning for more than six months now.

Opening a bottle she had brought from home, she said: 'Ah, this one is special. I brought some of my home detergent to add to the one the company provides.'

You see, Madam Jaharah doesn't like the antiseptic smell of the cleaner provided by the company.

'I don't think the toilet users appreciate it very much either. So, a little bit of this one from home will give it a floral smell,' she explained in Malay.

Cleaning is hard work (a typical shift lasts nine hours), and mundane too. And no amount of new technology is going to magically take away the fact that it's still a kind of dirty job.

'The high-tech cleaning machines, smart uniforms, cool titles (like COO - Conservancy Owner Operator), and better pay isn't going to work overnight to change the image of the industry,' said Ms Soh.

'But with time, we are hoping that public perception will change and the unnecessary stigma will go.'

It appears the stigma may be fading.

In July, during a recruitment exercise, there were 300 applications for 150 cleaning jobs available.

Under labour laws, seven out of 10 full-time cleaners hired here have to be Singaporeans or PRs.

Companies are also trying to win over locals, especially younger ones, even allowing some to be their own boss.

All of which is great. But having tried it, I felt it's about time cleaners are given the respect and acknowledgement they deserve.

HOW WE FEEL ABOUT YOU

HAVE you ever stopped to speak to the uniformed men and women who scurry about silently, making sure Singapore is clean?

Bet you've had something to say about them - if not to them.

Well, here are some of their comments about you:

MR SELVAM, 21, a cleaning supervisor at HDB Hub in Toa Payoh
'I get very angry especially when the public simply throw rubbish when there's a bin nearby. Or when there's obviously a cleaner nearby with a garbage bag on hand.

'Sometimes, when we tell them nicely to help us by throwing away rubbish properly next time, they tell us it's our job, and that they shouldn't be doing our job for us.

'What to do? They are right in a way - it is our job. But we're still human and have feelings too.'

MR WONG SIAK KHUEN, 60, a cleaning supervisor at a Jurong factory
'There's no use telling or even asking nicely. There are some people out there who just think they are bigger than us, and we're just cleaners and nothing else, especially those who keep throwing tissue paper on the floor and who don't flush.

'I really don't understand why - the bin is there and flushing is just a matter of pushing a button.'

MADAM JAHARAH MAKPAK, 50, a toilet cleaner at HDB Hub
'We meet all sorts of people in this line. Some are nice, some are horrid.

'But it's always nice when someone tells you you've done a good job. Or when they smile at you when your eyes meet, instead of just turning away without any acknowledgement.'

GOING HIGH-TECH TO ATTRACT THE YOUNG

By introducing more high-tech measures into their operations, local companies are continuing their efforts to clean up the cleaning industry.

They are hoping these added features will attract more locals - and younger ones too.

SembWaste Cleantech, whose parent company is SembEnviro, recently spent $4 million on a fleet of cleaning vehicles.

They have also introduced a global positioning monitoring system for clients, and personal digital assistants (PDAs) for supervisors' use.

Another local company, Campaign Cleaning Services, is also getting into the act.

They recently launched a biometrics monitoring system at some jobsites.

Using this system, the cleaners' thumbprints are recorded and kept in a database. Their attendance is monitored with just a touch of the thumb on a detection pad.

Said Mr Kevin Loh, Campaign's Chief Operating Officer: 'We want to make use of technology to increase our work efficiency and spend our time more productively.'

Copyright © 2004 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.

OCT 16, 2004
S'pore lauded for Newater's green effort

SINGAPORE'S success with Newater and Jakarta's effort to single out polluting companies have been praised by Asean officials as examples of good urban environmental management.

The two cases will be included on a list of more than 100 examples of good environmental practice drawn up at a two-day meeting on environmental sustainability, which ended yesterday.

The list is part of the wider Regional Environmentally Sustainable Cities Programme, which aims to improve urban environmental conditions in the Asean member states.
It is hoped that the examples on the list, drawn from 22 cities, will be emulated by Asean cities in the drive towards promoting clean air, water and land.

The meeting was attended by 80 delegates representing Asean countries as well as inter-governmental bodies like the United Nations Environment Programme and the Asian Development Bank.

The chairman of the working group running the programme, Mr Loh Ah Tuan, said yesterday that the next step would be to conduct workshops and programmes to help cities develop the capacity to adopt environmental programmes successfully.

Mr Loh said it was impossible to come up with a 'one size fits all' solution because of different circumstances in different cities.

'The challenge is to put these practices into a format that all the cities can use readily,' he said

In his opening address on Thursday, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, said:

'Singapore is not alone in our desire to sustain the environment for the sake of the long-term future.

'All the Asean countries as well as our Asian neighbours are strongly committed to working together to tackle environmental challenges.'

Copyright @ 2004 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

Oct 22, 2004
Clean, Green S'pore? Not the beaches
By Radha Basu

900 bins worth of litter retrieved from beaches here - in just 1 1/2 hours SINGAPORE'S tree-lined streets may be renowned the world over for their cleanliness, but the state of its beaches and mangroves tells a different story.

