There are different types of waste generated by offices and they need to be properly segregated, collected and taken care of to minimize their impact on health and environment: electronic waste, paper/ plastic/ glass/ metal waste, hazardous waste, food waste, etc.
It is essential to know what you can monitor and improve, to better manage your waste.
Choose from specialised suppliers what is most suitable for your company.
In Singapore, we dispose of 8,284,000 kg of waste a day. It is a 7 fold increase over the past 45 years. Our only landfill, Semakau Island, will run out of space by 2035. (Source: Zero Waste SG)
Learn more about Waste Management in Singapore.
If you don’t measure it, you can’t manage it!
Measuring your waste is a key step for a green office.
Learn more here to start a recycling program in your office or browse Page 14 onwards in the Singapore NEA 3R Guidebook for Offices.
37%
only of the population in Singapore are actively recycling PET bottles.
(SEC)
38%
of paper and cardboard are recycled in Singapore, despite paper being recyclable up to 7 times and cardboard 5 times.
(NEA)
Conduct a waste audit. The audit can be conducted by internal staff or by an external professional.
The goals of the audit are:
4% of turnover
Waste can cost up to 4% of your turnover. It can easily be reduced to 1% - often with little or no investment.
(WRAP UK)
Zero Waste City is an engineering consulting business specialised in waste reduction for commercial and industrial facilities. They help businesses to save money by reducing waste and to achieve Zero Waste goals. Their services include:
GACircular's mission is to create a world without waste by driving the transition towards a circular economy in Asia. To achieve this, they enable industries, investors, government or foundations to unlock business opportunities from fast-growing streams of food and packaging waste.
GACircular provides feasibility analysis, business model design and implementation of deployment for waste management and recycling infrastructure investments as well as extended producer responsibility (EPR) systems.
Adopt a centralized bin system. This includes:
Ensure consistency in the selection of bins and communication tools (same colour, visible name and with a symbol).
Make sure that the cleaning services and the contractor are aware of the waste management requirements. More details here.
60%-70%
is an achievable recycling rate if you operate efficient recycling schemes for paper, glass, cardboards, cans and toner cartridges.
(WRAP UK)
40%
of recyclables placed in the blue recycling bins cannot be recycled, being contaminated with food and liquids.
(Eco-Business)
Peters is a rotomoulding company with full manufacturing facility in Singapore since 1989. They design and supply litter bins, office products, street furniture, trash bags and stretch films.
They are not specialised in sustainability but provide a wide range of recycling bins for your waste management.
Grande Alliance Corporation is a plumbing & sanitary ware supplier.
They also provide a large range of Bins and Containers, including Compost bins, Recycling bins and Wastepaper baskets.
They are 3 parties involved here to train:
1- Office staff - which must know how to segregate their trash
2- Cleaning company - which must maintain the segregation from the bins to the collector.
3- Waste collector - which must maintain the segregation from the 2 above up to the Material Recovery Facility.
For your office staff, train them for waste management at your office but also at their home. Start with helping them understand what is recyclable or not.
< 200kg
of waste per staff member per year is good-practice offices' KPI.
(WRAP UK)
Zero Waste City is an engineering consulting business specialised in waste reduction for commercial and industrial facilities. They help businesses to save money by reducing waste and to achieve Zero Waste goals. Their services include:
Green Nudge is a social enterprise that supports businesses and communities to achieve positive environmental impact through activities such as coastal cleanups and workshops, outreach talks and sustainability consulting. By raising awareness and co-creating call-to-actions with various stakeholders on sustainability efforts, Green Nudge aims to create a normative shift in the way we create and deal with waste to achieve a low carbon, zero waste future for Singapore.
Zero Waste SG is a charity and non-governmental organisation leading the drive towards zero waste in Singapore through education and advocacy.
Zero Waste SG focuses on engaging the public and corporates on the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) in areas of:
1. Food Waste
2. Plastic Disposables
3. Household Recycling
4. Organisational Waste
We are a multi-disciplinary organisation that works in the intersection of art, design and science. We produce upcycled interior products and building materials from post-consumer plastic waste such as tables, chairs and wall tiles. We offer consultancy and training through educational hands-on workshops on art, design and plastic waste upcycling.
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susGain is a free mobile app that incentivizes people in Singapore to adopt more sustainable lifestyle habits. Users collect points for eco-friendly habits, earn cash back rewards at eco conscious businesses and automatically support initiatives for sustainable development with each spend.
