Technical Report Draft #1A : Converting Waste Plastic Into Aggregate

Introduction (Background information)

As Singapore grows, the demand for plastic also increases. In Singapore, it was estimated that 1.76 billion plastic items were used a year, and according to the National Environment Agency (NEA), only 6% of the plastic was being recycled. The plastic that had not been recycled would be incinerated and be shipped to Pulau Semakau Landfill. It was originally estimated that Pulau Semakau Landfill would be able to sustain until 2045. However, due to the increasing reliance on disposable plastic products, it was now estimated that the landfill would run out space by 2035.

The reason why plastic was used at an abundance is due to its ability to form into different forms and for its durability, but this would turn into a disadvantage when plastic items were disposed of. It would take centuries to decompose naturally which would clog up our landfills. The practice of burning waste plastic would cut down the amount of space needed in the landfills however, it is very harmful to our environment. It is also reported that the fumes produce from burning plastic pose harmful health risk such as, increase the risk of heart disease, aggravate asthma and cause damage to the human nervous system.

Currently, the two main ways Singapore deals with waste plastic are to burn them and disposed it to the landfills or sell the waste to other countries that are willing to buy them. Countries that purchased the plastic wastes often sort, melt and then reform them into tiny pellets that can be used to manufacture new plastic products. However with China’s latest announcement with its ban on importing “foreign garbage”, this may no longer be an option for Singapore’s plastic waste problem and other countries are likely to follow suit. Singapore has to find alternative ways to tackle the fast-growing plastic waste that is not being recycled locally.

Who are the main stakeholders?

Building and Construction Authority (BCA) is the main stakeholders as engineers of this project have to meet BCA’s regulations.

Who is impacted?

The Government and the people as we aim to achieve a zero waste nation.

Why is this important?

The only landfills we have (Pulau Semakau) are running out of space by around 2035 (Original plan should be around 2050).

What would the ideal situation be?
For Singapore authorities to start adopting the use of waste plastics into green aggregates and then to find alternative ways to incorporate the waste plastic to other forms of construction materials to ultimately stop plastic waste from contributing to our landfill.


Problem Statement

Currently, the percentage of plastic waste not being recycled is at 94%. With the aim of being a “zero waste” nation, the ideal goal is for Singapore to no longer rely on landfill as a means to dispose of our plastic waste, but rather incorporate the idea of 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) fully.

Purpose Statement

The purpose of this report is to propose the adoption of green aggregates by recycling waste plastic. The aim is to increase the percentage of waste plastic being recycled instead of being sent for incineration and end up in Pulau Semakau Landfill.  By adopting this solution it would bring Singapore a step closer to being a “zero waste” nation.

Annotated Sumamry

Barnes, D., Galgani, F., Thompson, R., & Barlaz, M. (2009). Accumulation and fragmentation of plastic debris in global environments. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 364(1526), 1985-1998. http://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2008.0205

In this article Barnes et al. focus on the impact that plastics debris have on our planet, as it is one of the most severe issues over the years. However, this problem "is still growing and even if stopped immediately will persist for centuries"(Barnes et al. 2009) The authors use data gained through the United States Environmental Protection Agency to try to identify which type of plastics are highest in term of disposal rate. Their research mainly focuses on how plastic has affected our environment. The fragmentation of plastics has accumulated with just a relatively short time ever since the mass production of plastic in the 1950s. While plastics only constitute to around 10% of the waste in total, the plastics represent a higher proportion of the debris in enclosed seas and at water convergences. Due to water pollution, the government agency in many different countries has to spend millions of dollars to do ocean-cleaning annually, as the pollution had affected severely to marine life. This article is useful to my research topic as it shows a clearer picture to me on how the plastics can affects us as a human race on a global scale.

