Envision 1

ISSUE ONE A B I - A N N UA L N E A P U B L I C AT I O N

Professional sharing series

Waste as a ResouRce: Potentials and limits

Professor Rainer Stegmann reveals the hidden truths of waste as a resource

tHe cHanGe to euRo 5

Technological evolutions improve health

an exclusiVe inteRVieW: mR lee ek tienG

tHe sinGaPoRe RiVeR stoRY A dialogue session with one of the key minds behind the Singapore River clean-up

Published by

National Environment Agency 40 Scotts Road Environment Building #19-00 Singapore 228231 Tel: 1800-2255 632 Fax: 62352611

This inaugural magazine is printed on environmentally friendly paper.

FOREWORD

BY CEO

T

he National Environment Agency (NEA) has come a long way since it was formed on 1 July 2002. Working together with the community, other public sector agencies and private corporations, we have spearheaded numerous environmental initiatives and programmes over the years to protect the

environment and instil a strong sense of environmental ownership. These programmes are in keeping with NEA’s mission to safeguard, nurture and cherish our environment.

As Singapore’s national environmental agency, NEA’s responsibilities include protecting the country’s environment from pollution, maintaining a high level of public health and providing timely meteorological information — all of which ensure that we continue to enjoy clean air, land and waters.

The ENVISION magazine showcases vital aspects of our environmental practices that are often taken for granted. We hope that readers will gain a better understanding of NEA’s efforts to protect the environment as well as its future directions.

In this inaugural issue, I hope every reader will discover how Singapore deals with its pollution and waste challenges, including the cleaning up of the Singapore River. The attempts set the tone for future efforts to transform Singapore into a city in a garden.

On behalf of NEA, I wish you an enjoyable and informative read.

Our Environment — Safeguard, Nurture and Cherish.

Andrew Tan Chief Executive Officer National Environment Agency

Note from the Editorial Team

NEA Contributors

With the current global population of seven billion people, a profound shift from

Alvin Saw

rural sectors and peri-urban environments (the areas surrounding urban centres)

Chris Tobias

to cities is underway. According to the Earth Policy Institute, by as early as

Tan Seng Huat

2015, 315 million people will inhabit the world’s top 19 megacities. This massive

Tay Lee San

transition to the urban context is tipped to increase as the UN projects world population will grow from eight to nine billion by 2050. Already, this urbanisation trend sees stresses appearing in a number of areas: from land management and resource use to urban planning and environmental quality with other implications relating to mobility, health and economic development.

How can such a historically rapid change be carefully managed to ensure positive outcomes for people, their environment and economic activity? In this context, one case study worth noting is Singapore. This island city-state has transformed from

Koh Min Ee Teoh Soon Kay Chen Yinghuan Ron Wong Chak Huat Ivan Yap Heng Zeng Rong Gwen Tan Sharon Ong

its swamp-like humble beginnings in the 1960s with a population of two million to

Nick Tan

a world-class city with a high quality of life — even with its expansive population

Koh Su Ching

growth to 5.08 million as of June 2010. A high standard of environmental

Tan Cheng Seng

management has become an integral part of the nation’s survival imperative.

Ong Eng Kian

In this issue, through the lenses of pollution and waste management, a wide cross-section of the nation’s history will be explored to reveal the difficult lessons learnt from a wide range of environmental infrastructure projects.

We will also hear from civil service veteran Lee Ek Tieng, one of the key minds responsible for cleaning up the heavily polluted Singapore River, and international waste management expert Professor Rainer Stegmann, who charts the latest technologies cities can employ to cut waste, recover resources, and offer new revenue streams for businesses.

A move to a more urbanised future need not result in slums with open sewers and rubbish heaps. Urban planners, engineers and civil servants throughout the world can glean some valuable insights from the Singapore case study. It demonstrates that even under challenging circumstances, with sound planning, careful organisation and consistent execution, profound results are possible.

Please e-mail any feedback or comments to chris_tobias@nea.gov.sg.

Liew Wen Hwee Special thanks to Mr Lee Ek Tieng, Professor Rainer Stegmann (Director for Residues and Resource Reclamation Ce n t re, N a n ya n g Te c h n o l o g i c a l University), Professor Rajasekhar Balasubramanian (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore) and Ria Tan for the use of her photos.

Content of articles provided by the following NEA departments: Corporate Communications Department, Environment Technology Office, Industry Development and Promotion Office, Policy Department, Pollution Control Department, Singapore Environment Institute and Waste & Resource Management Department.

Contents ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY

07 11 14 18 22 30

INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT 34 37 39

KNOWLEDGE & CAPACITY BUILDING

42 46 50 54

Big Rubbish Issues The Reason We Breathe Easy Singapore River Clean-Up: Against The Odds

Recovering Energy From Waste Semakau Island: A Successful Marine Landfill And Vibrant Ecosystem Towards Zero Waste

Emerging Opportunities, Innovative Solutions Signing Off To Less Packaging 3R Packaging Awards 2011

Far From Wasted A Pioneer Speaks ENV Happenings The Change To Euro 5

ENVirONmENtAl mANAgEmENt

BIG RUBBISH ISSUES

07

KEEpiNg SiNgApOrE’S wAStE mANAgEmENt ChAllENgE iN ChECK thE SuStAiNAblE wAY

THE BRIEF

Sustainable waste management has played a vital role over the years in safeguarding the public health of Singapore’s population. It has enabled the country to stay environmentally sound in relative terms in its ascension as a regional economic powerhouse.

Today, the disposal of rubbish represents a crucial but of ten overlooked aspect of maintaining the environmental well-being of Singapore with its population of over five million compacted into a land area of 710.3 square kilometres.

Since independence in 1965, Singapore has had to face the daunting reality of being a land-scarce nation in a hot and humid equatorial region. These factors, together with the country’s rapid urbanisation and industrialisation, culminated in an aggressive response by the government to its waste management issues.

The country generates over 17,800 tonnes of waste (domestic and non-domestic) in one day. Widely regarded around the globe as an ideal Garden City, it is living proof of a country that has mastered the balancing act of bolstering economic progress with environmental sustainability. Achieving this involved meticulous planning and deft execution of proper waste treatment methods with an emphasis on cost-effective waste reduction, as well as the use of discarded materials and recycling.

Junkyard at Lorong Halus

Singapore generates m o r e t h a n 1 7, 8 0 0 tonnes of waste every day. That translates to over 6.5 million tonnes in a year. How does an island-nation with a land area of 710 square kilometres pull off the feat of keeping itself clean and green? We give you the lowdown on ever y thing you need to know about waste management in Singapore.

08

ENVirONmENtAl mANAgEmENt

waste management 101

the 4 facets Of sOlid waste management waste minimisatiOn NEA views waste minimisation as one of its core approaches to waste management (see Towards Zero Waste). Focusing on reducing waste at source would lead to reducing the use of new resources.

recycling The present recycling rate in Singapore stands at 58 per cent, a significant improvement from its 40 per cent rating at the dawn of the 21st century. This increase can be attributed to major breakthroughs in areas such as used slag, construction and demolition waste, and ferrous metal where over 90 per cent is recycled. There are ongoing plans to shape up the country’s supporting infrastructure and coordination practices to address less efficient waste segments such as plastics, food waste, horticultural waste, wood and paper.

Instead of enforcing strict policies to keep waste production in check, NEA encourages corporations to take ownership of their environmental footprint through the practice of product stewardship.

Thus, stakeholders of the supply chain are responsible for the afterlife management of their products and packaging. This applies to manufacturers, distributors, retailers, consumers, waste collectors and recycling companies.

That motivation has resulted in an official charter known as the Singapore Packaging Agreement (see Signing Off To Less Packaging).

Singapore is on track to achieve its 65 per cent recycling milestone by 2020 set by the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint. Its goal is to scale that figure to 70 per cent by 2030.

Several initiatives have been set in motion to progressively achieve these goals: • Formation of the Waste Management and Recycling Association of Singapore (WMRAS) • S$20-million Innovation for Environmental Sustainability (IES) Fund • Extensive educational drives (e.g. Annual Recycling Week and National Recycling Programme)

National recycling programme (Nrp) This programme was introduced in 2001 to raise awareness and encourage habitual recycling of domestic waste like paper, plastic, used clothing and cans.

The process involves the distribution of recycling bags to homes by private contractors which are retrieved fortnightly. Public recycling bins, numbering over 6,000, have also been placed at various locations islandwide. Today, recycling rates are up by 18 per cent as a result.

landfill sOlutiOn In 1999, Semakau Landfill was officially commissioned eight kilometres off the southern coast of Singapore. The offshore landfill project is the first of its kind in the world. It receives 1,500 tonnes of incineration ash and 500 tonnes of nonincinerable waste daily.

With a capacity of 63 million cubic metres, Semakau Landfill will be able to serve the country’s waste disposal needs until 2040, creating new land area in the process.

ENVirONmENtAl mANAgEmENt

09

Waste is derived from four types of premises around Singapore: • Domestic • Trade • Industrial • Commercial

waste-tO-energy cOnversiOn NEA is working to utilise waste as a resource to help Singapore become more energy self-sufficient (see Recovering Energy From Waste). Electricity is generated through the incineration of waste, which produces sufficient steam to turn turbines. The process also reduces original waste matter volume by 90 per cent.

There are four operational waste-to-energy plants in Singapore: • Tuas Incineration Plant • Tuas South Incineration Plant • Keppel Seghers Tuas Waste-to-Energy Plant • Senoko Waste-to-Energy Plant

Refuse is transported to the incineration plants through the three means stated below. Burnt ash is then taken to the Tuas Marine Transfer Station where it is loaded onto barges to be transported to Semakau Landfill.

DirECt COllECtiON In Singapore, landed residential premises are issued a 120-litre bulk bin each for the purpose of refuse collection. Shophouses and trade premises are served by refuse bins of capacity ranging from 120-litre to 1,100-litre depending on the amount of refuse output from the premises. Refuse is collected daily from the kerb side in front of each premises. These refuse bins are emptied into a collection truck manned by one driver and two assistants with collection based on fixed collection routes.

pNEumAtiC rEFuSE CONVEYANCE SYStEm (prCS) Here an automated system transports refuse from buildings by air suction to a central collection station through pipes. The refuse collected in sealed containers are then hauled away for disposal. It is more hygienic with no open handling and storage of refuse.

thE lEgiSlAtiON OF wAStE Singapore’s Environmental Public Health Act drives the core of NEA’s policies to ensure the country’s natural environment remains sustainable.

Licensing of general waste collectors (GWCs) was introduced in 1989, to require the use of proper vehicles and equipment for collecting and transporting waste from the collection points to the disposal facility. From its inception in 1989, the licences have come under three classes:

Class A Inorganic waste (e.g. construction debris, tree trunks, discarded furniture, appliances and other bulky items including recyclables that have been deposited in Central Recycling Depositories)

Class b Organic waste (e.g. food and putrefiable waste from domestic, trade and industrial premises and from markets and food centres)

Class C Sludge from water treatment plants, grease from grease interceptors, waste from mobile toilets and waste from sanitary conveniences in ships and aircraft

iNDirECt COllECtiON During Singapore’s early years as a developing nation, the government introduced an individual refuse chute system to all high rise residential buildings. All homes had their own chute disposal points which fed directly to a common bin chamber at ground level.

Since 1989, all new HDB flats have been fitted with an alternative centralised refuse chute system. It consists of common chutes placed at lift lobbies on each floor. These chutes converge to a single refuse room located on the first storey where the waste is collected from a fixed dust-screw system by trucks.

A waste collection truck operated by private contractors

10

ENVirONmENtAl mANAgEmENt

thE FuturE OF SOliD wAStE mANAgEmENt iN SiNgApOrE Looking ahead, NEA has identified a few core areas of management which will help Singapore stay on track to maintain and further improve the effectiveness of its present practices:

EFFiCiENt wAStE COllECtiON AND DiSpOSAl SYStEm Strive for higher standards of waste removal with the objective of protecting public health and hygiene, preventing pollution and minimising odour nuisance.