It's our mission to empower all stakeholders in Singapore to drive the change towards more sustainability.
Our "susGain for Corporates" programme is specifically designed to create employee engagement that drives behavioral change for social and environmental impact. We catalyze change attitudes in employees with our gamified rewards app. In teams, employees complete customizable challenges while learning more about the local sustainability landscape. The impact created in this programme is tracked and the data generated can be included in CSR reports.
Contract with appropriate servicers for the collection of e-waste & hazardous waste.
In case e-waste management falls under your building management's responsibility, talk with your building manager to ensure collection is properly done.
Under the EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) on e-waste, suppliers of electronic goods have to take back and send old products to licensed recyclers.
You have personal e-waste to discard? Here is a list of all collection points available in Singapore.
1,6 KG
one toner cartridge makes up 1.6KG of solid waste which takes over 1,000 years to completely decompose.
(Green Cartridge)
Safe. Secure. Stewardship.
We offer e-waste recycling and data sanitization services to help clients dispose of them responsibly while keeping their data safe.
For e-waste recycling, our focus is on laptops, PC, servers, mobile and other ICT equipment.
We also offer secured consoles, paper shredding for confidential paper waste.
Since July 1st, 2021, NEA appointed Alba as E-waste PRS operator. PRS stands for : Producer Responsiblity Schemes. The ALBA Group, formed in 1968, has been operating such Producer Responsibility Schemes in countries such as Germany and Hong Kong. Please find here more information about this scheme. For all regulated e-waste, with a volume above 1 m3, you can arrange for free collection by Alba E-Waste.
TES is a trusted leader for technology deployment, recovery, remarketing, and recycling since 2005.
They provide IT Lifecycle Services, commissioning, deployment, retirement of Information Technology (IT) assets, refurbishing and remarketing of used technology assets to maximizes cash recovery potential.
In March 2021, they opened a facility to recycle Lithium-ion batteries in Singapore, with a daily recycling capacity of up to 14 tonnes / day.
Metalo International has 10 years of experience in the electronic waste industry in Singapore.
They manage collection and trading of ferrous scrap metals, electrical components, electronics and other precious metals scrap. Besides, they also provide services to dismantle and dispose computer & other IT hardware and accessories (laptops, printers, monitors, used networking equipments, servers, etc.)
They have their own facilities to handle electronic waste or export to Thailand and Japan for refinery in an ethical way.
For individuals, they partner with Shell stations, to provide e-waste collection points for small devices. Click here to find one near your home.
Since 2008, Green Cartridge has been taking part in the conservation and preservation of the environment through waste reduction and recycling of waste materials, particularly printer cartridges.
Green Cartridge claims to allow its customers to save as much as 60% of their printing cost compared to using OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) cartridges.
Besides remanufactured cartridges, they provide printers repair, printers loan, and a buy back scheme for empty cartridges, event in small quantity.
Sustainable Asset Management Solutions Pte Ltd (SAMS) is a privately-owned electronics waste management company.
SAMS provides Electronic Waste Recycling and IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) solutions.
Contract with appropriate servicers for the collection of paper waste.
In case paper waste management falls under your building management's responsibility, talk with your building manager to ensure collection is properly done.
5 to 7 times
Paper can be recycled 5 to 7 times.
(Worldatlas)
Tay Paper strives to create a better liveable world through recycling.
They offer waste management, recycling (paper specialist) and document shredding + recycling services to clients and workplaces; waste management and recycling services for public and commercial facilities.
ST Paper Resources have more than 20 years of experience as a paper recycling, importer of waste paper and exporter of pre-consumer waste.
The company operates from its 40,000 sqft office and factory with a computerized automated system, consisting of fully automated two-ram balers with the capability to bale up to 50 tons of recyclable material per hour.
Besides collection, recycling and trading, they provide off-site confidential shredding services and a wide range of compactors and specialist containers - request a free audit for your business needs.
Safe. Secure. Stewardship.
We offer:
For e-waste recycling, our focus is on laptops, PC, servers, mobile and other ICT equipment.
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Package Pals is a circular packaging initiative that collects used packaging from the public, distributing it back to businesses seeking eco-friendly packaging options. They collect and distribute:
- A4 poly mailers,
- A4 paper envelopes,
- A4 clear plastic wrappers, padded envelopes and bubble wrap.
