Annotated Summary

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Solid waste management infrastructure (n.d.). National Environment Agency.
https://www.nea.gov.sg/our-services/waste-management/3r-programmes-and-resources/waste-management-infrastructure/solid-waste-management-infrastructure

This article states that as Singapore is growing population, the amount of solid waste disposed has been increased from 1,260 tonnes a day in 1970 to a peak of 8,559 tonnes a day in 2016. Currently, Singapore's solid waste disposal infrastructure consists of four waste-to-energy (WTE) plants, Tuas, Senoko, Tuas South and Keppel Seghers Tuas Waste-To-Energy Plant (KSTP), as well as the Semakau Landfill.

Before collecting the solid waste, the recyclables are sorted and retrieved for processing to prolong the lifespan of recyclable materials. The solid waste that remains is then collected and sent to the various waste-to-energy plants for incineration. The incineration of solid waste reduces its volume by about 90% and produces steam, which runs turbine-generators to generate electricity.

The incinerated ash and other non-incinerable wastes are then transported to the Semakau Landfill, which was opened on 1 April 1999 and is currently Singapore’s only landfill facility. NEA declares that the landfill is expected to meet the country’s solid waste disposal needs up to 2035 and beyond. And the article also mentions that in 2016, the landfill received an average of 2,189 tonnes of WTE plant ash and non-incinerable waste daily.

The article explains that as the years went by, the population grows, so does the rate of waste disposal. As a result, the fly ash has been dumped on Palau Semakau Landfill in abundance. In order to address this issue, my team and me proposed the solution of integrating 90% fly ash and 5% cement in the flowable fill. This article provides useful information and statistics for our research on how we can prolong the lifespan of Semakau Landfill by maximizing the usage of fly ash in flowable fill.

 Latest Edited on 01-April-2020
Commented on Justin's, Brien's and Iskandar's annotated summaries

Comments

  1. Muhammad SyahmiMarch 31, 2020 at 4:41 AM

    Dear Tha Zin,

    I felt that your annotated summary was very informative to read, and I am shocked at the statistics given! Correct me if I am wrong, but the article only mentions the statistics but not of any solution? I think that your annotated summary can be further improved by mentioning how the knowledge gained from the article relates back to your technical report.

    Setting that aside, your annotated summary was a good read.

    Regards,
    Muhammad Syahmi

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ThazinMarch 31, 2020 at 10:42 AM

      Dear Syahmi,

      Thank you for your comment and pointing out the mistake. Yes, you are right that I did forget to include the connection part to my research. And I've just updated my summary. Again, thanks for your advice!

      With regards,
      Thazin

      Delete
  2. ArdiniApril 1, 2020 at 2:36 PM

    Hi Tha Zin,

    The summary is interesting and was supported by statistics. As Singapore's population increases, there will be an automatic increase in waste. Due to the limited land Singapore has, we should not depend mainly on Semakau Island for the dumping of waste. I am glad your team aims to tackle this issue by adopting 90:5 fly ash to cement ratio.


    Regards,
    Ardini

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ThazinApril 3, 2020 at 1:09 PM

      Hi Ardini,

      Thank you for your time to read my annotated summary and I'm grateful for your support to my team's idea.

      Regards,
      Thazin

      Delete
  3. CenweiApril 2, 2020 at 5:55 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  4. CenweiApril 2, 2020 at 6:15 AM

    Hi Tha Zin,

    I found your article to be very informative and well supported with statistics, with good explanations on how waste is converted to fly ash for dumping. Prior to reading the summary, I did not know that recyclables would be sorted out before the incineration, and thought that the waste is simply dumped into the incinerators without further processing.

    I am also glad to see that you and your team are working on addressing this issue by suggesting the use of fly ash in concrete, and wish you all the best in doing so. Hopefully it would be able to buy sufficient time for Singapore to come up with another place to dump fly ash once the Semakau landfill is full. In the meantime, I will do my part to reduce the waste that I generate.

    Best regards,
    Cen Wei

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ThazinApril 3, 2020 at 1:02 PM

      Hi Cenwei,

      Thank you for taking your time to read and comment on my annotated summary. I'm delighted to know that you are also taking part in reducing the waste.

      Working together will certainly be more effective!

      Regards,
      Thazin

      Delete

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