Volunteer at SS3 Tzu Chi Recycling Centre - Day 3

Report on community service - Day 3

Introduction

On the 5th of May, we went to Tzu Chi SS3 Recycling center to help out for community service. Like the past 2 volunteer sessions, we started work at 8.30am.

Picture of us helping out the recycling center
Photographer: Wei Liang

Giving out old clothes

Firstly, we weigh the old clothes sent to the recycling center, before moving them to the truck to be given to the needy.

The multitude of old clothes sent to the recycling center

Moving the old clothes to the truck to be given to the needy

Sending unwanted electronic wastes for recycling

Besides, we also pack and weigh the electronic wastes sent to the recycling center. These electronic wastes can be sold for money, despite being unusable. The PCB (printed circuit board) of those electronic devices may contain trace amount of gold, which can be collected and be reused on the production of new PCB in new electronic devices. These electronic wastes are also sent to the truck to be sent for further processing.

Crushing aluminium cans

We somehow split up and provide help in processing different types of waste. As for Zheng Hong and me, we dealt with aluminium cans for the bulk of our time here. We crushed the cans into flat sheet of aluminium using the recycle center's DIY can crusher, made out of recycled metals.

We split up and help out in different tasks

The main motivation for crushing the aluminium cans is such that it occupy less space in the recycling center. This also helps when we send these cans out for further processing in trucks - the truck can carry more aluminium cans at once, reducing the number of trips required. The same logic also applies for plastic bottles, especially those soft drinks and mineral water bottles under the "P1" category.

Demonstration from the staff worker

Zheng Hong crushing the cans

Sorting paper and plastic wastes

While Zheng Hong and me are taking turns crushing the aluminium cans (it is a physically taxing task), the rest of our team are occupied with sorting plastic wastes, crushing plastic bottles, and sorting papers.

Sorting paper wastes

The motivation to sort plastic wastes is the fact that the manifold types of plastics undergo different process in recycling, for they are made up from different polymers. Although our effort in sorting plastics may seem insignificant, but it is in fact, part of the global effort for environmental preservation. We need to reduce plastic pollution in our earth, because the vast majority of plastic is non-biodegradable. Irresponsible disposal of plastic wastes will greatly harm our environment. For example, there are many cases where sea turtles mistook plastic bags as their food - jellyfish. By eating them, many of them are intoxicated or even died from it. It's mind-blowing to see that by our effort, we are actually saving the world.

Job done

At about 12pm, we left the recycling center, having completed all the recycling work of the recycling center for the week. As for our team, we all felt a sense of accomplishment despite being physically exhausted, as what we did on that day is very meaningful.

We have finished the sorting of various wastes

Job done - keeping the cardboard boxes for future use

What have I learnt from this volunteering session

As for me, 1 major takeaway from this session is summarized in 1 word: humble. As typical millennial, we often have an unhealthy sense of entitlement, and also a "I'm too cool for this" attitude towards lowly job - such as sorting wastes.

Every job in the society, except for crimes, are important, as the advancement our society depends on everyone playing their role well. Without recycling and waste management, our environment will be littered with wastes, and such poor hygiene will encourage the breeding of pests such as rats and flies, which may lead to epidemics. So, we see that this is an important job too.


Finally, I hope that people are more responsible in waste disposal, otherwise it will be very unloving towards recycling workers and volunteers. They should have separated their recyclable wastes and non-recyclable wastes properly before sending them to recycling centers. There was an occasion where I opened up a bag of paper wastes, and the first thing that comes to my sight are disgusting tissue papers and used sanitary napkin. It is indeed a test to me, as I need to pick these objects out, throwing them into the garbage bin, and continue sorting the rest of the recyclable paper wastes in the bag.