Page 12 - Envision 17
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The Issue
The world’s population continues to swell, projected to hit almost 10 billion by 2050. Cities like Beijing, Istanbul, Tokyo, Delhi and Jakarta seem populated today. Think
what they will be like by 2050. The United Nations predicts that by then, 2.5 billion more people will be living in urban centres, making two out of every three people city dwellers. The world generates 2.01 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste annually. Global waste is expected to grow to 3.40 billion tonnes by 2050, more than double population growth over the same period.
Today, cities are responsible for some 70% of greenhouse gas emissions and consume 75% of the world’s energy and resources. As the human population continues to grow and the planet faces existential threats from climate change, there is a critical need for sustainable urban planning. Along with economic growth, increasing urbanisation and rising affluence, the “take, make and dispose” way of consumption – also known as the linear economy model – is no longer sustainable.
Recently, the unsustainable nature of the linear economic system has gained even greater attention due to China's decision to ban importation of waste from the rest of the world from January 2018. Soon, other countries in Asia followed the same initiative by implementing their own waste import bans and tightening restrictions. This has compelled the global community to urgently rethink their waste management practices.
On 30 August 2019, the launch of the Singapore's inaugural Zero Waste Masterplan maps out Singapore’s key strategies to build a sustainable, resource efficient and climate-resilient nation. This includes adopting a circular economy (CE) approach to waste and resource management practices, and shifting towards more sustainable production and consumption.
In 2018, Singapore generated 7.7 million tonnes of waste with 60% of the volume recycled and about 40% either incinerated or sent to a landfill. The amount of waste disposed of in Singapore has increased seven-fold over the last 40 years. At this rate, Semakau Landfill, Singapore’s only landfill, will run out of space by 2035. There is limited land for building new incineration plants or landfills in Singapore. The Masterplan sets a new waste reduction target for Singapore – to reduce the waste sent to Semakau Landfill each day by 30% by 2030 – which will help to extend Semakau Landfill's lifespan beyond 2035.
 


























































































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