In a recent beach clean-up, about 2,000 volunteers retrieved a staggering nine tonnes of rubbish - enough to fill about 900 bins - in about 1 1/2 hours.

While the authorities pointed out that the rubbish could have floated across from neighbouring countries, volunteers say that on the beaches at least, the bulk of the litter - non-biodegradable cigarette butts and plastic items - seems to have been discarded by picnickers too lazy to take the short walk to the nearest bin.

As part of the International Coastal Cleanup Singapore held on Sept 18, volunteers from schools and environment organisations picked up close to 90,000 pieces of litter, roughly two-thirds from the beaches alone.

The clean-up covered eight beaches and three mangrove areas.

The annual campaign aims to gain insights into the extent and content of the rubbish that turns up on shores worldwide.

Held here since 1992, the clean-up - part of an international effort in more than 70 countries - is coordinated by the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research (RMBR) and the Nature Society.

This year's results show the situation is deteriorating. The amount of litter picked up has been rising steadily - from about 66,000 pieces in 2002, to 74,000 last year and close to 90,000 this year.

'It's amazing how we have so much rubbish on our beaches, despite our image of being a very clean country,' said Mr N. Sivasothi of RMBR, country coordinator of this year's clean-up.

'If you take a photograph on East Coast Park, you can probably get half a dozen litter bins in a single frame. Yet, all the trash is not ending up in the litter bins,' said Mr Sivasothi.

Not surprisingly, the popular East Coast Park picnic spot was one of the dirtiest, with about 15,000 pieces of litter being picked up by volunteers, despite the park being cleaned twice a day between May and October.

The National Environment Agency, which oversees the cleanliness of the beaches here, claims much of the rubbish that ends up here is 'flotsam that originated from neighbouring seas and was washed up on Singapore's beaches by strong winds and tides'.

A detailed study of the litter, however, indicates otherwise.

'We found close to 12,000 cigarette butts on the beaches and only around 10 in the mangroves, which are less accessible,' said Ms Airani Hamli, a volunteer, who spent nearly a month identifying and collating data on the rubbish picked up by volunteers.

'Much of the trash is definitely a result of recreational activities on our shores,' she said.

Conservationists say that bickering over where the litter comes from should not be the focal point of the campaign.

Earlier this year, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan announced that rubbish, mainly plastic, kills more than a million sea birds and 100,000 mammals and sea turtles worldwide every year.

'Whether the plastic that chokes them is from Malaysia, Indonesia or Singapore makes no difference to our sea animals,' said conservationist Grant Pereira. 'They die anyway.' \-- For details on the coastal clean-up, log on to coastalcleanup.nus.edu.sg

Copyright © 2004 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

http://www.salon.com/mwt/the_big_idea/2004/10/22/big_idea_10_22/index1.html

Would you drink this water?

NEWater looks like any other glacier-clear bottled H20. Except it gushes from the toilets of Singapore instead of a bubbling spring.

- - - - - - - - - - - -
By Corrie Pikul

Oct. 22, 2004 *|* The promotional bottle for Singapore's NEWater looks like any other bottled water, right down to its snappy name and bright label. And it tastes the same as other premium bottled-water brands -- maybe even better, if you prefer the metallic edge of Evian to the airy sweetness of Poland Springs. But while NEWater is transparent, its story is not, and it's frankly not terribly appetizing.

NEWater is the product of Singapore's new water-treatment system, and it is wastewater that has been purified through advanced synthetic membranes called ZeeWeed. That's right: The crystal-clear NEWater that gushes through the country's faucets isn't gurgling from a mountain spring. Most recently, it was flushed from a toilet.

The water is first treated in a traditional water plant before going through a three-stage purification that uses high-quality ZeeWeed membranes, which filter out even the most microscopic bacteria. By the time it's processed, NEWater meets all the drinking-water standards specified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the World Health Organization.

Don't panic. There is no plan to bring NEWater -- or anything like it -- to the United States anytime soon. "It's unacceptable to [U.S.] consumers to drink their own waste stream," acknowledges Ashok Gadgil, an Indian-born environmental physicist who works at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (though he quickly points out that astronauts use the technology in long-term outer-space trips).

The great promise is that this and other new technologies can, in some way, help solve an increasingly dire global water crisis. Nearly 20 percent of the world (1.2 billion people) does not have easy access to clean water -- 400 children die every hour from water-borne causes, according to Gadgil. And even in developed countries like the United States, fear of tainted water is on the rise -- and not just the non-kosher copepods that sneaked through New York's filtration system this summer, worrying Orthodox Jews.

In the United States, sand filtration systems have traditionally been used to remove particles and sediment from our surface water, which is then treated with chemicals like chlorine. But some strains of bacteria, including Cryptosporidium, have started to develop immunity to chlorine. In 1993, the microscopic "crypto" parasites spread through the municipal water systems of southeastern Wisconsin, causing an outbreak of a flulike disease that affected more than 400,000 people and killed approximately 100. While the outbreak has been linked to the inadequate treatment of drinking water taken from Lake Michigan, no specific source of the Cryptosporidium was ever identified. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that in the past 20 years, crypto has become recognized as one of the most common causes of waterborne disease within humans in the United States.