1

NEXt-gENErAtiON tEChNOlOgiES Invest in current technologies to help Singapore cope with larger volumes of non-recyclable waste as the population and economy grows. Potential new technologies for evaluation include improvements to current waste-to-energy conversion systems, as well as integration with other waste management technologies (e.g.

Mechanical Biological Treatment, Refuse-Derived Fuel, Pyrolysis/ Gasification and Incineration Bottom Ash Recycling).

wAStE rEDuCtiON / rESOurCE rECOVErY Waste minimisation and recycling efforts that make economic and environmental sense should be considered, keeping in mind the imperatives of conserving precious landfill space, minimising pollution and maximising resource recovery.

2

publiC EDuCAtiON Leverage on information technology tools such as social media to increase environmental awareness.

quAlitY OF rECYCliNg SErViCES Improve the quality of recycling services provided to households and public places in terms of recycling bin accessibility, design, maintenance and collection frequency.

CrEAtiNg EASE thrOugh tEChNOlOgY Use more efficient technologies to provide incentives for households to reduce, reuse and recycle waste and disincentives to dispose waste based on economic and environmental considerations (e.g. imposing higher fees for waste disposal).

3

1. & 2. Waste collection truck operated by private contractors 3. Senoko Waste-to-Energy Plant

ENVirONmENtAl mANAgEmENt

11

mONitOriNg SiNgApOrE’S Air quAlitY iS AN impOrtANt VOCAtiON

The Reason We Breathe Easy Although Singapore is predominantly a city-state, its air quality ratings rank among the best in the region and compare favourably with major cities around the world.

The country’s air quality is measured in terms of the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI), based on guidelines set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). It has been in the “Good” range for at least 85 per cent of the time each year, notwithstanding external interferences such as the haze.

Key to maintaining this high standard is Singapore’s islandwide Telemetric Air Quality Monitoring and Management System (TAQMMS), which provides an efficient means for monitoring and assessing ambient air quality. The information collected is used to formulate

and review pollution control programmes to keep our air within the ‘Good’ PSI benchmark. TAQMMS was first installed by the government in 1994 to continuously monitor ambient air quality and track major concentrations of air pollutants [e.g. sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, ozone and respirable suspended particles (PM 10 and PM 2.5)].

TAQMMS comprises 11 remote air quality monitoring stations positioned at specific locations across Singapore. Air quality data from these stations are transmitted to a Central Control Station (CCS) via dial-up telephone lines where they are verified, analysed and disseminated to the relevant parties within NEA as well as reported daily to the public.

12

ENVirONmENtAl mANAgEmENt

Woodlands

11

10 Yishun

5 6

Choa Chu Kang

7

Bukit Panjang Bukit Batok

Jurong West

9

Ang Mo Kio

Pasir Ris

2

Serangoon

Bishan

Toa Payoh

8

Clementi

3

Tampines

4

Bedok

Simei

1

Bukit Merah

Ambient Stations 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

The Air Sustenance Cycle The following diagram demonstrates how TAQMMS e n h a n ce s S i n g a p o re ’s capabilities in responding to air quality issues:

Tanjong Katong Girls’ School Bishan ITE environment building Temasek Polytechnic Pei Hwa Secondary School stagmont camp Nanyang technological university pandan reservoir siglap secondary school Yishun ite kranji reservoir

The process begins when ambient air quality is measured at 11 locations in Singapore.

1

taqMms

Media If the air is deemed to have d e t r i m e n t a l e f fe c t s o n public health, the media will be alerted to advise people on the precautionary steps to take. N E A will also provide updates to assure the public that the situation is being monitored.

nea

3 Compromised air quality standards are studied to determine any potential risks posed to the public.

Where possible, the source of pollution is identified, followed by a swift implementation of measures to address the problem. NEA then uses TAQMMS to monitor whether the measures put in place have been effective.

ccs

2 Air quality readings are verified and analysed.

ENVirONmENtAl mANAgEmENt

Closely Monitored Air Pollutants mEASurEmENtS μ (micro) = 10-6 (one millionth) μm = micrometre μg/m3 = micrograms per cubic metre TAQMMS will continue to play a pivotal role in helping NEA ensure that existing air quality standards are maintained at a “Good” PSI level. It is one of the main reasons that we breathe easy day to day.

so

2

These particles are able to penetrate deep into the respiratory tract. When present in high amounts, they can cause breathing difficulties as well as aggravate existing respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

2

Pollutant Nitrogen Dioxide

description A n u n d e s i r a b l e by- p ro d u c t f ro m t h e combustion of sulphur-containing fuels and, to a lesser extent, from petroleum refining processes.

description Nitric oxide accounts for most of the nitrogen oxides emitted by man-made sources. It goes on to be oxidised in the atmosphere to form nitrogen dioxide.

Prolonged exposure to high concentrations of sulphur dioxide increases the risk of contracting respiratory diseases.

High levels of nitrogen dioxide increase the risk of respiratory infection and impair lung functions in asthmatics.

USEPA National Ambient Air Quality Standards 80 µg/m³ (Annual Mean)* 365 µg/m³ (24-hour Mean)* 196 µg/m³ (1-hour Mean)

USEPA National Ambient Air Quality Standards 100 µg/m³ (Annual Mean)* 188 µg/m³ (1-hour Mean)

Lowlevel Ozone

PM 2.5

description PM 10 refers to particulate matter of 10 µm (1/5 the diameter of a human hair strand) and below. PM 2.5, on the other hand, refers to very fine particulate matter, equivalent and less than 2.5 µm (1/20 the diameter of a human hair strand).

no

Pollutant Sulphur Dioxide

PM 10

Pollutant Respirable Suspended Particles (PM 10/PM 2.5)

13

Co

Pollutant Low-level Ozone

Pollutant Carbon Monoxide

description Low-level ozone may be produced when reactive nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds combine chemically through actinism (a chemical reaction caused by the absorption of light).

description Ca r b o n m o n ox i d e is a co l o u r l e ss a n d o d o u r l e s s g a s p ro d u ce d by ve h i c u l a r emissions, cigarette smoke and incomplete combustion of fuels.

Ozone can severely irritate eyes, mucous membranes and the respiratory system in human beings.

USEPA National Ambient Air Quality Standards 147 µg/m³ (8-hour Mean) 235 µg/m³ (1-hour Mean)

USEPA National Ambient Air Quality Standards 150 µg/m³ - PM 10 (24-hour Mean)* 15 µg/m³ - PM 2.5 (Annual Mean)* 35 µg/m³ - PM 2.5 (24-hour Mean)*

*Annual and 24-hour standards were revoked in June 2010

Since carbon monoxide has a higher affinity than oxygen for haemoglobin in the blood, it deprives body tissues of oxygen when inhaled. Exposure to moderate levels of carbon monoxide may cause nausea and impair vigilance. In excessive doses, it can cause death through asphyxiation (choking due to a lack of oxygen).

USEPA National Ambient Air Quality Standards 10 mg/m³ (8-hour Mean) 40 mg/m³ (1-hour Mean)

14

ENVirONmENtAl mANAgEmENt

SiNgApOrE riVEr ClEAN-up: AgAiNSt thE ODDS rEViViNg thE SiNgApOrE riVEr

THE BRIEF The Singapore River is one of the country’s most prominent tourist attractions nestled in the heart of the Central Business District. Its present state is a far cry from what it was in the 1970s when it was deemed an irreversible environmental disaster by a United Nations expert. Learn how the river was transformed from a dump into an icon.

F

rom the time Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles came ashore in 1819 to Singapore’s post1965 independence from Malaysia, the Singapore River has been the hallmark of economic prosperity and nationhood for a country succeeding against all odds.

Today, at the heart of the Central Business District, the river is a depiction of how Singapore’s past, present and future are inextricably intertwined.

After years of being a focal point for transportation and commerce, it became a victim of its own success. Once teeming with a variety of underwater life, pollutants caused by human activity turned the river into a flowing wasteland devoid of oxygen, resulting in the extinction of many aquatic creatures by the 1970s.

Being a national icon, something had to be done to reverse its sordid state which unchecked would have impeded Singapore’s progress. The solution involved a culmination of street-smart engineering and tactful human relations spanning across a decade.

While people were the cause of its pollution, it was also people who ultimately brought the river back to health.

This is the story of the most extensive clean-up effort ever undertaken in the history of Singapore.

Tugboats docked along the riverbank, circa 1980s

ENVirONmENtAl mANAgEmENt

Trading-related activities along the Singapore River, circa 1970s

15

16

• • • • • •

ENVirONmENtAl mANAgEmENt

Ministry of the Environment Ministry of National Development Ministry of Trade and Industry Ministry of Communications and Information Ministry of Law Housing and Development Board

• • • • • •

Urban Redevelopment Authority Jurong Town Corporation Primary Production Department Port of Singapore Authority Public Works Department Parks and Recreation Department

1

2

3

ENVirONmENtAl mANAgEmENt

Date

Description

March 1982

The Primary Production Department phased out 610 pig farms and 500 duck farms.

September 1983

Lighterage activities involving around 800 lighters from the Singapore River were shifted to Pasir Panjang, where the Port of Singapore Authority provided mooring and upgraded facilities.

January 1984

Vegetable wholesalers operating in Upper Circular Road were relocated to the Pasir Panjang Vegetable Wholesale Market built by HDB.

Only six boat builders out of January 1985

66 remained at the Geylang River. They agreed to adopt pollution control measures to minimise pollution.

December 1986

The charcoal trade along Geylang River was relocated to Lorong Halus.

17

18

rESEArCh & tEChNOlOgY

Tuas South Incineration Plant

REcovERIng EnERgy

FROM wasTE

THE BRIEF

For some countries, the idea of converting waste into usable electricity involves the simple act of burning refuse to generate enough steam to turn a turbine. Other technologies like plasma-arc gasification and anaerobic digestion have been adopted in developed regions, especially in Japan and Europe. We examine the entire spectrum of waste-to-energy (WTE) conversion technologies and their potential applications.

As countries worldwide grapple with waste management issues, one of the most commonly utilised methods of reducing refuse levels has been incineration. Cost-effective and highly reliable, incineration shrinks waste volume by over 90 per cent and in some countries, can be used to generate electricity.

The incineration industry dates back more than 130 years, with the first incineration plants designed and built in 1874 in Nottingham, Britain, by Manlove, Alliott & Co. Ltd. Patented by Albert Fryer, the plants burnt mixed waste but did not have the ability to generate electricity. As technology advanced, the plants now possess the ability to produce steam for electrical production.

From 1 billion tonnes in 2011, global Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is estimated to increase by 49.2 per cent to reach 1.5 billion tonnes in 2025, and 305.6 per cent or more than 3 billion tonnes in 2050. A key consideration in Singapore’s waste management strategy is its limited land area. Since the 1970s, waste volume reduction has been achieved

largely through WTE incineration to address the lack of landfill space. The first WTE Plant, Ulu Pandan Incineration Plant, was commissioned in 1979.

During the late 1990s, however, Singapore introduced upstream measures like waste minimisation and recycling (i.e. the 3Rs — Reduce, Reuse, Recycle), which have become an integral part of its waste management strategy together with WTE incineration.

In 2010, 6.517 million tonnes of waste was generated in Singapore, of which 58 per cent of waste was recycled while 40 per cent was incinerated and 2 per cent landfilled.

