Did you know? Your habits that generate waste create a larger carbon footprint
Singapore has often been touted as one of the greenest cities in the world, earning itself the nickname “garden city”. Yet, in 2021, it was found that Singapore generated 6.94 million tonnes of solid waste, of which only 3.83 million tonnes were recycled. This waste gets incinerated and dumped at Singapore’s one and only landfill, Pulau Semakau, which is projected to run out of space by 2035. In order to conserve this for as long as possible, we will need to cut down on the amount of waste generated.
On a global scale, Singapore contributes to 0.11% of global carbon emissions and there have been calls for lowering our high carbon footprint through reducing consumption, improving operational efficiency, and reducing the carbon footprint of activities taking place in Singapore. In fact, 189,000 tonnes of Singapore’s solid waste is owed to textile waste, which accumulates in landfills when people simply throw away used clothes in favour of buying new ones. If we could be more conscious about the way we consume and discard clothes and other items in our households, and consider upcycling or recycling unwanted belongings, we could help reduce the amount of waste we produce and incinerate, and thus, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help mitigate climate change.
Beyond just physical waste, something that goes under the radar is digital waste. Digital waste refers to both electronic waste as well as emissions created by our online activities. In 2020, it was found that with 4.1 billion people using the internet, the carbon footprint of our gadgets, the internet and the systems supporting them account for close to 4% of global greenhouse emissions. Our online activities come at a carbon cost due to the energy required to run your devices and power the wireless networks that you access. For example, emails create anywhere between 0.3g CO2 to 50g CO₂ depending on whether there are attachments or not. A typical business user’s email habits create 135kg of CO₂ emissions each year— the equivalent of driving 321km in a car!
Of these emails that contribute to global emissions are newsletters and mailing lists, many of which are often left unread. An average internet user receives 2850 unwanted emails every year from subscriptions, which are responsible for 28.5 kg of CO₂. Email is the fastest-growing channel for consumers in Singapore to learn about the latest news, yet only 18.6% of consumers in Singapore claim to get frequent updates on products they like. This highlights the volume of emails that are actually unwanted and should be unsubscribed from to reduce digital waste.
The COVID-19 era has given rise to video call platforms, yet calls are more carbon intensive than texts. It is estimated that a five-hour meeting held over video conferencing calls between participants in different countries would produce between 4 kg and 215 kg CO₂. Can these meetings be replaced with emails? If the answer is yes, consider doing that - you save time and also reduce carbon emissions.
There is plenty more you can do to reduce waste and declutter your home and digital space.
