Brown Is The New Black

The urgency to act on climate change has prompted social initiatives globally. Ahead of Singapore’s food segregation rules, we explore the art of composting

- Evigan Xiao

THIS COMING NEW YEAR, if you’re planning on making any resolutions at all, consider setting a goal that helps the environment. Because however we look at it, any effort we make is going to help us and our progeny by way creating a healthier, safer planet to live on.

There are many levels of personal initiatives we can take. Dutchman Boyan Slat was a mere teen when he started designing what would become the world’s first ocean plastic cleanup system. Jadav Payeng spent 30 years of his life planting trees. His solo effort reforested 550 hectares of land in India that is now home to thriving wildlife. On a smaller scale, our sub-editor committed to using bar soaps instead of liquid bodywash to eliminate one routine plastic bottle in her life. If you happen to have a garden, you can think about composting your organic trash.

Return To Nature

Composting is the practice of decomposing organic solid wastes, to derive a nutrient-rich material that is great for growing plants. Typically, these waste materials comprise discarded food, though other biodegradables such as cardboard feature as well.

The importance of composting is relevant to Singapore, considering the city-state produced 763,000 tonnes of food waste in 2018, of which only 17 per cent was recycled. Hence, in 2019 Singapore announced her Zero Waste Master Plan, which will require large malls, hotels and caterers to participate in food waste segregation starting from 2024. The organic waste will then be treated and converted for use, chief among this being compost for sustaining our garden city and nature reserves.