APPOINTING only contractors and subcontractors that are not involved in any second-hand trading of textiles or shoes. Transporting all collected shoes without any aggregation or sorting at intermediary premises. Conducting regular spot checks and inspections.

These are the remedial steps taken to “tighten” the process chain of Singapore’s shoe recycling initiative involving US petrochemical giant Dow and Sport Singapore (SportSG), following revelations that shoes collected were being diverted for resale in Indonesia.

Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong laid out the measures in Parliament on Monday (Mar 20), as seven Members of Parliament (MPs) had filed questions related to the saga that blew up last month following an investigation by news agency Reuters, which had planted tracking devices in the soles of 11 pairs of donated shoes to find that none ended up being recycled. 

SportSG and Dow subsequently revealed that “vulnerabilities in the process chain” involving a subcontractor, Singaporean second-hand goods exporter Yok Impex, caused it. Yok Impex had sorted out some of the shoes before sending them to the appointed collection partner’s warehouse for registering and weighing, and for delivery to the grinding facility.

Opposition Leader Pritam Singh was not among the seven MPs who filed parliamentary questions, but he took the opportunity to ask about the environmental merits of the initiative, which turns recycled shoes into material for use in building new playgrounds and running tracks.

Citing concerns of greenwashing, Singh queried if the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) and SportSG had, in the first place, assessed if the initiative is greener than existing practices, which already integrate the use of recycled tyres. “Does this initiative move the needle, or is it just a conversion of one recyclable material for another?” he posed.

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Tong said an assessment was indeed made, and it was found that the rubber density of shoes is more suitable than that of old tyres for use in playgrounds and running tracks. 

“At the very least, this method does use the shoes as a further source of materials when the shoes would otherwise be disposed of. If nothing else, the grinding facility provides an additional avenue for waste material,” the minister added.

Tong was referring to Singapore’s first grinding facility set up by BT Sports – which was named as one of the shoe recycling programme’s project partners –  with the assistance of a grant from the government.

He, meanwhile, reassured that the project is “running well”, with 10,000 kilograms of shoes processed and used in sport infrastructure, such as the running track at the Kallang Football Hub, and an 888-metre jogging trail under construction in Jurong Town.

The remaining recycled shoe granules are planned for use in sport centres such as in Serangoon, Bukit Canberra and Punggol, as well as in jogging tracks, fitness corners, and playgrounds around Singapore, he added.

He also stressed that SportSG’s part in the programme is to pay for the recycled granules used for installation at public sports facilities, while Dow’s role is to manage the integration of the respective roles and promote the use of safe and sustainable materials. 

Waste handler Alba W&H Smart City (Alba-WH) is responsible for the collection of the shoe recycling bins, and it was the party that engaged Yok Impex to do so for selected parts of Singapore, he stated. Alba-WH has since terminated Yok Impex’s services, he added.

To prevent future incidents like this, “learning points” will be shared across other recycling projects that MCCY and other government agencies undertake in partnership with stakeholders keen to work on initiatives that protect the planet, he said.