WTE incineration is an important aspect in the management of Singapore’s solid waste. As the population increases in tandem with a booming economy, greater quantities of waste will be generated, calling for improved means to boost our incineration capacity.

rESEArCh & tEChNOlOgY THE ModERn wTE IndusTRy and TEcHnologIEs WTE technologies take advantage of the high carbon content of waste collected in cities and convert it into usable energy, such as electricity and heat. In the United States in 2009, of the 3814.3 billion kWh electricity generated, only 75.8 billion kWh was derived from solid waste. In 2008, amongst the 27 member countries of the European Union, despite having 432 WTE plants generating electricity and heat from MSW, only 68.9 million tonnes of solid waste was treated in these WTE plants.

Currently, incineration and landfill gas recovery (not applicable to Semakau Landfill as it is filled with nonorganic waste) dominate the WTE industry, though other technologies are emerging.

Pike Research, a US-based market research and consulting firm in the clean technology market, estimates that there are more than 900 thermal WTE plants in operation around the world. These plants treat an estimated 0.2 billion tonnes of MSW with an output of approximately 130 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity.

Incineration is the leading mass burn WTE technology and the dominant engineering system in the market. According to the European Waste Incineration Directive, incineration plants must be designed to ensure that the flue gases reach a temperature of at least 850°C for two seconds in order to ensure proper breakdown of toxic organic substances.

Thermal WTE systems will continue to lead the market with a 93.2 per cent share of total WTE revenues over the next six years, compared to 6.8 per cent for biological systems.

However, advanced thermal treatment technologies such as plasma-arc gasification, pyrolysis and the usage of Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) in incinerators are emerging in the market.

Biological technologies like Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) and the fermentation of waste also offer an attractive alternative to thermal WTE methods.

Out of the total pollution contributed by industrial subsectors, nearly 40 per cent of the total organic pollution is contributed by the food products industry alone.

The possible feedstocks for biological technologies are industrial wastewater from food products and agro-based industries, as well as poultry waste.

19

AltErNAtiVE wtE CONVErSiON tEChNiquES CAtEgOrY | thErmAl gASiFiCAtiON Gasification technologies convert organic waste materials into a gaseous, combustible mixture containing mainly carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H 2) called syngas. The waste material is heated

at high temperatures (usually more than 700°C) without combustion, with a controlled amount of oxygen and/or steam. The resulting syngas can be combusted for steam production in boilers for subsequent electricity generation.

pYrOlYSiS Pyrolysis is a form of thermal degradation that chemically decomposes organic materials into constituent molecules by heat in the absence of oxygen. A mixture of pyrolytic oil and wax is produced. The products can be reformed into engine fuels or combusted to produce steam for electricity generation.

CAtEgOrY | biOChEmiCAl (NON-thErmAl) mEChANiCAl biOlOgiCAl trEAtmENt (mbt) MBT systems combine a sorting facility with a form of biological treatment such as biodrying or anaerobic digestion. The mechanical sorting stage enables the recovery of materials in the mixed waste before biodrying (non-WTE method meant to reduce overall weight) or anaerobic digestion takes place.

Anaerobic digestion facilitates the stabilisation of the biodegradable component. Energy production occurs through the breakdown of biomass in the absence of oxygen. In the process, microorganisms help to churn a series of metabolic interactions. The process produces biogas, of which 50 to 75 per cent is usable in the form of methane.

Other by-products include carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide.

FErmENtAtiON Fermentation is the breakdown of organic substrates in the form of sugar into an acid or alcohol. Like pyrolysis, it has been used commercially only with specific waste streams such as biomass, converting them into ethanol or hydrogen.

Many countries, especially Japan and those in Europe, have been leading the enhancement of these technologies for many years, presenting vast learning opportunities for developing nations. Pike Research predicts that worldwide revenues from WTE systems will enter a period of strong growth by 2012, more than tripling in size from US$3.7 billion in 2010 to nearly US$13.6 billion by 2016.

Refuse-Derived Fuel or RDF is processed from raw waste to improve the calorific value of waste. RDF is a feedstock that can be burnt by an incinerator designed to receive it, which in turn produces power more efficiently than conventional solid waste.

20

rESEArCh & tEChNOlOgY wTE IncInERaTIon PlanTs The typical incineration plant for MSW is the moving grate incinerator. A mechanical crane is usually used to grab and lift the waste, placing it at one end of the grate.

The moving grate then transports the waste through the combustion chamber, where the waste is incinerated at high temperatures to produce heat. Its volume is reduced by over 90 per cent, leaving behind a solid ash.

Another type, the rotary-kiln incinerator, is a heat-resisting refractory-lined cylindrical vessel that is inclined slightly and rotated slowly about its axis. The solid waste is fed into the upper end of the cylinder and moves gradually downwards with the rotating action of the kiln. This rotating motion also causes a certain amount of stirring and mixing. Hot gases are passed along the kiln and the solid waste is converted into gases, through volatilisation, destructive distillation and partial combustion reactions in the kiln.

In a fluidised bed incinerator, solid waste is combusted in a mixture of sand particles suspended by a continuous flow of air. During operation, a strong airflow is forced through a sandbed, allowing the sand particles to separate. The turbulent airflow causes mixing and churning to occur, creating a fluidised bed. The solid waste and any auxiliary fuel are then introduced. The sand with the pre-treated waste and/or fuel is kept suspended on pumped air currents and takes on a fluidlike character. The bed is thereby violently mixed and agitated, keeping small inert particles and air in a fluid-like state. This allows all of the mass of waste, fuel and sand to be fully circulated through the furnace.

Senoko Waste-to-Energy Plant

Mass BuRn IncInERaTIon: How THE PRocEss woRks In Tuas souTH IncInERaTIon PlanT

4

3

2

1

Incineration involves the combustion, or controlled burning, of waste material. The basic reaction is the liberation of heat when carbon is converted into carbon dioxide — C + O2 → CO2. Incineration of waste materials also produces flue gas and ash.

1 Reception hall

3 Incinerator

2 Refuse bunker

4 Catalytic fabric filter systems

In Singapore, incinerable waste is first delivered to a WTE plant by licensed collection vehicles. The vehicles are weighed on a weighbridge before entering a reception hall where they discharge their loads into large refuse bunkers. Upon leaving, the vehicles are weighed again to determine the payload they have delivered.

Air in the refuse bunker is kept below atmospheric pressure to prevent odours from escaping into the surrounding environment. High-capacit y rotar y crushers reduce the size of bulk solid waste to improve burning efficiency.

rESEArCh & tEChNOlOgY

21

Waste is then fed by a grab crane to the incinerator and combusted at temperatures of about 1,000°C. Silicon carbide refractory materials line the walls of the incinerator to protect it against extreme heat and corrosion.

During the incineration process, with advanced combustion control and automation systems, optimum combustion rates are achieved.

The process of waste-feeding till the completion of combustion takes approximately five hours. When it is finished, solid waste matter is reduced to about 10 per cent of its original volume.

Fine particulate matter in the flue gas generated during incineration is removed by a two-zone electrostatic precipitator. Other pollutants are abated at the Flue Gas Treatment Plant before clean flue gas leaves the incineration plant through a 150-metre-tall chimney.

Ash is transported on vibratory conveyors to a collection pit. There, electro-magnetic separators remove solid ferrous matter to be recycled as scrap metal.

wTE IncInERaTIon PlanTs In sIngaPoRE The Ulu Pandan Incineration Plant (UPIP), Singapore’s first WTE plant and the second in Asia after Japan’s, was commissioned in 1979. Its turbines could produce 16 MW of electricity, which was quite significant compared to the electricity consumption during that period. In 2009, UPIP was decommissioned and had its capacity replaced by the Keppel Seghers Tuas Waste-to-Energy Plant, the first private incineration project under the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) initiative. In the same year, Senoko Incineration Plant was also divested to the private sector and renamed the Senoko Waste-to-Energy Plant.

Currently, all four operational WTE incineration facilities have a combined generator-turbines unit capacity of 168 MW. In 2010, 1.17 million MWh of electricity was generated (approximately 2 per cent of Singapore’s electricity consumption). The power produced was used to support plant operations, with the excess sold to the electricity grid.

Facility

Year Commissioned

Waste Capacity (daily)

Power Generated

Ulu Pandan Incineration Plant (closed in 2009)

1979

1,100 tonnes

16 MW

Tuas Incineration Plant

1986

1,700 tonnes

30 MW

Senoko Waste-to-Energy Plant

1992

2,100 tonnes

36 MW

Tuas South Incineration Plant

2000

3,000 tonnes

80 MW

Keppel Seghers Tuas Waste-to-Energy Plant

2009

800 tonnes

22 MW

Keppel Seghers Tuas Waste-to-Energy Plant

With the twin benefits of reducing waste matter and electricity generation, WTE incineration is one of the important strategies of Singapore’s ongoing solid waste management plans. The government will continue to explore alternative WTE technologies which are more cost-effective, and able to maximise resource and energy recovery.

The sustainable management of Singapore’s waste issues is not only about the easiest and most economical method. It also involves screening the many options available that are able to convert waste into a valuable resource.

Learn more about present WTE technologies and what is in store for the future in Far From Wasted, an interview with Professor Rainer Stegmann.

22

rESEArCh & tEChNOlOgY

THE BRIEF Did you know that Singapore dumps most of its rubbish eight kilometres offshore? It will remain that way until 2045. We tell you how it is possible for thriving marine ecosystems to co-exist with a marine-based landfill. And what’s more, no foul-smelling pollution.

With Singapore’s limited land, finding solutions to its ever-expanding waste disposal needs has been a perpetual challenge for decades. According to official statistics, the amount of waste generated in Singapore has increased six-fold in the past 40 years, in tandem with the country’s growing population, economy and affluence.

Commissioned on 1 April 1999, Semakau Landfill represents more than a solution. It is a physical depiction of a nation’s planning prowess and savvy engineering, addressing land shortfalls with a solutions-focused outlook.

rESEArCh & tEChNOlOgY

a successful maRine landfill and VibRant ecosYstem A timElY ECO-SOlutiON OFF SiNgApOrE’S SOuthErN COASt AmOuNt OF wAStE DiSpOSED iN SiNgApOrE SiNCE thE 1970s (2001)

7,700

(2010)

7,600

(2008)

7,200 (2009)

7,200

Tonnes per day

5,700

2,600 1,200

1970

1975

1980

1985

1990

1995

2000

2005 2008 2009 2010

Waste disposal rates 1970 — 2010

23

thE DirE NEED

For a country that has made the transition from Third World to First in less than 50 years, challenging decisions had to be made along the way regarding the use of its land.

Creating landfills on Singapore’s main island required ample justification due to the massive opportunity costs involved. There were early plans to convert the area known as Punggol 21 — now a charming waterfront residential estate — into a longstanding waste landfill. However, the planning for a population expansion and the provision of affordable housing took precedence.

With these concerns in mind, Singapore was placed in a dilemma that needed to be carefully resolved. Landfills such as those in Lorong Halus, Choa Chu Kang and Lim Chu Kang were nearing closure. The last mainland-based landfill in Lorong Halus was slated for closure in 1999. From the early 1990s, the government realised that there was only one option left — offshore.

thE plANNiNg phASE An environmental consulting firm from the United States, M/s Camp, Dresser and McKee International Inc., was engaged du ring the ea rly 199 0s to develo p an offshore waste disposal site off the island of Semakau. The study encompassed technical feasibilit y assessment, landfill design, environmental impact, operational planning and cost estimation. It was ascertained that there would be repercussions on four major biological communities off the coast, namely neritic (coastal waters), benthic (ecological region on the seabed), coral reef and mangrove forest. However, if pollution control measures could be incorporated into the design and construction phases, the landfill’s development would have minimal impact on the marine ecosystems.

Singapore’s plan was to amalgamate two offshore islands, Pulau Sakeng and Pulau Semakau, using a seven-kilometre perimeter bund that would enclose 350 hectares of sea space.

The blueprint also contained a proposal to construct a waste-receiving station located on the western part of mainland Singapore. It later became known as the Tuas Marine Transfer Station (TMTS).

