Following rapid urbanisation and economic development since Singapore’s independence in the 1960s, the amount of waste disposed of on our island has increased about 7 fold over the past 40 years. In 2010, NEA embarked on the Phase II development of Semakau Landfill which uses a single landfill cell instead of a multi-cell design in Phase I, as this maximises the landfill capacity to nearly 5,800 Olympic-size swimming pools.
The idea of a single landfill cell was not considered previously, as it would make landfill operations dangerous and potentially hazardous for truck drivers. However, the team persevered and eventually adopted the floating platform and wastewater treatment plant ideas for Phase II, after studying technologies available in Japan. Find out how this was done in the video.
Semakau Landfill is expected to be fully filled by 2035 at our current rate of waste generation, and only we can prolong its lifespan by practising the 3Rs - reduce, reuse and recycle!
#TowardsZeroWaste #SaveSemakau #3Rs