Does Santa Claus receive your mail? Can you mail insects to people? Did you know SingPost also handles all the library books not returned to its host library? What actually goes on inside the SingPost Mail Processing Centre?
You can have all your mail-related questions answered at the SingPost Mail Processing Centre visit organised by My Community.
We went behind the scenes at SingPost Centre to find out more about the world of mail, how it is sorted to be dispatched and what is done to handle the huge volume of mail and parcels daily.
Touring SingPost Mail Processing Centre
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My Community is organising Open My Factory tours for the public to learn more about factories and work places where an immersive tour will help them gain more insight into everyday heroes.
Participants get to meet employees who will share stories about their time in the company and more about their work behind the scenes.
SingPost Mail Processing Centre is one of the destinations for the tours.
As we enter the expansive space, we are greeted by huge machines, SingPost workers and many sections all of which are important for sorting and processing mail.
Our guide Pamela first introduced Singapore’s postal history which started when Singapore was founded in 1819.
Initially, the postal service was under the authority of the Harbour Master. Then it was moved to City Hall, on the banks of the Singapore River where Fullerton Hotel currently sits. After several moves, SingPost Centre is currently at Paya Lebar.
The first stamps of Singapore were issued in 1948 when the Straits Settlements were dissolved and Singapore became a crown colony on its own. Pamela also shared fun facts like how Singapore’s Post Office had the longest postal counter in the world in the past.
We were then brought into the Mail Processing Centre to see how up to a million letters are sorted daily.
It was fascinating to see the machines, though a little anticlimactic to see them still and quiet as all mail has been sorted for the day.
From huge sorting machines that sort 30, 000 letters an hour to machines sorting via postal code, scanners and more, we could see how the process was so complex and intricate.
If you see a fluorescent barcode on your mail, those are identifiers for specific postal codes! The intelligence machines had spiral slides which seemed like a fun ride for the letters. Upon sorting, the mail would be put into bags for the postmen to deliver to individual addresses.
How Parcels and Library Books are Sorted by SingPost
Next, we went to another floor to see where the parcels were sorted out.
Here, we got a glimpse of the library books organised according to the library they were being dispatched to.
Since our national library system allows for books to be returned at any library, books had to be sorted and returned to their original libraries. We went “Ooh” and “Wow” when we saw the familiar library book labels all properly organised.
Wondering where returned mail ends up?
We were shown a room dedicated to organising mail that could not be successfully delivered. Common reasons for returned mails include incomplete addresses, insufficient postage, improper packaging and even inappropriate items.
There was once a tarantula sent in a mail package!
In case it isn’t obvious, animals of all kinds, including insects cannot be mailed to people.
One reminder the SingPost staff gave us was to always pack items properly, and pay for the correct postage otherwise the top-up required for successful postage can be costly due to handling fees and other costs.
We ended our tour at the philatelic shop where we could buy limited edition stamps and other memorabilia.
Registering for My Community’s Open My Factory Tours
The SingPost Mail Processing Centre visits will take place every third Saturday of the month from 10 am to 12 pm. The meeting point is at the General Post Office, SingPost Centre.
The fee per person is $20, with a minimum age of 13.
Apart from the opportunity to visit the SingPost Mail Processing Centre, interested parties can sign up for visits to Eng Hup Shipping and TuasOne Waste-to-Energy Plant.
Register for the My Community tours here.