The landfill would only receive non-organic waste such as incinerated ash and nonincinerable material translating to little ground subsidence and zero landfill gas production (e.g. methane). This would allow the landfill to be developed in a shorter time in the future as opposed to conventional landfills in the region.

24

rESEArCh & tEChNOlOgY

thE CONStruCtiON phASE Enclosing the sea space between Pulau Semakau and Pulau Sakeng using a sevenkilometre perimeter bund proved to be a formidable engineering feat, given the difficulties of constructing a landfill entirely in deep waters close to 20 metres in depth.

In terms of spatial design, perimeter bunds are similar to icebergs. Most of the perimeter bund structure is submerged underwater.

To overcome the construction challenges of this marine-based project, engineers devised prudent and unorthodox methods to ensure minimal impac t on the surrounding environment. Silt screens

were put in place to prevent the migration of silt from construction sites.

T he co ns tr u c tio n of Sema kau L a ndf ill star ted in 1995 and took four years to complete. Reclamation works were initially undertaken at Pulau Sakeng to enlarge the island to five times its original size.

The purpose was to create additional land space to cater to ancillary facilities such as a wharf, transfer building, generator building, leachate treatment plant, sewage treatment facility, administration building and workshop. By 1994, Pulau Sakeng’s remaining residents, numbering about 150, were relocated to the mainland following plans to build Semakau Landfill. Government officials made the case to the villagers,

who were fairly receptive to the country’s intentions to use their land. They were invited when Semakau Landfill was officially o p en e d to th e pu b lic fo r re creatio na l activities in July 2005.

The construction of the wharf and transfer building involved deep sea piling and opensea construction. Concrete pile caps were cast on-site accompanied by the laying of pre-cast concrete beams, slabs and in-situ concrete decks. Supporting roof structures were finally lif ted and installed using mammoth floating cranes. With a robust unloading complex in place, barges could be berthed safely in the transfer building for waste transfer operations.

as of December 2011

rESEArCh & tEChNOlOgY The seven-kilometre perimeter bund was lined with impermeable geomembrane (made of high-density polyethylene) and sand-containing geofabric, and crusted with a layer of marine clay (along the inner segment) and solid rock (facing seaward). • This construction method was carried out to contain the waste within the landfill in order to keep fringe waters pollution-free.

Pula u S a keng a nd Pu lau Semakau as viewed fro m the south. Pulau Bukom, Pulau Hantu and mainland Singapore are visible in the background.

To manage the landfill operation more effectively, its intrinsic sea space is divided by internal sand bunds into two halves. The first half has 11 wet tipping cells while the other half forms a lagoon connected to the sea via a gap in the perimeter bund. The second half is slated for development in 2012.

25

mOrE ON tippiNg CEllS

Presently, when tipping cells are not in use, they are connected to the open sea via concrete pipes and an opening gap — approximately 160 metres wide — at the southern tip of the perimeter bund. This exposure to tidal movements ensures that the seawater in the cells remain fresh and clean.

Before a tipping cell becomes operational, concrete pipes are sealed. Seawater inside the cell is then pumped out to create a concave empty space for waste to be deposited.

technical Factsheet

A view of Pulau Sakeng in October 1996 shows the island enlarged to house landfill facilities.

Initial construction works undertaken in April 1997.

Length of Semakau Landfill’s perimeter bund

7 kilometres

Total land filling capacity

63 million cubic metres

Total land filling area

350 hectares

Total volume of sand used

20 million cubic metres

Total volume of rock used

2.5 million cubic metres

Total area of geomembrane laid out

2 million square metres

Total manpower at peak

1,200 workers

Total construction cost

S$610 million

During the development of Semakau Landfill, the facilities at TMTS were constructed concurrently in an industrial estate on the western part of mainland Singapore.

They include a transfer building, wharf, administration building, workshop and other ancillary facilities. The station’s core purpose is to receive waste safely and efficiently.

Semakau Landfill and TMTS required a fleet of sea transportation and landfill equipment to be fully operational.

Construction of the wharf, bund, ancillary buildings and structures in May 1998.

Semakau Landfill, completed in April 1999.

Semakau landfill: Equipment Data Waste Transfer

6 barges/3 tugboats/ 2 excavators

Waste Handling

4 excavators/3 wheel loaders/10 dump trucks

Land Filling

4 compactors/ 5 bulldozers

Three tugboats, six barges, six excavators, three wheel loaders, 10 dump truck s, four compactors and five bulldozers were delivered on schedule before 1 April 1999.

Step 1: The waste is transported and discharged at the landfill cells.

Step 2: Waste is levelled and compacted by bulldozers and compactors.

gAiNiNg NAturE’S ACCEptANCE

In an area dominated by sensitive mangrove ecosystems, adverse consequences were inevitable following construction efforts.

The government realised just how vital these life-suppor ting struc tures were to its indigenous marine life. Hence, the replanting of 400,000 saplings — two plots of mangroves — covering 13.6 hectares during the post-construction phase was initiated. These surrounding mangroves would go on to serve as additional biological indicators of any waste leakage from the landfill. Beyond the natural mangrove indicators, 63 monitoring wells were also installed around the landfill where water samples could be drawn for testing.

26

rESEArCh & tEChNOlOgY

thE DumpiNg prOCESS 1 I n c i n e r a b l e w a s te i s b ro u g h t to o n e o f fo u r incineration plants (Tuas Incineration Plant, Tuas South Incineration Plant, Keppel Seghers Tuas Wasteto-Energy Plant and Senoko Waste-to-Energy Plant) in Singapore where incineration reduces its volume by 90 per cent.

3 Waste collection vehicles are first weighed at weighbridges before proceeding to the waste reception hall in the transfer building. Here, waste is directly discharged into each barge on specially created tipping platforms. There are 20 discharge bays to ensure fast turnaround of waste collection vehicles.

2 Incineration ash — 1,750 tonnes (75 per cent) per day — is transported to TMTS. Non-incinerable waste — about 560 tonnes per day — is transported directly to TMTS. It consists of treated sludge and ash generated by process plants, power stations and industrial waste treatment facilities. Also considered nonincinerable are construction and demolition w a s t e , co p p e r s l a g a n d m i s ce l l a n e o u s incombustible waste matter. They are all screened and, if necessar y, subjected to Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Tests before being disposed off at Semakau Landfill.

4 Loaded barges are covered with hatches before tugboats attach themselves for the towing process. The “single unit” then pushes off on a 30-kilometre journey to Semakau Landfill, taking an estimated three hours. Covering these barges helps to prevent waste from being blown off during the sea journey. Barging operations are carried out at night to maximise the use of marine vessels.

rESEArCh & tEChNOlOgY

27

8

5

When a cell is filled up till it reaches ground level, the area is capped with a layer of topsoil about 30 ce n t i m e t re s t h i c k . G r a s s a n d vegetation are then planted to create a vibrant green landscape.

Upon arrival at Semakau Landfill, the barges are berthed within an enclosed transfer building for unloading. Large excavators with interchangeable and specially designed grabs are used to unload waste directly into large 35-tonne payload off-road dump trucks. Waste in the stockpile area is subsequently scooped up by wheel loaders and put into the dump trucks. A fully loaded barge can be emptied within six hours.

6 The loaded dump trucks make their way to a tipping cell for disposal. They make an average of 100 trips per day.

7 At the tipping site, bulldozers and compactors are used to level and compact the waste discharged.

28

rESEArCh & tEChNOlOgY

1

ApprECiAtiNg SEmAKAu Semakau Landfill has drawn numerous accolades from foreign and local media. On 16 July 2005, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, then Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, officially opened it for recreational activities. One group that frequents the area is the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research.

It conducts regular intertidal walks for the public, including students. The Astronomical Society of Singapore, Nature Society (Singapore) and Sport Fishing Association (Singapore) also organise visits to the landfill.

The natural habitats surrounding and on Semakau Landfill can be classified under five broad zones:

Grass and Scrub Lands (grown on filled cells) Mangrove Forest Seagrass Meadow Intertidal Reef Flat Coral Reefs (along the western shore)

2

rESEArCh & tEChNOlOgY

29

“I think people should be really pleased and have a sense of pride to see that nature and our waste management infrastructure can, to a large extent, co-exist.”

Shawn Lum, President of the Nature Society (Singapore)

Semakau Landfill has its own renewable green energy system powered by a wind turbine and solar panels. It generates sufficient electricity to light up the southern tip of the landfill to facilitate night activities for the public.

Surprisingly, the landfill is home to one of Singapore’s largest sea bass farms. Fish reared here is shipped off to the mainland for local consumption once they are fully grown.

Semakau Landfill is an engineering marvel borne of Singapore’s land-stricken circumstances. Its price tag of S$610 million is a stark reminder that there are considerable financial costs in dealing with waste disposal. The landfill will be able to meet Singapore’s waste disposal needs until 2045. Its existence has also freed up precious hectares on the country’s mainland for other developments.

But innovations in landfill and waste management are only part of the solution. For Singapore to remain environmentally sustainable in the long run, NEA has implemented strategies to further increase recycling rates and minimise waste generation (see Towards Zero Waste). Eliminating the production of waste is an essential part of meeting Singapore’s future needs.

The ultimate goal is to strive towards a zero-waste situation where the need to build new incineration plants and waste treatment facilities is thoroughly reduced. After 2045, when Semakau Landfill can no longer accommodate further waste disposal, a new solution will need to be found. Before that happens, waste generation at source and recycling will be at the forefront of NEA’s efforts, with public education, industry collaborations (see Signing Off To Less Packaging) and the implementation of viable technologies identified as components of the arsenal employed for waste management.

While many might think the notion of coupling waste management and natural ecosystems is something out of a utopian dream, Semakau Landfill has proven that this approach is both realistic and highly successful. Whatever lies ahead, it shows that human infrastructure needs can also benefit biodiversity and create rich ecosystems.

1. (Top) Malaysian Plovers 2. (Opposite page) Swimming Anemone

30

rESEArCh & tEChNOlOgY

THE BRIEF We a re fa m i l ia r wi t h t h e 3 R s — Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. However, implementing them on an island that churns out more than 6 million tonnes of waste a year is far from elementary.

If you have not heard of the National Recycling Programme or the recycling of concrete waste from construction sites, read on to get an understanding of what ’s being done in Singapore where the 3Rs are concerned.

A MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE THROUGH WASTE MINIMISATION AND RECYCLING Waste is a pressing issue for urban settlements worldwide. In 2007, the combined total of municipal solid waste generated by the 30 countries from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and another 27 from the European Union, amounted to more than 622 million tonnes. That figure would have reached 950 million tonnes with the inclusion of China, India and the Russian Federation.

Considering that these 60 countries generated nearly a billion tonnes of waste in 2007, it is not unreasonable to expect their waste to exceed a billion tonnes (per year) in coming years owing to population growth and increased consumption rates.

To help address this issue in Singapore, in January 2008, an InterMinisterial Committee on Sustainable Development (IMCSD) was set up to formulate a national strategy for its sustainable development. Co-chaired by then Minister for National Development, Mr Mah Bow Tan, and then Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, the committee came up with a comprehensive plan following extensive consultative exchanges with businesses, community leaders and members of the public. It was turned into the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint (SSB) to serve as a touchstone for making Singapore a liveable and lively city-state.

One of the core concerns in the SSB was how population and economic growth were straining domestic resources and threatening environmental quality. In Singapore especially, the lack of land space

presented a mounting challenge for waste disposal. As a result, the government had to shift its focus offshore (see Semakau Island: A Successful Marine Landfill And Vibrant Ecosystem).

According to the SSB, boosting the country’s resource efficiency should be par t of the main strategy in achieving long-term sustainability. The aim mapped out in the SSB is to increase overall recycling rates to 65 per cent by 2020, and 70 per cent by 2030. Currently, Singapore’s overall recycling rate — domestic and industrial combined — hovers around 58 per cent.

