8 Cool Gadgets and Services That Help Save the Earth at RWS
As one of the largest integrated resorts in the world, we’ve made it a priority to identify and mitigate the potential impact that our facilities and operations may have on the environment. Over the years, we’ve continuously sought improvements in ways we can up our environmental conservation game, especially in the following areas – energy savings, water conservation, reducing waste and pollution, educational outreach, and maintaining biodiversity.
But of course, we couldn’t have done it alone – here are some cool gadgets and services that have helped us to achieve our eco goals along the way!
1. Fast chargers for electric vehicles
Driving an electric vehicle (EV)? We’ve got eight EV fast chargers across four locations within the resort to keep you moving. Since the introduction of these EV fast chargers in collaboration with Singapore Power Mobility, they have been used more than 1,200 times by guests. In addition, four EV lots have been allocated exclusively for BlueSG vehicles to support the EV-sharing ecosystem - check out the map here.
2. On-demand waterless car wash
Although traditional car-wash service stations consume up to approximately 150 litres of water for a single wash, waterless car wash service Shiokr is on a mission to change that. Available at Resorts World Sentosa, the on-demand service is an eco-friendly and efficient alternative that’ll leave your beloved vehicle sparkling clean without hurting the environment. Click here for more info.
3. Reverse vending machine
Recycling can be rewarding and fun. As Singapore moves towards its goal of being a Zero Waste Nation, we’ve remained committed in identifying innovative ways to promote the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) principles across the resort, and being more efficient in our waste management.
For example, we’ve placed a reverse vending machine (RVM) – in collaboration with the National Environment Agency – just outside Garrett's Popcorn, offering our guests a convenient and rewarding way to recycle used plastic drink bottles, as well as aluminium drink cans and bottles.
The items are crushed automatically to increase storage capacity and prevent liquid spillage before being transferred to recycling facilities, and guests contributing to this green effort are rewarded with small appreciation tokens. Since its implementation in July 2020, the RVM has helped recycle at least 76kg of recyclable waste!
4. Environmentally-friendly Dyson products
In partnership with Dyson to promote eco-friendly initiatives at the resort, we’ve installed two Dyson Airblade 9kJ hand dryers at S.E.A. Aquarium. As guests have to wash their hands before experiencing the Discovery Pool at the attraction, the Dyson hand dryers located within the zone eliminate the use of single-use paper towels.
This reduces the amount of waste generated across the resort, thereby reducing carbon emissions that can cause ocean acidification and accelerate climate change. The dryers are also equipped with High Efficiency filters that can purify air blown onto guests’ and team members’ hands.
5. Food grinder stations
To combat the issue of food waste and improve our ecological footprint, we have implemented three food grinder stations. These nifty machines automatically grind food waste to a pulp, which is automatically transported to a bio-digester that converts 95% of food waste it receives into liquid to reduce waste volume. And with increased efficiency in waste management, we’ve also managed to save approximately 72,000 plastic trash bags on an annual basis.
6. Smart bins
Bins have never been smarter – our 17 energy-saving Smart Bins have allowed us to reduce the number of regular bins across the resort to 43, from the usual 104. These solar-powered, larger-capacity compactor bins are able to compact trash, increasing trash capacity by eight fold. This also means that our cleaners don’t have to work as hard to clear the bins – they are notified via SMS once the bin is full, reducing the frequency of trash clearing by 25%.
7. Award-winning district cooling plant
Our centralised district cooling plant has played a significant role in optimising our electricity and water usage. It supplies chilled water for air conditioning across the resort and the entire Sentosa island, offsetting the need for mechanical rooms, chillers and air conditioners in individual buildings – thereby improving energy efficiency.
Also, a warm bath doesn’t have to be a costly affair – we’ve upgraded the water heaters at the Beach Villas with state-of-the-art heat pumps, which consume less energy to produce hot water. The heat pumps also generate cooling energy for the cooling applications as a by-product.
8. Solar installations
Did you know that Universal Studios Singapore is home to a photovoltaic solar farm? The next time you’re at the park, look up at the rooftop of the Revenge of the Mummy ride – the installation is right there! It spans about 4,500 sqm in total and generated 657,445 kWh of energy in 2020 – enough to power about 155 four-room HDB flats for a year.