While the CDC assures us that the American drinking-water supply is normally safe, and that it has been taking precautions to handle outbreaks like the one in Wisconsin, it issues a reminder on its Web site that disease that spreads through water is still a very real problem. Crypto may be found in drinking water and recreational water in every region of the United States and throughout the world.

Membrane technology may also help the United States protect itself from terrorist attacks on the nation's water supply. Some membranes could act as a reliable barrier to contaminants such as sarin and anthrax. However, membranes can screen only water that goes into the treatment plant. Once it leaves the plant on its way to individual homes, water again becomes vulnerable, which is why government researchers stress that a viable water-security strategy must consist of two parts: treatment and monitoring.

ZeeWeed -- the illustrious membrane that processes NEWater -- is just one of the successful new technologies used to purify water of bacteria. But it's so captivating a product that it is developing a cultlike devotion among futurists and sustainability nuts. A proprietary technology from the Canadian company Zenon Environmental, it's even made its way into an art museum. Designer Bruce Mau, the curator of "Massive Change," a show about the future of design at the Vancouver Art Gallery, features ZeeWeed membranes and NEWater as two examples of the thousands of ways that design is radically changing the way we approach life on earth.

Mau mentions the ZeeWeed name with the same reverence with which other designers might talk about the flat-screen TV or the Toyota Prius. He is one of the few North Americans who has sipped NEWater.

"It really doesn't taste like much, except for maybe like particularly pure spring water," he says. "I think they even have to add back in some of the 'water' taste."

ZeeWeed consists of plastic fibers in the shape of thin tubes with billions of microspores. When a little suction is applied to the top of each tube, the resulting action is similar to sucking water out of a straw that's been pinpricked with holes -- except that these holes are small enough to screen out even viruses. Air bubbles at the bottom of the tubes make them sway under water like long, thin stalks of seaweed, which knocks off any debris that may stick to the membranes. Independent tests, including ones conducted by BioVir Laboratories of Benicia, Calif., found that the Zenon filter reduces 99.99999 percent of bacteria and 99.7 percent of viruses.

It is predicted that ZeeWeed membranes (and comparable membranes from competitive companies) will become widespread as additional North American water-treatment plants upgrade to better technologies. The Pennsylvania communities of Lancaster and Charleroi, which use surface water as a drinking-water source, as well as an Ontario city, have each placed orders for $30 million worth of membranes from Zenon. According to Zenon, 440 wastewater and drinking-water treatment plants worldwide (including more than 200 in the U.S.) are already using or are under construction to use Zenon technology. Zenon is also unveiling a high-end product, Homespring, for homeowners bored with their Sub-Zero freezers. Its retail price is around $2,800.

Understandably, these new membranes are prohibitively expensive -- and too complicated -- to keep up in a developing country, which is why a relatively wealthy country like Singapore can experiment with the technology but others have not. And that is why the technology Gadgil created, UV Waterworks, has proven so effective.

A small lightweight unit that disinfects water through ultraviolet light, the Waterworks purifies four gallons of water every minute at an estimated cost of 5 cents for every thousand gallons. One unit is intended for a community of about 2,000 people. Gadgil says more than 300 units are functioning around the world, mostly in developing countries.

Gadgil developed his invention -- and became committed to the cause of pure drinking water -- after a tragic outbreak in 1992 of the "Bengal cholera" in his native India. In one month alone, nearly 10,000 people died from the disease, spread through drinking water. Today, Gadgil says, "science is making substantial advances -- you see more practical applications emerging (like membranes, for example) that are very desirable and very positive. However, there is still a huge gap in terms of socially responsible businesses bringing the latest scientific advances to the bottom of the economic pyramid. Scientists, engineers and researchers still need to work with business entrepreneurs to come up with something that not only solves problems, but is also financially viable."

oooh... medúlla my favourite album for now!

you're the first person to pick up on that. yeah... so good.

Time is GMT + 8 hours
Posted: 27 October 2004 1844 hrs

Other countries studying PUB's system of harnessing rainwater
By Johnson Choo, Channel NewsAsia

SINGAPORE : Back in the 1980's, Singapore's Public Utilities Board put in place a plan to harness rainwater collected in urban areas.

Singapore is now the only country in the world getting drinking water directly from a system of drains and canals.

In fact, it has become a case study for other countries.

The scheme harnesses water from drains from the northern and eastern parts of the island, and channels them to two man-made reservoirs - the Bedok and Lower Seletar Reservoirs.

Rainwater that falls in housing estates is channelled from a network of drains into larger monsoon drains.

The water is collected in the two man-made reservoirs, which are interconnected, and then pumped into reclamation plants for treatment.

The reservoirs are built in such a way that there is no wastage of water.

PUB consultant Dr Brendan Harley said, "In studying the development of some of these schemes, Singapore was able to make a decision that we understood enough about, for example the Bedok-Seletar system, that we could go ahead and build a safe water supply system.