Bucking up the present figure requires more than just a oneway government-led approach. What needs to be taken into consideration are free-market forces which would in time enable the natural cultivation of waste minimisation and recycling habits among public and private stakeholders.

That said, education accompanied by infrastructure and promotional efforts has given recycling a nudge. In residential communities, NEA has successfully implemented the National Recycling Programme to encourage household recycling. In the industrial sector, almost all construction and demolition waste is recycled, increasing resource efficiency instead of occupying scarce landfill space. The Singapore Packaging Agreement is also an example of how government and industry can come together to resolve waste issues at the producers’ end.

rESEArCh & tEChNOlOgY

31

The following guidelines are at the core of the strategy:

1.

MiniMising Waste UpstreaM

• Engage industries to find ways to reduce packaging materials through the voluntary Singapore Packaging Agreement (see Signing Off To Less Packaging) • Provide co-funding to help companies redesign processes to reduce waste in their production of goods

2. Facilitating

HoUseHold recycling • Increase recycling facilities in housing areas • Pilot the use of separate chutes for recyclables in more housing estates

3. targeting

Major soUrces oF Waste

• Promote the recycling of large sources of waste that now have low recycling rates (e.g. plastic and food waste) • Study the feasibility of mandating the recycling of such waste in the long term

4. expanding

oUr land resoUrce

• Apart from reclaiming more land and building more intensively, Singapore will also develop an underground land-use master plan that identifies potential uses for this space

5. enHancing

land-Use planning

• The Urban Redevelopment Authorit y will fur ther refine it s urban land-use planning framework to develop Marina Bay and Jurong Lake district into a new generation of sustainable high-density areas

national recycling prograMMe: tackling residential recycling The National Recycling Programme (NRP) was launched in April 2001 with the objective of increasing household recycling rates.

Under the programme, Public Waste Collectors (PWCs) distribute recycling bags or bins to HDB apartments and landed estates where the recyclables are collected on a door-to-door basis every fortnight.

PWCs have gone a step further by installing one recycling bin at every five HDB blocks, making it convenient for residents to deposit their recyclables at any time of the day in close proximity to their homes. These bins are usually collected weekly. Starting on 1 July 2011 in the Pasir Ris-Tampines sector, a recycling bin has been placed at every HDB block with daily collection. This would be extended to other parts of Singapore if the feedback from residents is positive.

In addition, there are approximately 2,500 recycling bins placed by owners of premises in public spaces such as malls, markets, MRT stations and bus interchanges.

After being mandated in 2008 by the government, condominiums and private apartments are now required to provide recycling receptacles for residents. Looking to the future, NEA will continue it s push to propagate rec ycling in Singapore through the following means: • Increase the number of recycling bins and collection frequency • Study the feasibility of installing new infrastructure (e.g. separate chutes for refuse and recyclables) and mandating the recycling of large waste streams with existing low recycling rates (e.g. food waste)

32

rESEArCh & tEChNOlOgY reclaiMing rca

groWing recycling oF constrUction and deMolition Waste Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste is derived from the building and construction industry. It consists mainly of concrete, bricks, tiles, reinforcement bars, drywall, wood, plastic, glass, scrap iron and other metals. Around 99 per cent of this is currently recycled. Instead of sending the waste to the landfill and paying a disposal fee, the waste is converted into secondary building materials.

This helps to reduce the import of raw materials.

Stage 1: Initial crushing is done by jaw crushers.

Effective recycling of C&D waste starts from on-site segregation. Reinforcement bars and scrap metals have long had high recycling rates due to their residual economic value. Nowadays, various constituents of C&D waste have attracted recycling efforts focused on creating new value, including Recycled Concrete Aggregate (RCA).

RCA is reclaimed from waste concrete made with natural aggregates. With the introduction of performance-based standards like SS EN 12620: Specification for Aggregates for Concrete, recycled and manufactured aggregates can now be adopted for a range of structural and non-structural applications.

Stage 2: Ferrous metals are removed using magnetic separators.

The main difference between RCA and natural aggregates is that RCA has a thin layer of remaining cement paste adhering to it after processing. Because of this, the water absorption rate is three to five times higher than natural aggregates; otherwise the density and other physical properties are similar to natural aggregates.

Processed RCA can ultimately be used for structural works as a partial replacement of natural aggregates, as approved by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), or non-structural works such as non-load-bearing walls, footpaths, lean concrete and sub-base material for road construction.

Stage 3: Foreign materials such as bricks, plastics and asphalt are screened and removed.

In 1995, to help expand the recycling of C&D waste, NEA converted part of Lim Chu Kang Dumping Ground (LCKDG) — a sanitary landfill from 1976 to 1992 — into Sarimbun Recycling Park (SRP). C&D waste recycling was one of the initial activities identified as it requires a large area of land to operate. Other industries include the recycling of horticultural and wood waste, plastic, street cleansing and tyre waste. SRP has since been leased to several recycling companies, six out of 13 of which recycle C&D waste.

Stage 4: Secondary crushing is carried out.

Stage 5: RCA is filtered into different size groupings for different uses.

An example would be pre-cast kerbs.

rESEArCh & tEChNOlOgY

oUtstanding coMpanies Increasingly, innovation has helped to transform waste into new materials in the construction industry.

One C&D waste recycling company located in Sarimbun, M/s Hock Chuan Hong Waste Management Pte Ltd, sees C&D waste as a resource to produce new construction materials. It has successfully carried out research work to use RCA to produce drain channels and road kerbs, supplying them to various drainage and road projects.

1

Another civil engineering and building material company, Samwoh Corporation Pte Ltd, launched Samwoh Eco-Green Park in 2010.

This park will provide the industry with more sources of sustainable construction materials such as recycled paving materials from Samwoh’s new asphalt recycling plant and eco-concrete from its concrete batching plant. The park will also house an eco-green building, the result of applied research and development (R&D) in concrete technology.

The three-storey eco-green building is the first in Singapore and South-east Asia to use concrete made from 100 per cent RCA for the construction of its top level. Embedded within the building’s columns are sensors that facilitate further research into the performance of concrete made from RCA.

2

Recycled materials from C&D waste have improved in quality over the years as a result of constant innovation and R&D. NEA hopes that the work these companies have done will inspire more developers to use RCA and other recycled materials for their building projects.

With limited natural resources and land for the disposal of waste, it is imperative that Singapore change its view of waste as a disposal liability to one of it as an actual resource (see the article, Far From Wasted).

3

The government has taken a bold step, having invested heavily in R&D centres such as the Residues and Resource Reclamation Centre at Nanyang Technological University in an attempt to help solve some of the country’s outstanding waste-related issues.

By using recycled materials, reliance on imported materials is reduced which in turn will help extend the lifespan of Singapore’s current offshore landfill, freeing up vital land space on the mainland for other development purposes.

1. Application of RCA: Pre-cast drains 2. Bird’s eye view of Samwoh Eco-Green Park 3. Samwoh Eco-Green Park 4. Asphalt recycling plant and trucks

4

33

34

iNDuStrY DEVElOpmENt

deVeloPments at tHe 2011 Waste manaGement sYmPosium

1

5

2

3

4

iNDuStrY DEVElOpmENt As economic growth burgeons across the globe, the need to inculcate best practices in waste management has become ever more paramount to sustain our natural environment. Singapore is seen as a beacon for its clean and green environment, which has attracted much interest from its regional neighbours and beyond.

As such, the Waste Management Symposium was organised to bring the government and leading industry practitioners together to

35

MoU between WMras and Harry elias partnership LLp

The first of the MOUs was signed between WMRAS and Harry Elias Partnership LLP. Its purpose was to develop a grant that would assist companies in defraying legal costs related to the development and implementation of waste management projects. A minor but significant facet, this move will aid corporations in mitigating future litigation and costly negative publicity.

examine regional waste management developments and resultant opportunities. This was followed by a discourse on the latest innovations and technologies.

Jointly organised by the National Environment Agency (NEA) and Waste Management & Recycling Association of Singapore (WMRAS), the symposium illustrated the collaborative efforts between the government and industry associations to develop and grow the capabilities of the local waste management industry. It culminated in the launch of WasteMET Asia, an international waste management and environmental technology conference and trade show. The event also witnessed the signing of two Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) that would help beef up the export capabilities of members in the participating associations.

1. Mr Jorgen Haukohl (Vice-Chairman, Working Group on Energy Recovery, International Solid Waste Association, ISWA) speaking on technical innovations in waste-to-energy technologies 2. Mr Herry Zudianto, Mayor of Yogyakarta, and Mr Andrew Tan (Chief Executive Officer, NEA) 3. MOU signing by WMRAS and Harry Elias Partnership LLP 4. Mr Torsten Weber (Chief Executive Officer, REMONDIS International GmBH) speaking on approaches to waste management 5. Panel discussion on challenges, solutions and opportunities for Asian waste management markets

MoU between WMras and singapore Business Federation

WMRAS went on to sign a second MOU with the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) which will see both parties collaborating on the promotion of waste management initiatives and programmes. SBF will utilise its broad network base to expand the industry’s access to untapped markets.

east Meets Waste — solid Waste Management solutions For a Growing asia

Also unveiled at the symposium was WasteMET Asia, an inaugural exhibition and conference for the solid waste management and environmental technology industry. WasteMET Asia is part of the inaugural CleanEnviro Summit Singapore organised by NEA. CleanEnviro Summit Singapore is an international platform for thought leaders, high-level officials and practitioners to network and exchange knowledge on the challenges, issues and opportunities in meeting the demand for clean environment solutions. Held in conjunction with CleanEnviro Summit Singapore and WasteMET Asia will also be the World Cities Summit and the Singapore International Water Week in July 2012.

The theme for WasteMET Asia is East Meets Waste — Solid Waste Management Solutions For A Growing Asia. Its purpose is to bring to light pressing issues and opportunities in solid waste management in Asia’s fast growing cities.

Supported by International Solid Waste Association (ISWA), Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA), Economic Development Board (EDB), Institution of Engineers Singapore (IES), Jurong Town Corporation ( JTC) and SPRING, the inaugural Waste Management Symposium 2011 was well-received and attended by about 220 local and regional participants from the waste management industry.

Waste management represents more than mere environmental perks for a country. As private players and governments come to learn of its economic potential and job creation opportunities, working towards a sustainable future is full of promise.

36

iNDuStrY DEVElOpmENt

speakers for the day Mr Guah eng Hock

Mr andrew Tan

(Chief executive officer, nea)

Mr Victor Tay

(Chairman, WMras)

topic

topic

topic

Creating a Vibrant Waste Management Industry in Singapore

Developments and Opportunities in Waste Management

Singapore Sustainability Alliance

Summary

Summary

Mr Guah explained the vital roles of “A ssociatio n”, “B u reau crac y ” a n d “Collaboration” within Singapore’s waste management framework.

Mr Tan gave a forward-looking presentation with a global outlook that underlined the key challenges faced in Asia, accompanied with a progress update on Singapore’s next leap in waste management.

Mr Tay presented the case for sustainable development from a business perspective, highlighting the Triple Helix Model that comprises government agencies, industry associations and research institutions.

Mr Francis Goh

Ms Vaneeta Bhojwani

(partner, Harry elias partnership)

topic Legal Support for Industry Development Summary Mr Goh underscored the importance of proper legal practices in order to reduce future litigation and damage control.

(deputy director, Industry & promotion office, nea) on behalf of dr Mustaq ahmed Memon (United nations environment programme)

topic Challenges and Opportunities in Waste Management Summary Ms Vaneeta provided an overview of waste disposal in developing countries, uncovering the predicaments faced. She went on to share a proposed integrated solid waste management solution drawn up by the United Nations.

