SINGAPORE – Once used to put out fires, old firefighting hoses from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) are finding a second life as park fences and “toys” for marine animals.
The SCDF recently donated over 30 decommissioned firefighting hoses, which might ordinarily see the bottom of a bin, to the National Parks Board (NParks) and S.E.A. Aquarium at Resorts World Sentosa for upcycling – a type of recycling where old or used materials are used to make new furniture and objects.
In a Facebook post, the SCDF said it was collaborating with “other organisations to upcycle our equipment and give them a new lease of life”.
Ten hoses were used to build a 60m-long fence in February in Coney Island Park, said NParks, which discussed upcycling the hoses with SCDF in 2022.
Mr Chia Seng Jiang, NParks’ group director for parks, said the collaboration with SCDF fits into the park’s aim of being ecologically sustainable.
Firefighting hoses are typically made of durable rubber woven with high-tenacity polyester thread. The material can withstand abrasion, and is resistant to breakage and heat, said an SCDF spokesman.
They are about 20m long, and 3.8cm and 6.4cm in diameter.
S.E.A. Aquarium, which received more than 20 SCDF hoses in April, plans to turn them into “enrichment devices” for marine animals.
Ms Jane Neo, an animal care specialist at the aquarium, said they may be used to make, for instance, puzzle feeders that will encourage animals to forage, or floating mats that “encourage foraging, play, grooming and cooperative social behaviours”.
The animal will have to figure out how to get the food out of the puzzle feeders, either by knocking or tossing them around. This will also provide animals with physical and mental stimulation.
“In general, enrichment devices cater to the animals’ different needs and help to promote species-appropriate behaviour because these are behaviours that the animals exhibit naturally,” said Ms Neo.
This is not the first time the SCDF has upcycled its decommissioned equipment.
It has turned old hoses into souvenirs such as keychains, luggage tags and wallets, and old field and office uniforms into pouches, drawstring bags and laptop sleeves. Some of these upcycled items are displayed at the Punggol Regional Library.