"You could study it for 10 years, or you could go ahead build it, and monitor it very carefully. That's what makes Singapore different from many other places."

This system provides 10 percent of the island's water needs.

New York City, which now relies only on one source of water, is studying to see if the programme can be modified to supply water to the city for the next 50 years.

Said Dr Harley, "One of the things we brought back from Singapore is the ability here to integrate multiple sources of water supply, whether it's imported water from Malaysia, urban drainage, NEWater, and desalination. All of which will be looked at by New York City as a way of providing redundancy and additional capabilities for that city, which right now is dependant on only basically one single source of water."

While land scarce Singapore has found innovative ways to meet its water needs, it faces a battle educating the public on the need to conserve water.

The biggest challenge the authority faces now is on educating the public to respect our environment.

We have to be aware that every bit of rubbish that we dispose of indiscriminately into the waterways is directly contaminating the source of our drinking water.

So public education will now focus on getting everyone to not only save water, but to keep reservoirs and drains clean. - CNA

Copyright © 2004 MCN International Pte Ltd

"It's unacceptable to [U.S.] consumers to drink their own waste stream," acknowledges Ashok Gadgil, an Indian-born environmental physicist who works at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (though he quickly points out that astronauts use the technology in long-term outer-space trips).

So they're saying that we Singaporeans are unsophisticated dunbo's who'll swallow anything? Why the nerve of those %&^%&^(*

actually to me that seemed to insinuate that americans are too narrow minded to try something radical.

While the CDC assures us that the American drinking-water supply is normally safe,


"Normally" quite safe? Note that people "normally" do not willingly strap bombs around their waists and blow themselves up..... but then some do, don't they?

FOrgive the cynism and sarcasm. I'm a bit sick in the mind today.... :jk:

Understandably, these new membranes are prohibitively expensive -- and too complicated -- to keep up in a developing country, which is why a relatively wealthy country like Singapore can experiment with the technology but others have not.

At least they acknoledge this... haha

haha.. never noticed the 'normally safe' thing.. that really freaks me out..

Oh! Don't worry. Under normal conditions, millions of people don't get killed in a single day due to sudden viral outbreaks...

Oh! But don't fret! Under normal conditions, people don't get blown up by bombs in trains....

Oh! You don't have to worry! Under normal conditions, people don't start killing each other for the sake of money. That only happens in movies....

i wonder when is their water abnormally unsafe...?

Water is never safe... just safe enough....


Anything that goes into the human body or passes through it is a potential death sentence....

huh???

Nevermind. I'm just a little nuts...

Oh! Don't worry. Under normal conditions, millions of people don't get killed in a single day due to sudden viral outbreaks...

Oh! But don't fret! Under normal conditions, people don't get blown up by bombs in trains....

Oh! You don't have to worry! Under normal conditions, people don't start killing each other for the sake of money. That only happens in movies....
Only happens in movies? Well......we wish! :D

exactly!

exactly!
No wonder you are nuts today...

Yes.

haha yes.

Im talking to two nut heads now?

no, i'm nut ass.

First link in new sewerage system up

29 Oct 04

By Alexis Hooi

A MAJOR milestone was reached yesterday in the construction of Singapore's $7 billion deep-tunnel sewerage system, with the completion of the first link between existing sewer networks and the system's main pipeline.

Known as the Kim Chuan Link Sewer, it will carry sewage from an area stretching from Paya Lebar to Marina South to the deep-tunnel system.

The 5.1km pipeline is one of 12 that will serve the new sewerage system in Phase One of the project. They total 50km in length, half of which have been built.

It puts this part of the plan, which includes building a water reclamation plant in Changi to treat sewage, on schedule for completion by 2008.

Speaking at a ceremony in Geylang to mark the link's completion yesterday, Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Defence and the Environment and Water Resources) Koo Tsai Kee said the new system will phase out the existing 139 pumping stations and six water treatment plants islandwide.

This would free up about 600ha of land, or about 133 football fields, for other uses.

'This means the average Singaporean will have more access to open spaces,' he added, as the land can be used for many things - housing, parks, factories, schools.

He also cited the $43.3 million sewerage link, constructed by local company Tiong Seng Contractors and its Korean partner Dong-A Geological Engineering Co, as a good example of the Public Utilities Board's close partnership with the private sector.

Not all the project's contractors have had the same success.

In May, PUB consultants recommended that one tunnel contractor, trouble-laden Wan Soon Construction, be taken off the project because it was behind schedule, among other problems.

The PUB has since engaged another contractor to take over.

Asked about the safety aspects of the link tunnel, PUB's director for the deep tunnel sewerage system, Mr Chiang Kok Meng, said all the necessary precautions had been taken, including accredited checkers inspecting designs and daily safety briefings for workers.

Safety has become a major issue since the collapses this year of an MRT worksite at Nicoll Highway and at the construction site of high-tech business park Fusionpolis, killing a total of six people.

Mr Chiang said that tunnelling work requires constant monitoring in order to be able to respond quickly to changes and variations in the soil.