(Chief operating officer, sBF)

Summary

Moderator: Mr andrew Tan

(Chief executive officer, nea)

panelists: 1. Mr Herry Zudianto (Mayor of yogyakarta)

2. Mr Jeff Cooper

(president of IsWa)

3. Mr Guah eng Hock (Chairman of WMras)

4. dr amiya Kumar sahu

(Founder of national solid Waste association of India, nsWaI)

topic Panel Discussion on Challenges, Solutions a n d O p p o r t u n i t i e s f o r A s i a n Wa s te Management Markets Summary An interactive panel discussion between the distinguished panelists and participants was carried out to distil the knowledge of waste management in Asian markets.

Mr Torsten Weber

(Chief executive officer, reMondIs International GmbH)

topic A Circular Approach to Waste Management Summary Mr Weber shared REMONDIS’ vision for a sustainable circular flow economy as well as the roles his company’s infrastructure, technology and expertise can play in helping Asia cope with its current waste management challenges.

Mr Jorgen Haukohl

(Vice-Chairman, Working Group on energy recovery, International solid Waste association, IsWa)

topic Technical Innovations in Waste-to-Energy Technologies Summary M r Ha u ko h l d is cuss e d t h e Eu ro p ea n Union’s five-step waste hierarchy in the Waste Framework Directive that has been put into effect to achieve sustainable waste management: 1. Prevention 2. Reuse 3. Recycling 4. Other recovery (e.g. energy) 5. Disposal

Mr James Chin

(senior Manager, Waste and resource Management department, nea)

topic Singapore’s Waste-to-Energy Incineration Plants Summary Mr Chin touched on the country’s four incineration plants with a focus on massburn incineration technology, the recovery of ferrous metals and disposal of ash.

iNDuStrY DEVElOpmENt

THE SINGAPORE PACKAGING AGREEMENT — FOUR YEARS ON Take a glance around your house and

the National Recycling Programme

try to recall the day you purchased

to reach out to industries, malls,

those household appliances and food

schools, households and other market

items. You will realise most of them

segments. These efforts have led to a

came with fancy and sturdy packaging.

reduction in waste disposed but are still insufficient to meet Singapore’s long-

More of ten than not, companies

term goals.

package products for both aesthetic and functional purposes. The intentions

Rather than relying solely on

are to draw consumer interest and

addressing waste issues at the post-

protect the contents. Unfortunately,

consumer level, NEA felt that a more

packaging contributes about a third of

sustainable way of managing waste

domestic waste in Singapore, which

would be to minimise its generation at

leaves a significant footprint on the

the producers’ end. The primary aim

environment, given that domestic

was to get product manufacturers to

waste represents 58 per cent of all

cut down on the use of packaging

waste disposed.

materials, in particular, those from the Food & Beverage (F&B) industry,

Since the year 2000, NEA has worked

as F&B packaging constitutes more

wi th it s 3 P (Pu b lic, Private a n d

than 50 per cent of all household

People) partners on projects such as

packaging waste.

37

THE BRIEF Have you ever wondered how much m ate r ia l g o e s i nto p ro d u ci n g t h e packaging box for your flat-screen television or video-game console?

Quite a bit. What if the boxes came a little thinner and lighter but still did the job of protecting their contents? We tell you how the Singapore Packaging Agreement makes this happen.

the birth of the Singapore packaging Agreement NEA studied packaging policies and consulted industry experts in developed countries — Australia, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the USA — on the various systems of minimising packaging waste.

38

iNDuStrY DEVElOpmENt

NE A then initiated discussions with local industry players to find a common ground of mutual acceptance. Both parties came to a consensus that a partnership approach, based on the principle of product stewardship, would be the most feasible.

The gist of the agreement was to provide industries with the opportunity to assume greater corporate responsibility for their packaging in a non-prescriptive manner. It would take into account the entire packaging supply chain — from manufacturers and importers to retailers and recyclers. At the same time, it would offer a platform where companies could share practical ideas and work together to develop cost-effective solutions to reduce waste.

The Singapore Packaging Agreement (SPA) was initially signed by 32 organisations: five industry associations (representing more than 500 companies), 19 individual companies, t wo non-governmental organisations, the Waste Management & Recycling Association of Singapore and four public waste collectors. It was signed on 5 June 20 07, which coincided with World Environment Day. It came into effect officially on 1 July 2007 and extends over a five-year period.

Mapped after New Zealand’s Packaging Accord with certain portions adopted from Australia’s National Packaging Covenant, the SPA is administered by an independent secretariat and overseen by the Singapore Packaging Agreement Governing Board comprising senior officials from industry, government and non-governmental organisations.

Under the SPA, the stakeholders (signatories) are obliged to achieve these objectives through: + A framework based on the principle of product stewardship for the lifecycle management of packaging for consumer goods + A co lla b o rative a p p ro a ch to ensu re t h at t h e m a n a g e m e nt of co n su m e r packaging throughout its lifecycle and the implementation of collection systems p ro d u ce sus t a i na b l e e nv i ro n m e nt a l benefits in a cost-effective manner + E n s u r i n g t h a t p a c k a g e d g o o d s a re designed and created in a way that minimises adverse environmental impacts + Regular consultation and discussion of issues affecting the recovery, utilisation and disposal of consumer packaging + A n e f fe c t i v e p u b l i c e d u c a t i o n a n d communications programme

the targets The SPA, in essence, has been put into effect by NEA to encourage producers to assume greater responsibility for packaging products and minimising waste at their end.

It is also meant to help Singapore accelerate its progress to achieve its 2012 national recycling targets. The packaging recycling targets set for 2012 are: Glass

50%

Ferrous metals

the Objectives The SPA has three core objectives: To reduce packaging waste arising from consumer products To raise community awareness on packaging waste minimisation To introduce supply chain initiatives that foster the sustainable use of resources in packaging

Plastic

+ Develop and implement programmes to raise consumer awareness and educate consumers on the need to reduce waste from packaging + Promote SPA within its organisation + Develop sustainable markets for reused/ recycled packaging materials

Capability building and Knowledge Sharing Activities under SpA Under the SPA programme, signatories are organised under different sector groups according to their nature of business or the main type of packaging material used for their products. Regular sector group meetings are arranged for them to share ideas on ways to reduce waste as well as discuss difficulties commonly encountered in their sector or industry.

Signatories receive e-newsletters which update them on the latest developments, e m e rg i n g i s s u e s a n d e v e n t s r e l a t e d to p a c k a g i n g w a s te. To f u r t h e r b u i l d t h e sig nato r i e s’ k n ow l e d g e b a s e a n d capabilities, technical sharing sessions are also arranged during regular CEOs’ l u n c h e o n s o rg a n is e d fo r p a r t i c p at i n g co m p a n i e s , w h e re si g n ato r i e s g et to network and learn about best practices.

95%

Non-ferrous metals Paper

+ Follow the Singapore Environmental Code of Practice for the Packaging of Consumer Goods to ensure that environmental considerations are taken into account in packaging decisions

90% 55%

23%

Signatories will work together to develop effective packaging waste recovery and recycling programmes in order to meet these targets.

Voluntary Commitments As a signatory of the SPA, an organisation voluntarily commits to do the following: + Work together with other signatories to meet national packaging recycling targets + Contribute data on packaging materials consumed and packaging waste reduced and/or recycled, where available

progress So Far NEA is pleased to announce that the SPA has been signed by 127 organisations to date. In the first four years of the SPA, the signatories cumulatively reduced about 7,100 tonnes of packaging waste. Besides saving the companies more than S$14.9 million in production costs, the reduction has helped to cu t was te at sou rce as well. This was achieved through various initiatives, such as reducing the size and thickness of materials used for logistical processes and product packaging.

In addition, by cutting back the generation of waste, companies have enjoyed cost savings in the collection, transportation and treatment processes. It is encouraging to see this programme taking root and bearing fruit across industries.

iNDuStrY DEVElOpmENt

“

we are glad to see companies reducing waste at source, and we encourage more companies to embrace the c ra d l e -to - cra d l e d e s ig n concept in their product development processes. through better packaging

39

PACKAGING AWARDS HONOURING THE SIGNATORIES (SINGAPORE PACK AGING AGREEMENT) WHO HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE

designs and the use of

Following its initiation in 2007, the Singapore Packaging Agreement (SPA) has

rec ycled a nd rec ycla ble

ignited a growing commitment among corporations to progressively reduce their

materials for their product

packaging footprint. Since then, a steady and growing number of corporations

packaging, we will be able to reduce the amount of waste

have made pertinent contributions, steering away from the status quo to find niche solutions — both environmentally and economically sound.

g o i n g t o o u r w a s t e -t o -

Some 7,100 tonnes of packaging waste was reduced in the first four years of

energy plants and prolong

the SPA, translating to savings of more than S$14.9 million in production costs

the lifespan of Semakau

for the signatories.

landfill. Consumers ca n a lso play t heir pa r t in reducing waste by purchasing products without unnecessary packaging and recycling their waste.

Mr Andrew Tan Chief Executive Officer, NEA

”

3R in a nutshell

Assessment CriteriA

To honour signatories who have made notable efforts and achievements in reducing packaging waste, the Singapore Packaging Agreement Governing Board created the inaugural 3R Packaging Awards in 2008.

There are four Award categories:

Prerequisites for the eligibilit y of the Awards:

Distinction Award Merit Award Platinum Award* Gold Award* *Platinum Awards are presented to signatories who have received Distinction Awards for two consecutive years. Gold Awards are given to signatories who have received Merit Awards (or higher) for two consecutive years.

• Only signatories of SPA are eligible for the 3R Packaging Awards • Initiatives assessed must be implemented in the Agreement year preceding the year of the awards • Initiatives assessed for the packaging of products have to be primarily for local consumption Eligible signatories are assessed on the following: • Avoidance of packaging waste • Recycling or reuse of packaging waste • Consumer education • Use of recyclable/recycled packaging material • Reduction of other waste material

40

iNDuStrY DEVElOpmENt

AwArd recipients Year

Distinction Award

Merit Award

2011

Asia Pacific Breweries (Singapore) Pte Ltd City Developments Limited Pte Ltd (City Square Mall) CROWN Beverage Cans Singapore Pte Ltd Nestlé Singapore (Pte) Ltd Sunfresh Singapore Pte Ltd Tetra Pak Jurong Pte Ltd

Boncafé International Pte Ltd Dell Global B.V. F&N Foods Pte Ltd Ha Li Fa Pte Ltd Hock Lian Huat Foodstuff Industry Pte Ltd Kentucky Fried Chicken Management Pte Ltd McDonald’s Restaurants Pte Ltd Starlite Printers (Far East) Pte Ltd Thong Siek Food Industry Pte Ltd Toshiba Asia Pacific Pte Ltd Toshiba TEC Singapore Pte Ltd Wanin Industries Pte Ltd Winrigo (S) Pte Ltd & Prima Food Pte Ltd Wyeth Nutritionals (Singapore) Pte Ltd

2010

IKANO Pte Ltd Nestlé Singapore (Pte) Ltd Sunfresh Singapore Pte Ltd Tetra Pak Jurong Pte Ltd Universal Integrated Corporation Consumer Products Pte Ltd

Ha Li Fa Pte Ltd Hock Lian Huat Foodstuff Industry Pte Ltd Kentucky Fried Chicken Management Pte Ltd McDonald’s Restaurants Pte Ltd People Bee Hoon Factory Pte Ltd Starbucks Coffee Singapore Pte Ltd Starlite Printers (Far East) Pte Ltd Thong Siek Food Industry Pte Ltd Wyeth Nutritionals (Singapore) Pte Ltd

2009

F&N Coca-Cola (Singapore) Pte Ltd Nestlé Singapore (Pte) Ltd Tetra Pak Jurong Pte Ltd

