Edwin Tong on ‘learning points’ from shoe recycling programme by Sport Singapore
The shoe recycling programme is a joint initiative set up in 2021 by Dow and Sport Singapore (SportSG). Other partners, such as B.T. Sports and Alba-WH, play various roles in the process chain. Dow’s role is to manage the integration of the respective roles and promote the use of safe and sustainable materials. SportSG promotes the use of these materials to install sports infrastructure and sets up shoe collection points at its ActiveSG sports centres. Alba-WH is the appointed collection partner responsible for collecting shoes and delivers them to B.T. Sports, which manages the facility to grind the recycled shoes into granules for use as building materials. This is Singapore’s first grinding facility to turn recycled shoes into granules for use as building materials. It was set up by B.T. Sports with the assistance of a grant from the Government. SportSG pays only for the recycled granules which it receives and uses for installation at public sports facilities. In January 2023, the project partners were alerted that the shoes put into recycling bins and intended for the shoe recycling programme were being diverted for resale. An investigation was immediately commenced by the project partners. Alba-WH, as the party responsible for the collection of the shoe recycling bins, had engaged Yok Impex to do so for selected parts of Singapore. These bins were brought to and sorted at Yok Impex’s premises before being sent to Alba-WH’s warehouse for registering and weighing. They were subsequently delivered to the grinding facility. The investigation found that the shoe recycling bins at Yok Impex’s premises were not properly segregated from other sorting activities, resulting in some shoes which were meant for recycling being exported to other countries for resale. Alba-WH has terminated the services of Yok Impex. The project partners have taken steps to tighten the process chain. These include appointing only contractors and subcontractors that are not involved in any second-hand trading of textiles or shoes and transporting all collected shoes to Alba-WH’s premises without any aggregation or sorting at any intermediary premises. Culture, Community and Youth Minister Edwin Tong gave this update in reply to MPs’ questions in Parliament on Monday (Mar 20). He said the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth will share these “learning points” across other recycling projects. He hopes this episode will not deter the public from supporting such initiatives as these are important and impactful in protecting the environment.
The shoe recycling programme is a joint initiative set up in 2021 by Dow and Sport Singapore (SportSG). Other partners, such as B.T. Sports and Alba-WH, play various roles in the process chain. Dow’s role is to manage the integration of the respective roles and promote the use of safe and sustainable materials. SportSG promotes the use of these materials to install sports infrastructure and sets up shoe collection points at its ActiveSG sports centres. Alba-WH is the appointed collection partner responsible for collecting shoes and delivers them to B.T. Sports, which manages the facility to grind the recycled shoes into granules for use as building materials. This is Singapore’s first grinding facility to turn recycled shoes into granules for use as building materials. It was set up by B.T. Sports with the assistance of a grant from the Government. SportSG pays only for the recycled granules which it receives and uses for installation at public sports facilities. In January 2023, the project partners were alerted that the shoes put into recycling bins and intended for the shoe recycling programme were being diverted for resale. An investigation was immediately commenced by the project partners. Alba-WH, as the party responsible for the collection of the shoe recycling bins, had engaged Yok Impex to do so for selected parts of Singapore. These bins were brought to and sorted at Yok Impex’s premises before being sent to Alba-WH’s warehouse for registering and weighing. They were subsequently delivered to the grinding facility. The investigation found that the shoe recycling bins at Yok Impex’s premises were not properly segregated from other sorting activities, resulting in some shoes which were meant for recycling being exported to other countries for resale. Alba-WH has terminated the services of Yok Impex. The project partners have taken steps to tighten the process chain. These include appointing only contractors and subcontractors that are not involved in any second-hand trading of textiles or shoes and transporting all collected shoes to Alba-WH’s premises without any aggregation or sorting at any intermediary premises. Culture, Community and Youth Minister Edwin Tong gave this update in reply to MPs’ questions in Parliament on Monday (Mar 20). He said the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth will share these “learning points” across other recycling projects. He hopes this episode will not deter the public from supporting such initiatives as these are important and impactful in protecting the environment.
Popular Shows