Fortunately, there was not much variation in the soil the Kim Chuan Link Sewer passed through, he added. Most of it was marine clay.

More than half of the 78km-long, deep-tunnel sewerage system to connect Kranji, Tuas and Changi has been completed so far. When done, it will cater to the Republic's sewage treatment needs for the rest of this century.

long term plans sound very comforting :)

Rest of this century, eh? It's so good to know that the government plans ahead. It probably has this task force looking after the needs of Singapore in 2300...

Time is GMT + 8 hours
Posted: 29 October 2004 1719 hrs

More than 270 activities planned for Clean and Green Week
By Rita Zahara, Channel NewsAsia

SINGAPORE : This year's Clean and Green Week campaign will focus on environmental ownership -- getting the public to play a more active role in the environment.

The month-long campaign plans to engage 220,000 people with activities ranging from rescuing coral reefs, to the annual "We are OK!" awards.

Dengue cases have been kept at bay at Yio Chu Kang Zone 7 Resident's Committee, thanks to Tan Woon Szu, one of the nominees.

The RC chairman conducts house-to-house visits with other grassroots leaders to educate residents on dengue prevention.

They adopted a block and pound the corridors to keep a look out for potential breeding grounds for mosquitoes, rats and other pests.

He has been nominated for the Most Committed Individual Award.

"Residents are given booklets to remind them how to prevent stagnant water," Mr Tan said. "The environment is ours, if we spoil it, there won't be a replacement".

Cleaner Mohd Nor is in the running for Best Cleaner Award.

Keeping Tampines Regional Centre clean is his responsibility, and he even uses his own tools to do so.

"This place that I'm taking care of is like my own home. If it is clean that means Singapore will be clean too and I'll like that," he said.

This year, two new awards are created to support greening efforts. They are Best Improvement Award and Best Constituency-Ownership award.

The National Environment Agency and partners will roll out over 270 activities islandwide from November 6 for the Clean and Green Week campaign.

These include Save our Sea, in which 100 divers will engage in cleaning the reef around Pulau Hantu, and a Green Market, a roving theme market that will be at the Carnival at South West CDC. - CNA

Copyright © 2004 MCN International Pte Ltd

clean and green week is just so funny... the idea of it.. should start a clean and green theme park..

YAC/LGC

Yet Another Corny/Lame Government Campaign....

I dunno but u could try to grow some plants?

huh what for? to be an active participant in the campaign? i dont think plants are very good for flatsanyway..

Depends. Some flats look good with plants. But i admit it's difficult to achieve...

since most of us live in highrises all the more the need for plants in flats!

Its also nice to know that you're creating an oxygen-producer and somehow helping to purify the air...

Nov 8, 2004
Keeping it green and clean

NEW trees were planted in many residential areas over the weekend, the start of the Clean and Green Week, to show the importance of taking care of the environment.

At Novena Estate yesterday, Minister for Health Khaw Boon Wan planted a Tabebuia rosea. Also known as the Trumpet Tree for its large trumpet-shaped pink and white flowers, this species is a common sight along North Buona Vista, Rochor and Lower Delta roads.

The tree-planting coincided with the launch of the new $500,000, 0.16ha Novena Park, opposite the Thomson Medical Centre, which the National Parks Board designed based on the needs expressed by residents of Novena Estate.

Said a resident, Madam Betty Tan, 48: 'By converting state land into amenities for us, like a foot reflexology path and fitness station, children and adults living here have an extra space to interact.'

At Jurong Central, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and MP for Jurong GRC Lim Boon Heng presented awards to the six cleanest public toilets, which belonged to eating houses in Jurong Central.

The toilets had been renovated as part of a $4 million toilet improvement scheme initiated by the National Environment Agency in July 2002.

Copyright © 2004 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

plants attract bugs. plants should be kept out of my house.

Breed some spiders in your plants? :D

huh! why would i want to do that?!

huh! why would i want to do that?!

Turn your handsome neighbour into Spider then look for you loh.....:lol: :jk: :jk: :jk: :jk:

OMG my chinese teacher should have said such things then i wont fall asleep in class

OMG my chinese teacher should have said such things then i wont fall asleep in class

Haha.....maybe you teacher not hum sup enough....?? :lol:

:rofl:

Spiders are a natural way to get rid of insects ma...
Provided you do not have a fear of them! :lol: :jk:

uh i hate all bugs including spiders..

if my teacher was hum sup i would puke and die.. haha

watch the episode Extreme Gourmet

they eat worms and bugs

:rofl:

Spiders are a natural way to get rid of insects ma...
Provided you do not have a fear of them! :lol: :jk:

yah I always think of that so I dont really mind spiders and lizards.

besides the lizards always run away from me, unlike insects which are total aliens

oh you think they're aliens too? i concluded that once when i saw how irrational our fear of insects are. they're so tiny and crushable but crushing them makes us squeal and usually we just run away in terror. must be some kind of mood control device.

