Amp Up Your Earth Day Strategy: Disposing Unwanted Items Sustainably in Singapore
PUBLISHED April 18th, 2022 05:00 am | UPDATED July 22nd, 2024 05:34 pm
Just moved or planning to move? Getting some spring cleaning done before summer hits? After you’ve spent hours Marie Kondo-ing and decluttering, the big question that often rises is what to do with all your unwanted stuff. Why not do something more than just turning off your lights this Earth Day and give them a new home, in a manner that reduces our carbon foot print and saves energy? Here’s how to dispose your unwanted belongings sustainably in Singapore:
Refashion Your Clothing Items
We’re not big on math, but our jaws hit the floor when we learnt that fashion and textile products account for 137,000 tonnes of waste produced annually in Singapore – with only 4% of the cut being recycled. If you’ve grown out of some of your clothing, give them to someone in need. Greensquare provides free textile recycling services in Singapore. After collecting clean clothes, wearable shoes, household linens and accessories, items are sold to second-hand textile importers in various developing countries for purchase at affordable prices. You can also shift your purchasing habits by shopping for pre-loved items!
Greensquare has various drop-off locations across Singapore. Pick-ups can also be arranged if weight of donated items reaches 15kg and more.
From One Bookworm to Another
Don’t waste a perfectly good story by sliding it through the rubbish chute! An online sustainable bookstore, Thryft brings stories from one bookworm to another. Good for your wallet and the planet, Thryft is creating a reading culture by extending the shelf life of each book. Make space for exciting new reads as you trade in your old books and cop some new ones that have been sitting on your list. If your books don’t pass the quality checks for the webstore, they are donated to non-profit organisations or recycled responsibly. Moreover, Thryft also donates 10% of its profits to charities and non-profit organisations.
Thryft has drop-off locations in Sprout Hub and WarehouseJoy. Pick-ups can also be arranged if you have 20 or more books to donate.
One Man’s Trash is Another Man’s Treasure
Get rid of some of that old furniture while helping low-income families. Pass-It-On is a web platform connecting the general public to the needy via Voluntary Welfare Organizations (VWOs). VWOs registered with Pass-It-On can request items, and the public can donate still-useful items like home appliances and furniture that are in good working condition. All you have to do is snap some pictures of your items and take some measurements, upload it to the Pass-It-On webspace and wait for a VWO to reach out to you. Collection of items can be arranged with the VWOs directly.
To donate, please visit Pass-It-On’s website.
Geeky Donations for Your Electrical Devices
If you’ve upgraded the latest tech devices, think about recycling your old ones – almost all of the materials in your e-devices can be recovered and recycled to generate energy or make new products. Telecommunication companies like Singtel, Starhub and M1 have all made it a point to adopt sustainable practises with e-waste recycling. Simply gather your devices, back up the contents of the devices and remove any SIM and memory cards (unless you wish to recycle them), the drop off your items at any of the companies’ recycling bins.
For a list of drop-off points for electronics drop-off please visit Singtel, Starhub and M1’s websites.
Save Some for Our Paw Friends
Don’t worry we didn’t forget about our furry friends! If you’ve got some extra bowls, leashes, collars fresh food and supplements, as well as grooming and hygiene products laying around, you can pass them on to Oasis Second Chance Animal Shelter (OSCAS), a registered charity and non-profit dog shelter. All you have to do is email them a description and a photo of the items and their volunteers will respond with the delivery details. Operating since 2006, OSCAS is home to over 100 dogs and strays – needless to say, your donations will be very much loved here!
OSCAS is located at The Animal Lodge, 59 Sungei Tengah Road, Block R. To donate your items please email [email protected].
Give Your Kicks a New Home
In an effort to give a second life to used shoes, ActiveSG’s Circular Economy Project in partnership with Dow, B.T. Sports, Alba-WH, Decathlon and other Sustainability Champions, is using old shoes and sportswear to make sports infrastructure throughout Singapore. Your old shoes are grinded up into rubber granules at the facilities, and then used to make jogging tracks, fitness corners and playgrounds. Collection points are spread across Singapore in sports centres, recreational clubs, parks, Decathlon stores and more. You can also redeem prices and awards by scanning the QR codes on the donation bins.
For more information, please visit ActiveSG’s website. For a list of drop-off points click here.
Top Image: Maude Frédérique Lavoie on Unsplash