For Greener Office, they can provide secondhand, eco-friendly packaging (poly mailers, paper envelopes, clear plastic wrappers, padded envelopes, bubble wrap) to businesses. They can also help to establish a takeback program with the business's own packaging.
Businesses may donate packaging (poly mailers, paper envelopes, clear plastic wrappers, padded envelopes, bubble wrap) to be reused by other businesses. Please contact Package Pals prior to donating these items.
Contract with appropriate services for the collection of:
In case waste management falls under your building management's responsibility, talk with your building manager to ensure collection is properly done.
At least, select proper collectors for paper and e-waste for your office and install dedicated bins.
Under the EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) on e-waste, suppliers of electronic goods have to take back and send old products to licensed recyclers.
SembWaste is the largest municipal waste collection company in Singapore, serving 5,000 industrial and commercial, government agencies and healthcare establishments daily and over 600,000 households, schools and trade premises. They provide Collection and Post-collection Treatment for General Waste and Recyclables.
Sembcorp also operates a Waste-To-Energy plant to supply steam for the local industries in Jurong Island, Singapore.
Veolia works across the whole spectrum of environmental services including integrated waste and recycling management of hazardous and regulated waste, industrial services, public cleansing and water management.
Environmental services provider for public and private sectors in Singapore:
- waste management (residential, commercial and industrial waste collection & recycling)
- horticultural services (landscaping, grass cutting and tree pruning services for residential, commercial and institutional customers)
- cleaning & conservancy
They can customise waste pickup and recycling solutions.
Plaspulp Union Company is a Global Waste Management Company that offers comprehensive recycling services, including logistics and dismantling, recovery of material for recycling and non-recyclable material disposal. Plaspulp Union looks into partnerships with companies, to work out a resource recovery business model.
P&R Resource Management Pte Ltd organises the collection and transportation of glass waste from F&B and industrial sectors across Singapore. Once collected the glass is sent to a sorting facility in Malaysia, in Pasir Gudang (next to Johor Bahru), where the glass cullet is cleaned and sorted by colours. The sorting facility is operated by PUM Group. From there, the sorted cullet is sent to glass manufacturers.
Monitor results, correct wrong practices, set higher targets annually. Ask the help of a professional if need be. Find out more here.
Zero Waste City is an engineering consulting business specialised in waste reduction for commercial and industrial facilities. They help businesses to save money by reducing waste and to achieve Zero Waste goals. Their services include:
The « green journey » may feel overwhelming sometimes, but you are not alone.
Our Buddies have tried, succeeded, failed to implement change in their companies. They share their experience so you can learn, take shortcuts, get inspired and ask questions.
Everybody can become a Buddy and give back to the community; if you are keen, get in touch with us.
Founder and Director of the consulting business Zero Waste City, Rémi provides engineering consulting services to large commercial and industrial facilities on waste management, energy efficiency, and packaging design.
He has gained a strong experience as a consultant covering a wide range of industries and technologies in New Zealand, Australia, and Singapore.
He is a certified TRUE Advisor (Total Resource Use Efficiency) by the U.S. Green Building Council Inc. This certification recognised his knowledge in Zero Waste programs and his ability to support businesses to achieve the TRUE Zero Waste certification.
I started my career as a mechanical engineer for 5 years and joined TayPaper Recycling in 2018. Tay Paper Recycling has grown from an informal scrap dealer to now a leading paper focused recycling company in Singapore. On top of just recycling, we also offer confidential data disposal services to help clients comply with PDPA, GDPR and recycle at the same time. I am now working at KGS, an e-waste and data sanitization company.
Package Pals is a circular packaging initiative that seeks to extend the life cycle of packaging. We collect used e-commerce packaging from members of the public, distributing it back to businesses seeking eco-friendly, second hand packaging options. There are 7 categories of packaging we collect: poly mailers (<A4),paper envelopes (<A4), plastic wrappers (<A4), bubble wrap, padded envelopes.
Package Pals has worked with multiple large and small businesses, schools, NGOs and governmental organisations since it was started in May 2020. Other than carrying out collection and distribution, we also focus on education and outreach, seeking to educate our 4k-strong audience on packaging waste and other environmental issues, through social media, webinars and other events.
Coming from a background of digital media, film-making, and digital marketing, Yen-Lyng fell into the sustainability field when she joined a waste management company as a Recycling Ambassador. During that time, she saw the many intricacies and challenges facing the very overlooked and underappreciated world of waste. So, when given the opportunity of working on a coffee recycling project, Yen-Lyng jumped at it. She will tell you more about her why and what of coffee recycling in her sharing and the challenges of lauching sustainable projects.