Asia Pacific Breweries (Singapore) Pte Ltd Boncafé International Pte Ltd Hock Lian Huat Foodstuff Industry Pte Ltd Kentucky Fried Chicken Management Pte Ltd Microwave Packaging (Singapore) Pte Ltd Singapore Food Industries Ltd Sunfresh Singapore Pte Ltd Wyeth Nutritionals (Singapore) Pte Ltd YHS (Singapore) Pte Ltd

2008

Asia Pacific Breweries (Singapore) Pte Ltd Boncafé International Pte Ltd Kentucky Fried Chicken Management Pte Ltd Tetra Pak Jurong Pte Ltd

Chinatown Food Corporation Pte Ltd F&N Coca-Cola (Singapore) Pte Ltd McDonald’s Restaurants Pte Ltd Nestlé Singapore (Pte) Ltd Subway Singapore Development Pte Ltd Sunfresh Singapore Pte Ltd

Year

Platinum Award

Gold Award

2011

Nestlé Singapore (Pte) Ltd Sunfresh Singapore Pte Ltd Tetra Pak Jurong Pte Ltd

Ha Li Fa Pte Ltd Hock Lian Huat Foodstuff Industry Pte Ltd Kentucky Fried Chicken Management Pte Ltd McDonald’s Restaurants Pte Ltd Starlite Printers (Far East) Pte Ltd Thong Siek Food Industry Pte Ltd Wyeth Nutritionals (Singapore) Pte Ltd

2010

Nestlé Singapore (Pte) Ltd Tetra Pak Jurong Pte Ltd

Asia Pacific Breweries (Singapore) Pte Ltd Boncafé International Pte Ltd Coca-Cola Singapore Beverages Pte Ltd Hock Lian Huat Foodstuff Industry Pte Ltd Kentucky Fried Chicken Management Pte Ltd Sunfresh Singapore Pte Ltd Wyeth Nutritionals (Singapore) Pte Ltd

iNDuStrY DEVElOpmENt

41

CASe StuDy milo packaging A

B

A: 0.25 mm thickness with six beads B: 0.22 mm thickness with nine beads

In 2007, Nestlé Singapore (Pte) Ltd reduced the thickness of its local 1.5 kg MILO tin can, shedding off 100 g of material per can in the process.

Motivated by its success, Nestlé discovered that the thickness of its 1.25 kg and 1.65 kg MILO tins could also be further reduced from 0.25 mm (six beads) to 0.22 mm (nine beads) without compromising compression strength. The move has since saved the manufacturer 15 tonnes of tin material every year.

With the momentum gained, Nestlé started to delve into the corrugated carton boxes used to pack its local MILO 900 g and 1 kg soft packs, researching various means to reduce their dimensions. Once again, it successfully clipped off their proportions from 480 mm x 370 mm x 190 mm to 470 mm x 350 mm x 190 mm, reducing annual paper use by more than 20 tonnes.

Another packaging material used to produce MILO soft packs is flexible plastic laminate. After approximately two months of intensive work, Nestlé modified the

p ro d u c ti o n l i n e to i m p rove o p er ati o n efficiency, bringing down laminate losses during production from an initial 6 per cent to between 1 and 2 per cent. The improvement to the produc tion line resulted in 20 tonnes of laminate wastage avoided per year.

Nestlé utilises 100 per cent recyclable natural wood fibre to produce paper cartons for all its MILO products. In addition, natural starch is used for binders and adhesives.

Not only are its cartons recyclable, they are non-toxic as well.

CASe StuDy tetra pak packaging

Tetra Pak Jurong Pte Ltd manufactures packaging materials for beverage cartons.

They are made of protective layers that consist of paperboard, plastic (polyethylene polymer) and aluminium foil materials.

In its previous setup, changing the width of the polymer coating involved stopping

the line before extruders were removed.

As a result, excess polymer drooled away creating wastage.

line while making polymer width changes.

The result: 144 tonnes of polyethylene polymer is saved annually.

Since July 2007, Tetra Pak has introduced improvements to achieve a flying setup, where it is no longer necessary to stop the

Switching to a flying setup would also help reduce about 119 tonnes of paper waste per year.

42

KNOwlEDgE & CApACitY builDiNg much of your work seems to focus on redesigning existing waste systems, versus redesigning the systems that produce waste to begin with (e.g. packaging, material engineering, product design, etc.). by comparison, how do you relate to Dr michael braungart’s Cradle-to-Cradle approach to materials management?

As an engineer, I think the ideas from Dr Braungart are interesting. Sometimes for me they seem like a bit of a fantasy, but they’re inspiring, and some are very realistic to do. With this approach you cannot solve the problems though. It’s only part of the solution.

At the end of the day you have so many things that are difficult to recycle... you have residues, you have entropy in the whole system, and while this Cradleto-Cradle approach is useful, it’s a bit like the notion of Zero Waste — it’s something we can aim for but will never likely fully achieve. It’s the end game in the far off future.

FAR FROM WASTED Professor Rainer Stegmann reveals the hidden truths of waste as a resource The retired professor from Hamburg University of Technology in Hamburg, Germany, co-owns two patents with his colleagues as head of the Institute for Waste Resource Management. He is currently a visiting professor at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and director of its Residues and Resource Reclamation Centre (R3C).

ENViSiON caught up with Professor Stegmann at a recent Professional Sharing Series (PSS) session after he shared about the potentials and limits of waste as a resource.

In a follow-up interview, he elaborated on new technologies that look set to redefine the world’s waste management landscape. He also touched on the importance of socio-political factors and how relying on technology alone is insufficient to solve the planet’s waste conundrum.

we understand you hold two patents with your ex-colleagues at the institute for waste resources management, hamburg university of technology.

Can you tell us more about them?

The first one was created to address the issue of lining landfills, both bottom and top, to collect leachate. As you know, plastic liners might become brittle and fail over time. We decided to make liners out of glass instead. It lasts longer but was never implemented in any landfill. We still got it patented though.

The second patent involves aerating landfills. Gas production is used in most landfills to generate electricity. However, the quantity becomes low as the landfills age and utilisation then is not good enough.

What we do is somewhat aerobic in nature where we put air into the landfill, speeding up the decomposition process of certain inert portions underground. This biologically stabilises the land in a shorter period of time, enabling us to release the landfill for aftercare purposes more quickly.

Do you think your patent will work for Singapore’s Semakau landfill?

We are working on making a test at Semakau Landfill.

It’s not a matter of whether it’s feasible because it is already implemented in five landfills in Germany. At Semakau we may face an elevated water table in some areas which we are still investigating. There’s definitely an intention to make a test.

At the end of the day, it will work well for landfills that are used to build houses and industrial settlements, given that all the fla m ma ble gases have been extracted from the ground. There is usually still around 10 per cent of gas production taking place at a landfill after gas extraction has come to an end. These gases may accumulate in pockets. It only takes 5 per cent of methane in air to form an explosive mixture so it needs to be reduced to avoid potential accidents. Lastly, you want settling to take place on a landfill before you attempt to build anything.

KNOwlEDgE & CApACitY builDiNg As Director of the residues and resource reclamation Centre (r3C) at the Nanyang technological university (Ntu), what are some of the ongoing projects that are showing massive potential?

That would be our work on decentralised systems where we take a cluster of houses and separate different waste streams in each house. They could be organic kitchen material, grey water such as that from washing machines, sinks and showers, yellow water from the toilet like urine which comprises high phosphorous and nitrogen content, and treating faeces in an anaerobic digester (where oxygen is removed) to produce biogas.

The concept makes sense in new areas where sewer systems are costly to build.

You could have a cluster of let’s say 10 blocks, treat the waste water onsite, and reuse it. However, it is more complicated if everything is already mixed together. For example, recovering phosphorous is much more difficult in diluted water.

I believe our work can be expor ted to industrial and developing nations, especially in remotes areas which lack water and Africa is a good example. There are many d eve l o p i n g co u nt r i e s i n Af r i c a w h i c h lack toilets and fertilisers. Hotels, camps, education centres stand to benefit too.

Ideally, these plans should be initiated in tandem with the construction of a new housing estate. We develop tools that can be tailor-made to suit any development.

Any plans to implement this in Singapore?

We are in talk s with the Housing Development Board (HDB) to explore ways to collaborate in the future. This is a fiveyear project, of which we have already worked on for a year and a half. Part of our efforts involves working with the School of Art, Design and Media at NTU to create a design that would gain acceptance by the general public. It is my belief that the role of design is equally important to the technical functionality aspect. what needs to be done to enable Singapore to t ake t hat lea p in waste resou rces management?

Legislation is important. On top of that, implementing separate collection would be a good start. There is no need to copy from elsewhere because Singapore is different, being in a tropical climate and all. You can always customise something that works just for Singapore.

Paper is one of the easiest and straightforward platforms. You don’t need to collect 100 per cent. Even 40 or 50 per cent at the beginning is good enough. It takes a while for companies to get into the game and develop the relevant markets but I think Singapore is capable of achieving it.

The country is excellent when it comes to promotion and advertising. what cutting-edge waste management t e c h n o l o g i e s d o yo u t h i n k co u l d b e readily integrated into the urban context of Singapore, especially in areas like industrial parks and hDb estates?

You need thermal treatment to reduce the volume of waste. Separate collection of valuable recyclable items like e-waste and cars needs to be done — and it doesn’t even have to take up large amounts of space. The process can even be done on ships. There are many possibilities. For the residual waste you have to incinerate of course, but the process should increase energy recover y. Also explore RefuseDerived Fuel (RDF) from parts of waste to create new fuels. The so-called “pre-oven concept” where you burn RDF alongside other power generating infrastructure is interesting. So, for example, wood waste by-products at a paper mill can be used to power the mill itself.

S h o u l d S i n g a p o re d o a b e t te r j o b of banning cer tain substances at source versus looking at recovery or recycling instead (e.g. chromium in cars)?

Regulation definitely needs to go first, but both should be done in parallel to ensure that a safer, higher qualit y material is available for recycling as the end result.

Economically, it results in a higher value product as well — for example, scrap metal from automobiles sold in the European Union has to meet restricted amounts of harmful substances.

Do you think there is promise for vacuum technology for waste water collection in Singapore?

Sure. For water reclamation, if you’re using a decentralised system, the pipes can be smaller and you don’t have to rely on gravity as a vacuum is involved. There are systems also in place to separate different kinds of materials found in waste water. With the current systems in metropolitan Singapore, widespread use of this technology might not make sense since the sewer infrastructure is in place already. In other installations such as military complexes or hotels and such, it is another good tool that can be used.

43

Do you foresee this segment of the market growing with venture capitalists investing in much needed innovation projects?

The world is changing. Things we would not have thought about have already been made reality. For example, the lack of rare earth elements used in cellphones and other electronic devices. Most of them are mined in China. Strategically, to be more independent, we are thinking of recovery.

But the idea is not to see it from a monetary perspective alone but as a necessity.

Paper demand in China and India is going to be so big that you would have a problem supporting it sustainably. Even if you are a paper manufacturer who grows trees, you still need soil, fertilisers and acreage. You can save 50 per cent of that raw material with used paper, and 10 0 per cent of waste paper can be used to produce new paper, depending on the qualit y. Also, achieving hygienic quality enables you to churn out cardboards. Taking metals out using magnets is already done but can be improved upon. Additionally, separate collecting systems are flexible and can be brought to different markets. with the exponential adoption of new technologies such as mobile touch-screen devices, critical rare minerals are under increasing demand and are often found i n co u n t r i e s w h e re t h e i r e x t r a c t i o n poses unique environmental and social challenges. Are there ways to successfully disassemble these products at end-of-life to cut back the need for virgin materials, as well as eliminate yet another source of e-waste? Could you describe one of these industrial processes?

There are processes existing, but they are still very much in development and need improvement. One ver y basic process involves removal of the plate from the computer with the accumulation of rare minerals to separate them and then burning the leftover carcasses. But there are more sophisticated processes such as metal extraction using extraction and separation technologies. There’s a lot of research going on in these areas and a lot of companies are further developing this area.