I think small spiders are cute. :D

Turn your handsome neighbour into Spider then look for you loh.....:lol: :jk: :jk: :jk: :jk:
Hua you know his neighbour even ah??

Future Spiderman of Singapore? :lol:

oh you think they're aliens too? i concluded that once when i saw how irrational our fear of insects are. they're so tiny and crushable but crushing them makes us squeal and usually we just run away in terror. must be some kind of mood control device.

cos theyre metallic and shine, some have a greenish-bluish tinge....so seemingly inorganic

Hua you know his neighbour even ah??

Of course I don't......but I can imagine he's not Heir cup of tea.......(might look like dabian or toilet to Heir).......:lol::lol: :jk: :jk: :jk:

Of course I don't......but I can imagine he's not Heir cup of tea.......(might look like dabian or toilet to Heir).......:lol::lol: :jk: :jk: :jk:
Ermm.....and how you know he looks like what in the first place??

Goodness...what did you guys do? :D

Ermm.....and how you know he looks like what in the first place??

Goodness...what did you guys do? :D

Imagine only lah.......:lol::lol:

For the record, me and Heir has never even met each other........:yes:

Imagine only lah.......:lol::lol:

For the record, me and Heir has never even met each other........:yes:
Interesting...looks like a meetup is seriously in order. I hv never met eye2eye too myself. :D

Interesting...looks like a meetup is seriously in order. I hv never met eye2eye too myself. :D

Wah so "serious" ah?? Maybe this could be be one of the biggest meetup in SSC history?? :eek::lol: :jk:

Wah so "serious" ah?? Maybe this could be be one of the biggest meetup in SSC history?? :eek::lol: :jk:
For all we know..maybe its the younger ones who end up..very busy...hahaha :D

UH!! i only know my immediate neighbour got an old married man with a baby.. neither of whom i'm attracted to. actually i dont know what they look like but i'm not so bad until say ppl look like toilet or dabian lar...

it's funny how 'big' the biggest meet up sounds in a community of dunno how many ppl when its actually only like not even 10.. :lol:

UH!! i only know my immediate neighbour got an old married man with a baby.. neither of whom i'm attracted to. actually i dont know what they look like but i'm not so bad until say ppl look like toilet or dabian lar...

it's funny how 'big' the biggest meet up sounds in a community of dunno how many ppl when its actually only like not even 10.. :lol:
Can get 10? I think even 3 is an ambitious number.

last time got 5 mar..

although i'm not too up for walking around taking pictures here there, if there's like a need for one more person to 'break record' can call me to drop by.. will be SUPERFREE

For all we know..maybe its the younger ones who end up..very busy...hahaha :D

Yah lor.......so "disappointed".......:cry:

Scarly only the 3 twenty-something(again...:lol: ) plus heir........sigh.....

yah I always think of that so I dont really mind spiders and lizards.

besides the lizards always run away from me, unlike insects which are total aliens

Lizards are fun... i frequently catch them having sex on my living room wall with crazed varocity.... quite romantic... the Romancing Singapore campaign would do well do emulate them...

Lizards are fun... i frequently catch them having sex on my living room wall with crazed varocity.... quite romantic... the Romancing Singapore campaign would do well do emulate them...
yeah..and you needed to sms me about such sighting stoo eh?

Next time snapa photo and send it over. I have yet to catch them red handed despite al my years! :D

:lol:

Small lizards are cute, but big ones are so ugly!

Lizards are fun... i frequently catch them having sex on my living room wall with crazed varocity.... quite romantic... the Romancing Singapore campaign would do well do emulate them...

Got mair?? :lol: So "lustful" of them........:lol::lol:

have you seen a lizard penis?

Ahem...ahem...ahem... :lol:

A male reptile's sexual organs are inside of its body...

You can identify the gender by looking at the tail. If there is a buldge near the legs, it's a male. :D

Well, the lizards were pretty small... the biggest one was only about 8 keyboard keys long....

Those are scary!

I find those shorter than 5 keys long cute! :D

I once saw a decomposed skeleton of one under my pop-corn machine... must have been fried by all the microwaves...

Haha...

Once, I chased a small lizard on the wall of my corridor.
I saw it slide into a crevice between the lift door frame and the wall.
A few days later, I say its skeleton there!

omigod sick... any lizard is enough to make me freak out..

how do they copulate with their organs inside?

It can be extended out during copulation

oh ok

Ahem...ahem...ahem... :lol:

A male reptile's sexual organs are inside of its body...

You can identify the gender by looking at the tail. If there is a buldge near the legs, it's a male. :D

So the skin is their "clothes" lah?? (same as the human male which also has a bulge to talk about)........:lol::lol:

humsuphumsup!!

humsuphumsup!!