I am Thibaut, French bald since 26 & bold since forever! Right now, I am a 1st time entrepreneur in the making.
I come from an IT & software agency background so deeply into B2B and old-fashioned processes. I came to realize that sustainability cannot be only about consumers and half-measures. I also realized IT Sustainability was much underrated and not understood by most companies. It came quite as a surprise for me since I always considered IT Sustainability as one of the best ways to merge both ROI & Sustainability to make the latter sound acceptable, actionable, and realistic. Having seen that, I wanted to make a change in my own way.
My dedication came from the desire to be able to look my future kids in the eye and tell them that I tried to make the world a better place.
I am also drawn to uncommon & less popular causes, which is why e-waste caught my attention. While it’s not as “buzzy” as plastic waste or consumer recycling, it has the potential to have a greater impact, especially in Asia.
Li Seng is the founder of Green Nudge, a social enterprise that supports businesses and communities to achieve positive environmental impact through activities such as coastal cleanups and workshops, outreach talks and sustainability consulting. By raising awareness and co-creating call-to-actions with various stakeholders on sustainability efforts, Green Nudge aims to create a normative shift in the way we create and deal with waste to achieve a low carbon, zero waste future for Singapore.
Li Seng’s previous experience in the public sector in the central bank of Singapore dealing with financial regulations, combined with his current roles in the community and social enterprise sector reinforced his belief that effective public policies need to be supported by ground-up actions and engagement. Playing an interfacing role within the tri-sector, Li Seng is able to provide sectoral knowledge through a system thinking lens to make informed decisions and strategies. He is happy to discuss disposables, sustainability of events, public education, and is familiar with corporate social responsibility and community / youth engagement.
A lawyer by training, Eliza has been in Private banking since 1996, with roles ranging from Relationship Management to Head of Strategy for PWM Latin America at Deutsche Bank New York, and a member of the Management Committee. Eliza was also the Business Manager and Head of Business Compliance for the International markets at Bank of Singapore, before joining Azqore as COO for Asia. Eliza has worked in Kuala Lumpur, Frankfurt, New York and Singapore and in addition lived in London, Tokyo and Hong Kong, an experience that has shaped her outlook and made her very much a global citizen.
A banking operations professional, Loretta has had experience across various firms, like UBS and Nomura, before joining Credit Agricole 5 years ago. Currently Azqore’s Head of Asia Operations, she has worked in Singapore, Hong Kong, China and even had a short stint in India. These experiences have opened her eyes to various cultures and cuisines.
Both Eliza and Loretta kicked off the Azqore Asia CSR initiative in 2020 and have never looked back since.
Experienced Finance Director with more than 10 years of working history in the technology, e-commerce and marketing industries, Alexandre has led the ABW office transformation at Edenred Singapore in 2019.
Increasingly concerned about the environment, for the past few years, Alya has taken steps to live a more sustainable lifestyle, with the digital learning manager refilling goods at plastic-free stores, making her own skincare from scratch and composting her kitchen waste. Since she has embarked on her ‘green journey’, Alya has been taking actions to keep on raising awareness towards sustainability – from organising free workshops and holding talks, to creating a neighbourhood chat group to reduce waste & increase sharing amongst neighbours. In 2021, Alya has been featured on BBC News for tracking her carbon footprint using the Capture app.
In 2022, Alya has founded GreenPush, a knowledge + community platform to help eco-conscious individuals grow. 🌱
Before joining Chanel, I was General Manager of BSI Singapore for 2.5 years. Prior to joining BSI, I held different job assignments for the international retailer Carrefour. For them, I oversaw Quality, Food Safety and Sustainability in China and then at the Group level.
I spent most of my career working in Asia: in Shanghai, Hong Kong and I have been happily settled in Singapore for 8 years now.
I have a real passion for sustainability and nature conservation and I love to share the knowledge and experience I gained in this field. I am also a volunteer for the Singaporean NGO called Climate Conversation which aims to raise awareness on climate change.
Duncan, originally from the UK, has been living & working in Asia for the last 16 years. He runs a creative interior design & project management company delivering projects across the Asia Pacific Region; specialised in retail, F&B and commercial sectors. Duncan is passionate about creating interiors that excite and engage Clients and Customers alike, all through the lens of sustainability.
