Opening of Virogreen E-Waste Visitor Centre - Ms Goh Hanyan

1. Good morning. It is my pleasure to join you for the opening of Virogreen's E-Waste Visitor Centre on International E-Waste Day.

Proper Management of E-Waste

2. As a small island nation, it is critical for Singapore to manage our waste well. Our only landfill, Semakau Landfill, is projected to be filled by 2035. It is a critical need for us to manage our waste right, to reduce waste and increase recycling rates across different waste streams in Singapore, which underscores how important it is for us to be here today to understand how this can be done for our e-waste streams.

3. E-waste is one of our priority waste streams. There are others such as plastics, food waste, but we understand e-waste has certain challenges associated with it.

   • Singapore is one of the most digitally connected countries. About 99 per cent of resident households have Internet access. This is a good sign of progress. But it is also a sign of the growing amount of e-waste we will generate. Looking ahead, that is expected to grow quite significantly.

   • Proper disposal of e-waste is important to safeguard public health and wellbeing. E-waste often contains heavy metals and hazardous substances. If not properly disposed, these could contaminate our environment and harm us.

   • At the same time, e-waste is one of the most valuable waste streams as it contains desirable resources such as precious metals and rare earth elements that can be recovered and reused. When we extract these resources for use, we also reduce the environmental impact arising from the extraction of these resources.

4. This is why we have put in place an Extended Producer Responsibility Scheme for e-waste since 2021. This scheme holds producers responsible in strengthening the collection and recycling of e-waste in Singapore.

Education Hub for E-Waste

5. Public education is extremely important to share responsible consumer habits and recycling is critical to the success of our waste management policies. Few of us may be familiar with what happens to our e-waste once it is deposited at collection points. Some may even wonder if the e-waste loop is truly closed after it is collected.

6. Initiatives like Virogreen's E-Waste Visitor Centre are therefore vital to sustainability education. Supported by the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment’s SG Eco Fund, the Centre is designed to be an educational hub to engage students and the public on Singapore's e-waste management and recycling processes.

7. In the spirit of 3P collaboration, Virogreen has partnered with the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) to design and run the Centre. Students will be trained as ambassadors to conduct educational tours.

8. I am excited that the students are part of this. You are the best ambassadors because the future is in your hands, and who else could be in a better position to be conducting the tour and educating each and every one of us. I am also very impressed by the creativity of the students, who proposed innovative concepts within the exhibition. For example, there is a showcase that peels back the outer shell of a washing machine. This allows visitors to see its anatomy - the drum, the motor, and the electronics. This is to show that recycling is an extremely complex endeavour – so many pieces and processes – and filled with valuable materials waiting for a second life. I thank ITE and the students for your contributions to our sustainability effort.

9. Virogreen is also working with ALBA, our appointed Producer Responsibility Scheme Operator, to curate a comprehensive learning journey at the Centre. Visitors will discover how ALBA collects e-waste across Singapore and witness how Virogreen dismantles and transforms these discarded devices into valuable resources such as plastic, copper, silver and gold. This provides the public with a complete overview of our e-waste management system.

10. Partnerships like these with industry, schools and other organisations help to strengthen the reach and impact of our sustainability messages. I encourage more companies and organisations to step forward and do your part to educate and engage the community. 

Driving Community Engagement with SG Eco Fund

11. Support from the SG Eco Fund has also enabled Virogreen to extend its reach beyond the visitor centre, through interactive roadshows at community centres, shopping malls and schools. Through these outreach efforts, the community can learn about the importance of e-waste recycling, how e-waste is processed, and how to dispose their e-waste properly in recycling bins.

12. We will continue to support such meaningful ground-up initiatives under the SG Eco Fund and hope that each one will inspire more ideas. If you have a good idea, do consider tapping on the Fund to turn your ideas into reality and drive community action.

Conclusion

13. Let me conclude by encouraging you to become ambassadors in your own communities by sharing what you have learned today. This will inspire others to see e-waste as something that can be given a second lease of life through responsible recycling.

14. I wish Virogreen and your partners continued success in your environmental education efforts, and look forward to seeing this visitor centre serve as a valuable educational resource for the community.

Thank you.