What is so humsup about that?? :lol:

:rofl:

I have to admit when I was young, I have a habit of catching them, plucking their tails off bit by bit, before flinging them to "safety" out of the window before my dad sees them. ;)

:rofl:

I have to admit when I was young, I have a habit of catching them, plucking their tails off bit by bit, before flinging them to "safety" out of the window before my dad sees them. ;)

Gross.......:puke:.......:puke:

Gross meh? Well I try to make myself feel better by sometimes attempting to give them a shower first. :D

OMG... that is like so different to when a lizard appeared in my tampines flat in october.. me and friend were crouched on sofa while mother sprayed like half a bottle of pesticide on it. it didnt die so she boiled water while i kept watch, and then scalded the lizard before it managed to sneak into my room... it was very traumatic...

I will probably be more traumatised seeing how u people tortore that creature.

Interesting why people like to kill them with insecticide thou.

Gross meh? Well I try to make myself feel better by sometimes attempting to give them a shower first. :D

You should at least find him/her a mate before you show them the window..........:lol:

Poor little liz.........:cry::lol:

I will probably be more traumatised seeing how u people tortore that creature.

Interesting why people like to kill them with insecticide thou.

Insecticide?? Don't work one......just smack it right on the head......:eek:

huh we use because we dunno what to do with it... hope to stun it for a while lor.. and it blended in with my floor so well... good camouflage.

You should at least find him/her a mate before you show them the window..........:lol:

Poor little liz.........:cry::lol:
Aye....my window outside got a big ledge one loh....he/she will definitely find lots of company there one loh! :D

huh we use because we dunno what to do with it... hope to stun it for a while lor.. and it blended in with my floor so well... good camouflage.
You use lizard skin to cover your entire floor ah? Cool siahz....

Insecticide?? Don't work one......just smack it right on the head......:eek:
I dont think it works well too, but smashing it is not a valid option for me. Just imagine the goo you have to clean. Thats more gross then plucking the tail, playing with the wiggling thing, and then giving the tail-less lizard a nice warm bath with soap and all. ;)

no... its yellowish marble.. its amazingly difficult to spot a lizard on it. esp with halogen lights. who knows there may have been lizards lurking around without me even noticing. eek.

You probably stepped on them over the years, and they have slowly become incorparated naturally into your floorscape.

uh no i dont think so.

I dont think it works well too, but smashing it is not a valid option for me. Just imagine the goo you have to clean. Thats more gross then plucking the tail, playing with the wiggling thing, and then giving the tail-less lizard a nice warm bath with soap and all. ;)

Tail-less?? Maybe a there will be a third "tail" when it's so comfortable with your "massage".........:lol: :jk:

Check your floor again. The slight sponginess, and occasional squishing sound, is probably demystified by now.

omg you're obsessed with lizard cock!! :lol:

uhm my floor in october was as cold and hard as a third tail.

omg you're obsessed with lizard cock!! :lol:

uhm my floor in october was as cold and hard as a third tail.

Not really......just making fun of it........:lol::lol: :runaway: :runaway:

omg you're obsessed with lizard cock!! :lol:

uhm my floor in october was as cold and hard as a third tail.
Your third tail is hard I understand...but cold?? Hmm.....

Your third tail is hard I understand...but cold?? Hmm.....

Maybe for reptile.....cold is interpreted as extremely hot.......:eek::lol: :jk:

yar... reptile cold blooded mar... all that blood rush in must be very cold..

Well..I didnt know you have scales for one.

huh?

If you have a cold third tail, I suppose it means you have cold blood. And which means....

i wasnt saying i have a third tail? i said 'as cold as a third tail'.. given that i dont have even one tail... where would the others come about...

This is just sick... i once squished a lizard under a copy of the Yellow Pages, and then proceeded to mush it around by sliding the book around on top of it.. the whole floor was reddish brown after that and the maid had a hard time wiping it off...

Haha...

I once slammed a Guiness World Records book onto a lizard that was on the wall.
For a few months after, there was a faint lizard-shaped pinkish mark on the wall.

Did it have a lizard shape? I've always wanted to play around with moniter lizards. They crawl into my backyard quite often during the monsoon. If i do anything, AVA will probably have me a arrested, though...

Something like an elongated olive shaped pinkish mark. :lol:


But needed to scrub the lizard's squished body off my beloved book, though.

The bones make a scrunching noise when you crush them against hard opbjects, like boiling pots.

Like crunching egg shell pieces!

So soft...

I once stepped on a lizrad that crawled under my bathroom slipper.... Still remember that crunching noise. Urgh...

I find that so entertaining... Crunch crunch crunch. Like cornflakes... The blood makes a splurting sound as it squirts out the eyes... they smell strangely like laundry detergent...

If you shine a torch into a lizard's eyes, you can see it's pupil becoming a slit.

The eyes are really jelly-like. If you gourge them out with a ball-point pen or other sharp edge, you can actually see the pink liquid inside swishing about...

You've tried it before?! :eek: :lol: :jk:


If you shine a powerful torch thru its body, wou can see its heart beating, and its very fast breathing.

Even a patch of black near its tail. No need to explain what that is to a bio student! :lol:

Lizard eggs are fun to play with too, but i usually leave those for about a month and play with them if they haven't hatched by then. Mutilating live adult lizards is one thing. Crushing a poor little baby is another...

Never see eggs before...

The patterns on a lizard's back can be very pretty.

