We only have one landfill left.
Each year, we send about 200,000 tonnes of solid waste and ash to the Semakau landfill. At this rate we are sending waste there, it will run out of space in about 40 years.
As there is no available land for landfill on mainland Singapore, Semakau Landfill had to be created by enclosing 350 hectares of sea space between two offshore islands. Semakau Landfill opened on 1 April 1999 and is now the only one we have.
Landfills require space. We have already used up large tracts of land on mainland Singapore, in various areas such as Choa Chu Kang, Lim Chu Kang and Lorong Halus.
The Semakau Landfill had to be constructed out of sea space due to our land constraints. It is difficult for Singapore to continually build landfills to handle our growing amount of waste. We need to look for more sustainable solutions to handle our waste.
Through recycling and other waste minimisation efforts, we are progressively lengthening the lifespan of our last landfill.
Keeping our land clean by managing our solid and hazardous waste well.
