waste management – Aquarius-Systems

Singapore Turns Waste Ash Into an Offshore Landfill

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 12:33:52 +0000

With limited land available for traditional waste disposal, Singapore developed an unusual solution: an offshore landfill built in the sea. Semakau Landfill, which opened in 1999, receives ash and non-incinerable waste after most of the country’s solid waste is processed at waste-to-energy plants. Incineration reduces the volume of the waste by as much as 90 percent before the remaining material is transported to the landfill.

Semakau was created by enclosing approximately 350 hectares (about 865 acres) of sea with a seven-kilometer, or roughly 4.3-mile, rock barrier. An impermeable membrane and marine clay help contain the landfill and prevent contaminated water from entering the surrounding sea. Waste is deposited within engineered cells inside the enclosed area.

What makes Semakau especially interesting is the effort to protect and restore the surrounding marine environment. Mangroves disturbed during construction were replanted, while nearby coral reefs, seagrass beds and remaining mangrove habitat were protected. Today, the area supports marine life and migratory birds and is even used for guided nature walks, birdwatching and other recreational activities.

The project isn’t a permanent answer to Singapore’s waste problem. Semakau continues to fill, and the country is exploring ways to reuse incineration ash rather than sending it to the landfill. Still, the project provides an interesting example of how engineering, waste management and environmental protection can be incorporated into the same project when available land is extremely limited.

Dead Seagrass and Wrack Removed to Protect Water Quality in Budgewoi Lake

Tue, 21 Dec 2021 22:04:01 +0000

DEAD seagrass will be removed from Budgewoi Lake and Lake Munmorah in the coming weeks as Wyong Shire Council’s weed harvester shifts into overdrive.

Since August, a total of 730 tonnes of wrack was removed from the lake and taken to Buttonderry Waste Management Facility in Australia.

Last year, the council removed 5800 cubic metres of wrack from the shore zone next to recreational areas which would otherwise have decomposed in the lake, affecting water quality and contributing to the formation of organic black ooze.

Garbage Buildup on the Drina River Threatens Bosnia Hydropower Dam

Tue, 30 Nov 2021 22:03:10 +0000

The Balkan nations have poor waste management programs, and tons of garbage routinely end up in rivers, including the occasional washing machine or computer screen. A broken barrier this week caused a massive buildup of garbage on the Drina that has threatened Bosnia’s Visegrad dam.

Officials say that between 6,000 and 8,000 cubic meters of waste are pulled out of the river each year. At the Visegrad dam, efforts began to clear away the clogging garbage and to avoid potential damage to the power system.

Could Privatizing Waterways Help Solve Plastic Pollution

Mon, 30 Apr 2018 21:18:50 +0000

A monumental eco-challenge facing the planet is plastic marine debris. The modern economy has produced more than eight billion metric tons of newly manufactured plastic, but 75% of it becomes plastic waste. It is estimated that approximately five trillion pieces of plastic, or roughly 250,000 metric tons, have littered the waters.

So, what can be an effective measure to combat or eliminate plastics from ending up in coastlines, rivers, lakes, and oceans? It may be daring for most, but ocean privatization is the way to go.

Water capitalism implies that there would be private ownership of oceans, rivers, lakes, and aquifers.

When something is unowned, there is very little incentive to maintain, preserve, or defend it. On the other hand, when something is privately owned, we do our very best to maintain, preserve, or defend it. This is why private property is typically better than public housing, or why private transportation is generally more bearable than government transit.

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