Summary_Reader Response Draft #3

In the article “Green buildings, Singapore’s natural ally for a greener future” by MacKenzie (2017), It was reported that Singapore's continuous growth has redefined utilitarian designs of green buildings, adding weight to its contribution in tackling climate change. Being densely populated, Singapore generates high power consumption. The article also stated that the Building Construction Authority of Singapore (BCA) has planned to overcome the issue by targeting to certify 80 percent of building with the Green Mark by 2030, as well as raising awareness about climate change. Many planners are also starting to enforce eco-friendly systems and materials into buildings. Contrary to popular belief, it is not hefty to integrate environmental elements to the building’s design. The integration would serve as cost-efficient investments that are beneficial in the long run. It involves using light colors, maximizing natural light, leveraging technology, installing suitable elements that promote sustainability and working with stakeholders. In working towards a greener future, it is critical for BCA to make prudent decisions on a building’s design, as it would be a pivotal weapon in Singapore’s fight against climate change.

While the article clearly stated what BCA aimed to achieve, it failed to show how Green Mark Buildings are able to bring water and power consumption down significantly. In addition, the article has also failed to show how Green Mark Buildings are able to bring many benefits other than cost-efficient.

Firstly, there are many environmental benefits with Green Mark Buildings. One will be a reduction in water and power usage. In the BCA summary report survey "Perception towards Green Buildings in Singapore" by Wong, Kaul & Xiu (2017), it highlighted that more than 90% of public and private homeowners agree green buildings do lower the power and water usage and minimize the environmental impact. The usage of solar panels, energy efficient appliances and other energy-saving features in green buildings bring down the operation cost and utility bills significantly. One example of a behavior that homeowners take to help in energy saving is they would rather use fans in their house instead of air-conditioners. More than 70% of the homeowners agreed that using fans helps in energy saving as well as the reduction in the potential negative impact on the environment.

Besides the environmental benefits, the same BCA study had also shown that green buildings also contributed to social benefits. For instance, Wong, Kaul & Xiu  (2017) reported that at least 80% of homeowners say better air quality was ranked as the top reason for health benefits. Boh (2017) mentioned in the article "Green buildings also better for health, not just more energy efficient: BCA study"  that " People who work in 'green' buildings are less likely to suffer from fatigue, headache and even skin irritation". Boh (2017) also mentioned that due to better filters, the green buildings are able to keep particles such as bacteria and fungi out of the buildings. Hence the green buildings able to provide better air quality for people who stay or work in green buildings.

All in all, I believe Green Mark buildings will bring many benefits to our lives. Global and local studies all show that Green Mark building are very cost efficient over their lifetime. For better and healthier living, I believe people will choose green buildings over normal buildings. With many benefits on hands, I believe the awareness will spread among people very soon with the right campaign.

References:
Boh, S. (2017, September 12). Green buildings also better for health, not just more energy efficient: BCA study. Straits Times. Retrieved February 11, 2019, from https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/green-buildings-also-better-for-health-not-just-more-energy-efficient-bca-study

MacKenzie, D. (2017, September 5). Green buildings, Singapore’s natural ally for a greener future. Channel News Asia. Retrieved February 11, 2019, from https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/commentary-green-buildings-singapore-s-natural-ally-for-a-9183380

Wong, R., Kaul, A., & Xiu, W. (2017). Perception towards Green Buildings in Singapore. Retrieved February 11, 2019, from https://www.bca.gov.sg/newsroom/others/Summary_Report_Survey_on_BCA_Green_Mark.pdf

Summary_Reader Response Draft #2

In the article “Green buildings, Singapore’s natural ally for a greener future” by MacKenzie (2017), It was reported that Singapore's continuous growth has redefined utilitarian designs of green buildings, adding weight to its contribution in tackling climate change. Being densely populated, Singapore generates high power consumption. The Building Construction Authority of Singapore (BCA) has planned to overcome the issue by targeting to certify 80 percent of building with the Green Mark by 2030, as well as raising awareness about climate change. Many planners are also starting to enforce eco-friendly systems and materials into buildings. Contrary to popular belief, it is not hefty to integrate environmental elements to the building’s design. The integration would serve as cost-efficient investments that are beneficial in the long run. It involves using light colors, maximizing natural light, leveraging technology, installing suitable elements that promote sustainability and working with stakeholders. In working towards a greener future, making prudent decisions on a building’s design is critical, as it would be a pivotal weapon in Singapore’s fight against climate change.

