After Collection from the Bin

From collection from the blue bin onwards, the fate of the recyclables are as follows:

1. Recyclables from housing estates are collected by recycling trucks and sent to a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF).

Transport of recycling bin by the recycling truck to the MRF (Figure by Han Xue Yi using PowerPoint. Images from NEA YouTube video)

 

2. The recyclables are manually sorted into different waste streams (paper, plastics, glass, and metal), baled and sent to local or overseas recycling plants.

Recyclables are manually sorted into different waste streams (plastic, paper, glass, and metal) then baled before sending to recycling facilities. (Figure by Han Xue Yi using PowerPoint. Left and right photos and paper photo in the middle from NEA, photos in the middle by tanvi sharma (plastic),  Aserusainhuu (glass), Pamela Callaway (metal) on Unsplash)

 

3. For non-recyclable waste, those that are incinerable are sent to one of the four local incineration plants, also called Waste-to-Energy (WTE) plants, before reaching the Semakau Landfill. Whereas for those that are non-incinerable, they are directly disposed in the Semakau landfill.