Legend of the Dragon 

The Ugly Truth

 

Plastics are non-biodegradable and take hundreds of years to break down. When they are land filled, they take up landfill space. When they are dumped into the oceans, they kill wildlife and destroy their habitat. When they are incinerated, they release carbon dioxide and other toxic gases into the air, causing air pollution and global warming. No matter how we try to destroy it, it causes environmental implications.

 

In Singapore, 800,000 tonnes of plastic waste was generated in 2012 and the recycling rate is 10%.  In 2013, it increased to over 830,000 tonnes, and constitutes the 4th largest waste category in Singapore.  The amount recycled remained at a paltry 11%.

 

Singapore’s last landfill, Pulau Semakau, an island south of Singapore, is expected to be filled by 2016, and although they have started expansion plans on Semakau to meet Singapore’s projected waste disposal needs up to 2035, what happens when we eventually run out of space?

 

We need to realise that every single piece of plastic ever produced is still lying around today.