Pulau Semakau... Where's that?!

Today, together with some of my colleagues went on a Learning Journey to an island called Pulau Semakau.

I had never heard of this place before, except that it's some kind of landfill. I envisioned it to be a place filled with rubbish. Smelly place, of course, or so I thought.

Google Map of the Pulau Semakau...

But to my pleasant surprise, it was nothing like that.



Yes, Pulau Semakau is actually quite a nice place. Really. Look at my smiling face. :)

Basically, let me try to summarize Singapore's solid waste (or rubbish) management. Every day, waste collection companies will first collect waste from various places. Then these trash will be sorted into incinerable and non-incinerable. Those that are incinerable will be sent to the 4 incinerator plants in Singapore. They will be burnt and reduced to ashes.

Then all of these ashes, together with the non-incinerable trash will be ferried to Pulau Semakau. They will be used as landfill around a marked-out boundary, which will form some kind of reclaimed land. Eventually by 2040 (estimated), all of the empty spaces will be completely filled and Pulau Semakau will no longer be useful for landfill. And we will need to find other ways to dispose of our trash.

We have to prolong the lifespan of Pulau Semakau. Every one has to learn to practise the 3 Rs. Exercise personal responsibility.

Reduce!
Re-use!!
Recycle!!!

On a lighter note, the island is also used for recreational activities - like stars-gazing, sport fishing and inter-tidal walks (to see the sea animals like starfishes, etc). One couple even took their wedding photos there last year!

Today had really being an enriching day for me.