FOr lizards that are so small, the eggs can be frighteningly huge! The average one is about the size of your middle finger nail.... whitish colour...

So big?
How many a batch? :eek:

Two or three... sometimes four.... most of the times they hatch within a week and then the babies come out really cute. I have a strict policy against abusing lizards shorter than 2 cm.. Those are usually a momth old only. Lizards take about 3 months to fully mature and live about 6 months.

How can so many eggs squeeze into a lizard's body?


Their clicking calls make my hair stand up, especially in the dead of the night, like 1am smoething.

I always wonder how they manage to squeeze the things out their butts...

uh omigod reading this makes me sick :puke:

This might make you more sick......:eek:

http://sg.yimg.com/i/sg/providers/afp.gif

Thursday November 11, 12:49 PM
Slithering menace leaves Singaporeans afraid to go to toilet

Emerging out of toilet bowls, wrapping themselves around altars in high-rise apartments and feasting on kittens, snakes have earnt themselves a fearsome reputation in highly urbanised Singapore.

More than 80 snake species exist alongside this tiny Southeast Asian city-state's bustling population of 4.3 million people, with pythons as long as seven metres (23 feet) and deadly black spitting cobras among the most common.

While vast swathes of tropical Singapore have been turned over to housing and offices during its rapid development from third-world status to first in little more than 30 years, snakes have adapted and in some cases thrived.

Their habitats include the lush forests and parks that still take up significant tracts of land, mangroves and reservoirs, as well as gardens of the large middle and upper classes who can afford landed properties.

The nation's sewage system is also infested with pythons and cobras, giving rise to tales, some of which are undoubtedly urban myths, of city dwellers encountering snakes while with their pants around their ankles at the toilet.

"Pythons live in the sewers because their food source is there. They feed on the sewer rats. It's also a place that is perpetually damp and they are undisturbed. So it's ideal for them," pest control expert Patrick Chong told AFP.

Chong said his company received two cries for help recently from the first-floor tenants of an office building in the heart of the business district.

"We are not sure whether they were imagining it but twice they claimed there was a snake that came up through the toilet bowl," said Chong, the operations director at Aardwolf Pestkare, one of Singapore's biggest pest control companies.

Chong said that while no snake was found on that occasion, snakes had indeed been found in toilets.

Chong recalled an incident many years ago when there was a report of a snake in the toilet of a suburban house, but which had disappeared by the time his crew had arrived.

"So we tied a live chicken in the toilet and we closed it up," said Chong, who has been catching snakes for more than 20 years.

"Eventually when the snake appeared, the chicken made a noise and the maid called us and we moved in. And true enough, the python was there... two metres long."

Chong said the biggest snake he has ever been involved in catching was a seven-metre python, which was discovered after the tenants of a landed property and a big garden reported the repeated disappearance of their kittens.

"We investigated and in the garden we found this python sleeping after a good meal. We had to send several guys there because it was such a huge python. And with the bulging stomach, the kittens were still in there," he said.

Richard Wong, the general manager of Creative Pest Management, told AFP of one late night call his company received of a python nearly two metres long inside a 19th-storey apartment of a modern condominium.

Wong said the snake was curled up on the altar, which many Asian families have to worship or pay respects to the Buddha, gods or ancestors.

"The whole night the family did not dare sleep because they did not know whether there was another snake," Wong said, giving three options for its unlikely appearance.

"He (a family member) could have brought it in inside a carton box. Or it could have sneaked in floor by floor... the third option is up the piping," he said.

Wong said his company received between two and three requests a month to catch snakes, while Chong said Aardwolf answered distress calls at least once or twice a week.

Chong said harmless tree snakes were found 60 percent of the time, with pythons about 30 percent and black spitting cobras the remaining 10 percent.

But, reflecting the fear that grips many Singaporeans over snakes despite few reports of people being bitten, Chong said at least 80 percent of calls initially reported a cobra.

"It's always the cobra," Chong said as he chuckled. "They describe the snake with its hood open and hissing and all.

"All the funny colours and descriptions will come out and, when we go there, usually it's smaller than they say and it's just a harmless snake."

Chong and Wong said the cobras were killed, while the pythons and tree snakes were generally relocated to environments away from people's homes and offices.

Copyright © 2004AFP. All rights reserved.

I've seen black cobras in the drain behind my house. One even ventured in. Have seen pythons too, but those are more often than not seen further down near the forest...

omg... so kong bu!!!! when i was living in paya lebar my then-maid said she was going to shit but saw a snake in the toilet bowl....

Ahem, I saw cicadas in the squat toilwet bowl more than once!

omg... so kong bu!!!! when i was living in paya lebar my then-maid said she was going to shit but saw a snake in the toilet bowl....

It'll be more kong bu when she discover it halfway through the process....:eek:

uh... i dont know what cicadas look like actually

http://www.cs.virginia.edu/~jeffrey/dpics/20020718-cicada/01-cicada.jpg
This!

Now imagine two in bright neon green inside the toilet with a broken flush, crawling in *you know what*!