While the article clearly stated what BCA aimed to achieve, it failed to show how Green Mark Buildings be able to bring power consumption down significantly. In addition, the authority has also failed to show Green Buildings can actually bring many benefits other than cost-efficient.

Firstly, there are many environmental benefits with Green Buildings. One will be a reduction in water and power usage. In the BCA summary report survey "Perception towards Green Buildings in Singapore" by Wong, Kaul & Xiu Wei (2017), it highlighted that more than 90% of public and private homeowners agree green buildings do lower the power and water usage and minimize the environmental impact. The usage of solar panels, energy efficient appliances and having other energy-saving features in green buildings bring down the operation cost and utility bills significantly. More than 70% of the homeowners would rather use fans in their house instead of air-conditioners, as it helps in energy saving as well as the reduction in the potential negative impact on the environment.

Besides the environmental benefits, BCA study had shown that Green Buildings also contributed to social benefits. For instance, Wong, Kaul & Xiu Wei (2017) reported that at least 80% of homeowners say better air quality was rank as the top reason for health benefits. In the article "Green buildings also better for health, not just more energy efficient: BCA study" by Boh (2017), it was mentioned that " People who work in 'green' buildings are less likely to suffer from fatigue, headache and even skin irritation". Boh (2017) also mentioned that due to better filters, the green buildings are able to keep particles such as bacteria and fungi out of the buildings. Hence the green buildings able to provide better air quality for people who stay or work in green buildings.

All in all, I believe Green Mark building will bring many benefits to our lives. Global and local studies all show that Green Mark building are very cost efficient over their lifetime. With many benefits on hands, I believe the awareness will spread among people very soon with the right campaign.

References:

MacKenzie (2017). Green buildings, Singapore’s natural ally for a greener future. Retrieved February 11, 2019, from https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/commentary-green-buildings-singapore-s-natural-ally-for-a-9183380 

Wong, Kaul & Xiu Wei (2017). Perception towards Green Buildings in Singapore. Retrieved February 11, 2019, from https://www.bca.gov.sg/newsroom/others/Summary_Report_Survey_on_BCA_Green_Mark.pdf 

Boh (2017). Green buildings also better for health, not just more energy efficient: BCA study. Retrieved February 11, 2019, from https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/green-buildings-also-better-for-health-not-just-more-energy-efficient-bca-study 

Summary_Reader Response Draft #1

In the article “Green buildings, Singapore’s natural ally for a greener future” by MacKenzie (2017), It was reported that Singapore's continuous growth has redefined utilitarian designs of green buildings, adding weight to its contribution in tackling climate change. Being densely populated,
Singapore generates high power consumption. The Building Construction Authority of Singapore has planned to overcome the issue by targeting to certify 80 percent of building with the Green Mark by 2030, as well as raising awareness about climate change. Many planners are also starting to enforce eco-friendly systems and materials into buildings. Contrary to popular belief, it is not hefty to integrate environmental elements to building’s design. The integration would serve as cost-efficient investments that are beneficial in the long run. It involves using light colors, maximizing natural light, leveraging technology, installing suitable elements that promote sustainability and working with stakeholders. In working towards a greener future, making prudent decisions on a building’s design is critical, as it would be a pivotal weapon in Singapore’s fight against climate change.

While the article clearly stated what BCA aimed to achieve, it failed to show how Green Mark Buildings be able to bring power consumption down significantly. In addition, the authority has also failed to show Green Buildings can actually bring many benefits other than cost-efficient.

Firstly, there are many environmental benefits with Green Buildings. One will be a reduction in water and power usage. In the BCA summary report survey "Perception towards Green Buildings in Singapore" by Wong, Kaul & Xiu Wei (2017), it highlighted that more than 90% of public and private homeowners agree green buildings do lower the power and water usage and minimize the environmental impact. The usage of solar panels, energy efficient appliances and having other energy-saving features in green buildings bring down the operation cost and utility bills significantly. More than 70% of the homeowners would rather use fans in their house instead of air-conditioners, as it helps in energy saving as well as the reduction in the potential negative impact on the environment.

