Report on Sustainable Society Through Waste to Energy and Smart Nation

This report examines the potential of waste-to-energy (WTE) technologies and smart nation initiatives in creating a sustainable society, focusing on Singapore's efforts to become a leading smart nation by 2025. It highlights Singapore's strategies in enhancing its broadband network, IoT infrastructure, and data analytics capabilities, alongside initiatives like smart bins and smart homes. The report also delves into the advantages and disadvantages of WTE, emphasizing its role in resource management by reducing fuel consumption, minimizing land usage, and promoting alternative energy sources. Real-world examples, such as Sweden's high recycling rate and Copenhagen's waste incineration project for electricity generation, illustrate the practical applications and benefits of WTE in achieving sustainability goals. The report concludes by underscoring the significance of WTE in addressing waste management and energy challenges while contributing to a more resource-efficient and environmentally friendly future.

Sustainable Society Through
Innovative Technology

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Contents
SECTION A..........................................................................................................................................1
Question 1.........................................................................................................................................1
SECTION B..........................................................................................................................................2
Question 2.........................................................................................................................................2
Advantage of WTE........................................................................................................................3
Disadvantage of WTE....................................................................................................................3
Role of WTE in the resource management....................................................................................4
TWO real examples.......................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES......................................................................................................................................5

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SECTION A
Question 1
In order to become the Smart nation, the government of Singapore is taking many types of
initiatives for becoming the first smart nation in the world (Smart Nation and Digital
government office, 2018). They are enhancing nationwide broadband network as well as
increasing the infrastructure for preparing itself for analytics and big data. Along with this
infrastructure related to Internet of things is developed. This is done for focusing on data
intelligence. For this they are working on three areas connect, collect and comprehend (Yu,
2014). For collection of data above ground boxes are installed. At the same time fibre
connectivity is increased. More sensor based technologies are being installed at various
public places like traffic junctions, parks etc.
Apart from this they are also taking initiatives to use technology for jurisdiction purpose. For
example, the use of automated detectors or taking use of video sensing technologies is
promoted. Apart from this they are also planning to install smart bin technology so as to
enhance the resource deployment for maintenance of public areas (Smart Nation Singapore,
2018). The housing department is taking initiatives to design the houses where the appliances
can communicated with each other. This will help in controlling the appliances without
human interventions. They are developing digital workforce in such a manner that most of
the people could get job which will help them in giving their citizens a meaningful and
fulfilled lives. National Digital Identity, e-Payments, Smart Nation Sensor Platform, Smart
Urban Mobility, Moments of Life, CODEX (Core Operations, Development Environment,
and eXchange) are some of the other initiatives taken by the government to make the country
smart by 2025 (EDB Singapore, 2017).

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Figure 1 Source: IDA Singapore, Media Fact Sheet; Smart Nation Platform. April 2015

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Figure 2 Source: Goodyfeed: 10 FACTS ABOUT S’PORE’S DIRECTION TO BE A SMART NATION
REFERENCES
EDB Singapore, (2017) Government leads digital disruption in Singapore. Online. Available
at: https://www.edb.gov.sg/en/news-and-resources/insights/innovation/government-leads-
digital-disruption-in-singapore.html. [Accessed on 14th Oct 2018]
Smart Nation and Digital government office, (2018) many smart ideas one smart nation.
Online. Available at: https://www.smartnation.sg/[Accessed on 14th Oct 2018]
Smart Nation Singapore, (2018) Smart Nation. Online. Available at:
https://www.smartnation.sg/about/Smart-Nation. [Accessed on 14th Oct 2018]
Yu, E. (2014) Singapore unveils plan in push to become smart nation. Online. Available at:
https://www.zdnet.com/article/singapore-unveils-plan-in-push-to-become-smart-nation/.
[Accessed on 14th Oct 2018]

