On 22nd March 2019, Remi Cesaro, Zero Waste Consultant, was invited by ACS International School to introduce the concepts of waste management, sustainability and Zero Waste to students. Over one and half hour, the presentation introduces the origin of some of our daily products, highlighted the life cycle of a plastic bottle in Singapore, and invited students to reflect on why we should reduce waste and how to do it.
Crude Oil – Mostly used for energy in transportation it is also the basis of some of the most common products of our daily life. But it is a fossil resource. And we extract a lot of it. Every day, around the world, we extract 12.8 million cubic meters of crude oil. If Marina Bay Sands were a gigantic tank (340m long, 240m high, and 40m wide), we would fill it five times every single day.
Forest – Trees can be transformed into construction materials or turned into cardboard and paper. Although deforestation has slowed down in the last decades, we still cut more trees than we plant. Around the world, we lose forests of the size of Singapore every 8 days. Every year, it is the forest of the size of Belgium or Taiwan.
Waste management – What happens when you discard a product into the general waste bin or the recycling bin? What does it mean closing the loop on waste? Why should we recover as much resource as possible? What is the Zero Waste hierarchy? Throughout the presentation, students were invited to follow the journey of a plastic bottle from the oil refinery to Semakau landfill and how recycling helps to close the loop on waste. All understood that the consumer is the main decision maker of the chain. He/She is the only one who can decide what to buy and if the product will have a chance to be recycled.
At the end of the presentation, students brainstormed to find solutions for waste reduction, recycling, and raising awareness in their school. After sharing their ideas, students took part in a short quiz to test their knowledge of recycling.
2019 is the Year Towards Zero Waste in Singapore. The government supports initiatives to raise awareness and to implement solutions. More details about the Zero Waste grant can be found here.
Zero Waste City is committed to raise awareness and provide waste reduction solutions. If you wish to invite us to your school or company, please send an email to us at firstname.lastname@example.org.