Besides the environmental benefits, Green Buildings also contributed to the social benefits. For instance, at least 80% of homeowners mentioned in the report that better air quality was rank as the top reason for health benefits. In the article "Green buildings also better for health, not just more energy efficient: BCA study" by Straits Times (2017), it was mentioned that " People who work in 'green' buildings are less likely to suffer from fatigue, headache and even skin irritation". The article also reported that due to better filters, the green buildings are able to keep particles such as bacteria and fungi out of the buildings. Hence the green buildings able to provide better air quality for people who stay or work in green buildings.

All in all, I believe Green Mark building will bring many benefits to our lives. Global and local studies all show that Green Mark building are very cost efficient over their lifetime. With many benefits on hands, I believe the awareness will spread among people very soon with the right campaign.

Summary_Reader Response Draft

In the article “Green buildings, Singapore’s natural ally for a greener future” by MacKenzie (2017), It was reported that Singapore's continuous growth has redefined utilitarian designs of green buildings, adding weight to its contribution in tackling climate change. Being densely populated,

Singapore generates high power consumption. The Building Construction Authority of Singapore has planned to overcome the issue by targeting to certify 80 percent of building with the Green Mark by 2030, as well as raising awareness about climate change. Many planners are also starting to enforce eco-friendly systems and materials into buildings. Contrary to popular belief, it is not hefty to integrate environmental elements to building’s design. The integration would serve as cost-efficient investments that are beneficial in the long run. It involves using light colors, maximizing natural light, leveraging technology, installing suitable elements that promote sustainability and working with stakeholders. In working towards a greener future, making prudent decisions on a building’s design is critical, as it would be a pivotal weapon in Singapore’s fight against climate change.

While the article clearly stated what BCA aimed to achieve, it failed to show how Green Mark Buildings be able to bring power consumption down significantly. In addition, the authority has also failed to show how it going to raise awareness about climate change to the public.

All in all, I believe Green Mark building will bring many benefits to our lives. For instance, they can provide some example or insights to show interested parties that both electrical and water usage can actually be reduced with Green Building. With many benefits on hands, I believe the awareness will spread among people very soon with the right campaign.

Describe:

1. Environmental Benefits:

- Reduction in water/power usage.

- Reduction in the potential negative impact on the environment.

2. Social Benefits:

- With lesser chemicals used, Green Mark certified building will be safer and healthier for human use.

- Use of natural light and ventilation can also provide an internal environment that is thermally and visually comfortable.

3. Economic Benefits:

- Global and local studies all show that Green Mark building are very cost efficient over their lifetime

Summary ( First Draft )

In the article “Green buildings, Singapore’s natural ally for a greener future” by MacKenzie (2017), Singapore's continuous growth has redefined utilitarian designs of green buildings, adding weight to its contribution in tackling climate change. Being densely populated, Singapore generates high power consumption. While the BCA has planned to overcome the issue by targeting to certify 80 percent of building with the Green Mark by 2030, as well as raising awareness about climate change, it failed to show how the Green Mark building be able to bring down the power consumption significantly, and it also failed to tell how the authority going to raise awareness about climate change to the public. Many planners are also starting to enforce eco-friendly systems and materials into buildings. Contrary to popular belief, it is not hefty to integrate environmental elements to building’s design. The integration would serve as cost-efficient investments that are beneficial in the long run. It involves using light colors, maximizing natural light, leveraging technology, installing suitable elements that promote sustainability and working with stakeholders. In working towards a greener future, making prudent decisions on a building’s design is critical, as it would be a pivotal weapon in Singapore’s fight against climate change.

Derek MacKenzie (2017). Green buildings, Singapore’s natural ally for a greener future. Retrieved from: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/commentary-green-buildings-singapore-s-natural-ally-for-a-9183380