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SECTION B
Question 2
Waste management has become a major challenge for all the countries in the world. Different
kinds of measures are taken by the institutions to reduce the waste. At the same time another
bigger challenge for the institutions is the fact that energy requirement in the world is
increasing. Both the problems can be solved by the company with the help of Waste to
Energy mechanism. This is an effective and highly useful method for resource management.
In Waste to Energy is term used for describing the different types of technologies that
transforms non-recyclable waste into the energy form that can be used as a usable form of
energy like fuels, electricity and heat (Bosmans, et. al. 2013). WTE can be utilised for the
processes like gasification, digestion, land fill gas recovery, incineration, anaerobic and
pyrolysis. The high degree combustion of waste allows it to do energy recovery. WTE is an
old and effective technology that is helpful technology that biologically converts organic
waste into biogas for energy. By the process of pyrolysis, it converts waste products into
liquid fuels by thermo-chemical methods.
Advantage of WTE
In the various other methods used for converting waste into any form of energy, WTE has
several advantages such as:
 By producing steam Huntsville Waste to Energy facility saves more than 200,000
barrels of fuels such as oil yearly. Hence it saves a lot of resources.
 Waste to energy facilitates generate power in the form of electricity or steam as the
WTE can deliver more than 400,000 lbs/hour of uninterruptible steam.
 WTE acts as a reducer for Net Greenhouse Gas especially the gases like methane
which was highly produces in the landfill sites.
 It helps in reducing the usage of land which is another valuable resource which was
greatly used in landfill processes (Karagiannidis, 2012).

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 It also reduces the numbers of trucks that was required for carrying the waste over the
longer distance. This has two benefits first it creates less air pollution and secondly it
minimises truck traffic.
 It avoids the chances of contamination of the groundwater which is highly probable in
landfill techniques.
 It also leaves lower carbon footprints.
Disadvantage of WTE
Along with the benefits, it is having certain kind of disadvantages. Some of them are as
follows:
 The technology that is used in the process is expensive and it cannot be afforded by
the lower section of the society. Even the installation fee is very high.
 There can be chances of emissions of toxic pollutants in the process which can be
dangerous for the people living in the area (Greentumble, 2018).
 The opportunity cost of the WTE is also very high which makes it unfavourable for
the developing countries.
Role of WTE in the resource management
Resource management which is again a bigger problem in the modern day society and the
institutions are putting large amount capital for the development of technology that helps in
resource management. With the help of WTE resource management can be made easier. Role
of WTE in resource management is as follows:
 As it can be seen that WTE provides an advantage of using less amount of fuel in the
process of conversion hence it reduces the use of waste hence has a role in resource
management.
 It also reduces the amount of land used in other processes which again effective in the
waste management of another important resources i.e. land.
 It is having role in increasing the financial and energy capability of the company
which can be used in the future for other purpose hence becomes highly significant in
the resource management.
 It acts as a technology that helps in getting alternative energy which helps in saving
the energy resources that are convention especially the coal. This will help the firms
to use their technology for the long term.

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TWO real examples
In various parts of the world, this type of technology is used by the countries. Two examples
are as follows:
 Sweden recycles more than 99% of their waste with the help of WTE in which alone
50.3% of the waste is from the household activities. At the same time it is also doing
an energy recovery of 16% which is directly used for different purposes.
 Another example of it is the Copenhagen’s project including incinerator as a resource
management tool. This city recycles more than 54% of its waste by the help of
incinerators for generating electricity. At the same time 97% of the residents of city
receive their energy as excess heat generated by the waste incinerator that has
installed (Roth, 2018).

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REFERENCES
Bosmans, A., Vanderreydt, I., Geysen, D. and Helsen, L., 2013. The crucial role of Waste-to-
Energy technologies in enhanced landfill mining: a technology review. Journal of Cleaner
Production, 55, pp.10-23.
Greentumble, (2018) Waste Incineration: Advantages and Disadvantages. Online. Available
at: https://greentumble.com/waste-incineration-advantages-and-disadvantages/. [Accessed on
14th Oct 2018]
Karagiannidis, A., 2012. Waste to energy. Springer.
Roth, A. (2018) WASTE TO ENERGY. Online. Available at:
https://www.studentenergy.org/topics/waste-to-energy. [Accessed on 14th Oct 2018]