Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Local Tips on Reducing Our Footprint

by Jane Kim

While it may seem daunting to ‘go green,’ there are some simple small and personal actions we can take to reuse and recycle used goods in our community.

Keri Matwick Recycles Bulbs at Cold Storage

Tennis Balls: A local teenager was inspired to find a new lease of life for used tennis balls, and created Yellowship. The balls are reused by those who use the balls for physiotherapy, migrant workers who use them for tennis ball cricket, as well as nursing homes and animal shelters. WhatsApp 9734 6203 to arrange drop off near Bukit Timah. Got tennis ball cans? Yellowship (link to Facebook page) will take those, too! (Straits Times article) (Pics from Yellowship’s Facebook page.)

Athletic Shoes: Give your used athletic shoes a second life! The rubber soles are turned into materials that are reused for jogging tracks, fitness corners, and playgrounds. Rubber sandals and slippers may be accepted too, according to SportSG. Note that the shoes should be dry and generally clean; however, you do not have to wash your shoes prior to the dropoff. Collection sites are located throughout the island, including Decathlon and ActiveSG Sport Centres. See Active SG for more drop-off sites.

Beverage Bottles and Cans: Recycle your beverage containers – specifically plastic bottles and aluminum cans – at one of 50 Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) across Singapore and get rewarded! For every ten containers recycled, you earn rewards, such as Sentosa Fun Pass tokens and ActiveSG credits. Find the closest RVM to you, and learn more at RecycleNSave.sg.

Reduce Packaging: Australian bulk good stores, such as Scoop and Bulk Food, sell spices, nuts, and other dry goods by weight, so you can get just what you need for that recipe that only calls for a teaspoon of that ingredient that you rarely use! Conversely, if you need a lot of something, they can accommodate that too. These stores are 100% packaging free, and aim to be part of the zero-waste revolution.

E-Waste from Gadgets and Gizmos Galore: Drop off your broken or old gadgets (laptops, phones, gaming consoles) with StarHub’s Renew Programme at Plaza Singapura or Tampines Mall. Take small household appliances to City Square Mall’s E-Waste Recycling Programme located at L2 Customer Service Counter. You can also leave used light bulbs at many Cold Storage locations throughout the city. Check out NEA’s website for a comprehensive list and map on where you can recycle all e-waste.

Freecylcing: Looking to get rid of something that’s in perfectly good working order or no longer suits your taste? Of course there’s an app for that! List your goods on Olio to give away food and other household items to others in your community, all for free.

Read our Spring Cleaning in Singapore article on where to donate other used items in our March/April 2021 issue.

Jane is the magazine's Managing Editor, and also serves on AWA's Board of Directors and Tennis Committee. Originally from Maryland, Jane and her diplomat husband moved to Singapore in 2019 from Timor-Leste.