So this could be another industry opportunity for businesses in Singapore?

Absolutely!

44

KNOwlEDgE & CApACitY builDiNg

with the prices of many commodities such as waste paper, plastic flakes and rare minerals on the rise, do you think there is increased impetus for Singapore businesses to examine their waste stream for new sources of revenue?

Selling recyclable material is like any other business: the prices of these commodities fluctuate with world events and crisis. In recent years, companies have stockpiled recyclables to stay on top of the global price fluctuations and been able to make gains as the markets shift. Of course to do this, companies will need a bit of capital behind them. mass burning will be the most feasible method of waste-to-energy conversion in the foreseeable future for Singapore. Any chance that the country might be able to delve into refuse-Derived Fuel (rDF) or anaerobic digestion?

Sure! Singapore has the chance. Heat not used in incinerators is a huge amount of lost energy, so that is something to think about.

If you have an old, redundant incinerator, it is possible to convert it into an RDF plant for any kind of material. The other idea is to go to plants where you need the energy, with perhaps 70 to 80 per cent conversion. Start with a smaller plant, get experience, and then move on further. For mass burning, the next generation of plants will feature technologies with higher electrical and thermal energy recovery.

The bottom ash can also be utilised for other purposes such as road construction.

But there is room for improvement and more investigation needs to be done to extract better materials. The aim is not to use 100 per cent but selected par ts which are the easiest to recover, through processes such as sifting. Land raising is another possible application.

while incineration has its benefits, there are also some risks, for example, environmental dioxin contamination from plastics. what are the steps needed to adequately mitigate dioxin risk from the waste-to-energy incineration of plastics?

The reasons for dioxin production have now been identified. One factor is the feedstock, but what’s more important is the operation of the plant. A n interesting discover y recently is that dioxin is not necessarily in the waste that is being burned, but produced in the process with the hot gases that come out. The dioxin emerges in the cooling of the gases. What they do now to avoid a de novo synthesis of dioxins is to cool the gases quickly in a temperature window between 250°C to 350°C and in doing so the production of new dioxin is significantly decreased. Carbon filters can also be put into the system to take dioxin out of the gas stream even further. The technology is there and often the stringent targets for dioxin are actually exceeded. is the major challenge of dealing with waste really a technological issue at this point, or is it more of a social issue in terms of changing behaviour patterns, consumption, disposal, etc.?

The people factor is very important. First of all you have to educate people, especially in schools as the kids can educate and influence their parents. Parents will always want to behave well in front of their kids.

Also, we live in a world of advertising, and we need to have good advertising that makes these issues visible to people, and brings them home with the right messages.

People are not stupid and you have to have good explanations why something is happening. In Germany, when we first introduced separate collection, we had people going door to door to explain the new system. We refined the approach area by area as we moved on, and we had good results with the bags of recyclables collected. These sorts of things can be done and mentalities need to be changed. what are some successful tactics used in Europe to educate the general public on things like recycling and waste separation, and to overcome apathy or bad habits?

Advertising. Singapore is very good with advertising. You’ve had good campaigns on crime and other issues. Slogans and mascots like the ones used for the Youth Olympics are methods that can be used for recycling campaigns as well.

KNOwlEDgE & CApACitY builDiNg Some countries have challenged that the legislation, Eu waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive, only gives European countries the impetus to export their electronic waste (e-waste) problems t o d e ve l o p i n g co u n t r i e s , w h e re t h e infrastructure and legislation do not exist to adequately handle the re-processing. Do you think the criticism is justified, and, if so, what do you think could be done to tighten the legislation to avoid this export loophole?

In the waste business, there is always a high potential for crime. Many countries experience dif ficulties with mafia and organised crime because with waste, money can be made with little effort, especially with hazardous waste. You see that with e-waste some organisations who are paid to handle the problem merely dump it somewhere else. This is criminal. The legislation is there, but the enforcement is the issue. It’s so difficult with all the ships and volumes of containers; it is impossible to control. There are so many ways to smuggle a container of e-waste and people will try to use loopholes in the system. But these activities comprise only a small amount of waste; by far the majority is recovered. is it true that Automatic Sorting by Sensor Array Detection waste systems for sorting refu se a re p ro b le matic a nd p ro ne to breakdowns? if so, what must be done to maintain a high standard of operational performance?

Many of these systems are still in fullscale tests, and there is a lot of room for improvement. The system works very well especially when it comes to separating Tetra-Paks, which are quite valuable for their aluminium lining. With some of the other materials such as plastics, mechanical pre-sorting before running them through the machines may improve performance.

The Singapore Environment Institute (SEI) — a division of NE A — has been providing plat forms for the sharing of knowledge, expertise and best practices in the environment sector since its inauguration in 2003. One of its multiple disciplines includes the Professional Sharing Series (PSS).

Launched in February 2004, PSS aims to promote dynamic exchanges of insights between NEA and industry players. SEI periodically invites experts and professionals in their respective fields to speak on an array of topics ranging from emerging environmental technologies, core management approaches, and sustainable environmental practices, to creating environmental awareness.

If you are interested in attending a PSS session or finding out more about other training programmes offered by SEI, visit http://www.nea.gov.sg/cms/sei/.

45

What you need to know • Worldwide refuse production is on the rise, taxing not only basic resources for industries, but also destroying natural habitats and biodiversity.

• The focus should shift towards better utilisation and recycling of materials versus viewing them as waste.

• Businesses and industries are realising that tapping waste streams can be profitable as commodity prices increase.

They can include everyday items such as paper, plastic and metal.

• Acco rd i ng to Prof Ste g ma n n, th e hierarchy to follow with waste is firstly to reduce, followed by recycle, recover, and finally, dispose.

• In European markets, policies have shifted such that producers bear greater responsibility for waste generated.

• Prof Stegmann advocates that the best solution to managing waste is to minimise its creation in the first place. This can be done through better product and packaging design.

• A technology making its recent debut is Subsurface Vacuum containers that can be isolated for different materials.

Pu b lic sq ua res o r livi ng q ua r ters might have these installed for various recyclable and residual waste materials.

• Separating material types is essential to ensure viable recycling.

Contamination of materials needs to be avoided so that the value of recycled waste is not diminished.

• I n G e r m a n y, r e s i d e n t i a l r e f u s e separation is achieved through separate collection bins for paper, glass and metal. Hazardous substances and e-waste can be dropped off for special recovery at waste community centres, usually sited near shopping centres.

• Automatic Sorting by Sensor Array Detection machines are currently in large-scale industrial trials.

• Biomass from raw food commodities can be processed using Sugar Biochemical Platforms to generate new fuels, chemicals and materials.

• Anaerobic digesters can be used on a variet y of substrates from food production to produce high quality gas and compost from leftovers.

• In the urban context of Singapore, decentralising waste management might seem counter-intuitive with the country’s advanced infrastructure.

• Overseas case studies as well as research at R3C, NTU, are exploring the possibility of managing both solid and liquid waste within individual sites.

• Zero waste may be a target we cannot reach in the near future but we should aim for it anyway with the many tools at our disposal.

46

KNOwlEDgE & CApACitY builDiNg

A diAlogue session with one of the key minds behind the singApore river cleAn-up pArt of the environmentAl pioneer series

Successfully spearheading the Singapore River and Kallang Basin clean-up, Mr Lee Ek Tieng earned the Distinguished Service Order in 2000 for his sterling contributions

THE BRIEF Si n g a p o re ’s ea r l y environmental pioneer, Lee Ek Tieng, accomplished the dual tasks of cleaning up the Singapore River and securing our fresh city air with immaculate precision. But his career was not just defined by the river. Find out what he thinks of the state of Singapore’s environment and the future of the civil service.

to the country. Previously, he was conferred the Meritorious Service Award (1984) for his work in pollution control and environmental health and the Clean Rivers Commemorative Gold Medal from the Prime Minister (1987) for completing the national project to clean up the Singapore River and its environment.

The former top civil servant was head of the Anti-Pollution Unit in the Prime Minister’s Office, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment and Head of the Civil Service.

Recently, he retired from the Government Investment Corporation.

In an exclusive interview, he shares his experiences and views on Singapore’s environmental transformation, and addresses how the nation’s leadership position can be maintained.

As a winner of multiple public service awards, what would you describe as the defining moments of your life?

People often think of the cleaning of the Singapore River as a big achievement, but starting as early as 1971 with the Anti-Pollution Unit, Mr Lee Kuan Yew foresaw the need for air pollution control. We engaged the services of an Australian consultant, Graham Cleary, who worked with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to put together preventive measures. In those days, air pollution was attributed to black smoke from motor vehicles, factory boilers, refineries and saw mills. We laid the groundwork for early prevention and control of pollution from small factories to bigger manufacturing companies like oil refineries and petrochemical factories. Today, if you compare Singapore with cities in China and Hong Kong, I can say we have managed to control the air pollution levels very well. We have made it mandatory for all cars to comply with European emissions standards. This means no lead, and low oxides of nitrogen and diesel fume emissions. We have also made it a point to check emissions of trucks and taxis on a regular basis. when you were handed the responsibility of the Singapore river and Kallang basin clean-up, what were your initial thoughts? Did it seem an impossible feat at that time?

Mr Lee wanted a cleaned-up environment in 10 years. It came as a surprise, but our chaps felt that from a technical point of view it could be done.

What concerned us more was the social and political dimension. How are you going to clear squatters and bumboats? How are you going to clear street hawkers and motor vehicle repair workshops? Technically,

KNOwlEDgE & CApACitY builDiNg

there were solutions, but we were unsure whether the government had the political will to get it done. we understand that relocating settlements was one of the most challenging obstacles you had to face during the early crackdown on pollution sources. how did you balance the very human reality people faced during this time with larger national priorities?

It was a straight for ward solution. The way th e g over n m ent a p p ro a ch e d t h e whole thing was to set down policies and objectives, but it didn’t evict anyone from their squatter huts or from the streets. It always gave an alternative. For instance, it built hawker centres to house food hawkers.

You must think of the era in the 1960s and 1970s — people were happy to move out of slums and into new HDB flats which had proper infrastructure, sanitation, garbage collection and water.

The secret of success was providing people with that alternative. For example, one of the things we did in the early days was to register all street hawkers. Everyone else who came after that was considered illegal. Once they were licensed, they were eligible to move into hawker centres. The engineering challenge was just to build the infrastructure fast enough to keep up with policy demands.

There were people who resisted change, especially those who had really good

business at street corners. They felt moving even a few hundred yards could be bad for business. As civil servants, we didn’t get too involved in the political dimension. The politicians, such as the respective Members of Parliament, were all quite positive and helpful in assisting us. That left us to get on with our work. how do you think that has changed today?

Many Singaporeans now have computers and express their views openly. Back in those days, there were no such things.

People were grateful for new homes and infrastructure and to get on with life and move up socially. w h e n i t c a m e t o c h a n g i n g p e o p l e ’s behaviour in relation to pollution, what do you think were the most effective means to curb negative behaviour?

T h e re we re t wo a s p e c t s . F i r s t l y, we provided the infrastructure. With factories, we told them that the waste water must be sent to the sewer. With domestic premises, we p rov i d e d s a n i t a t i o n a n d g a r b a g e removal. We had campaigns to educate people on keeping Singapore clean and green, and on health education. Secondly, we provided alternatives to bad behaviour: fines and court for those who choose not to comply. In the last 30 to 40 years, our lit tering problem has improved vastly.

There will always be a small minorit y

47

that doesn’t abide by the laws but it is a continuous education process.

From a technical point of view, what do you think were the key technologies or infrastructural improvements that enabled this clean-up?

You are asking a theoretical question.

We had to deal with what we had back then within Singapore. We awarded local co nt r a c to rs co nt r a c t s t h ro u g h p ro p er tender systems for construction works, and the system proved successful. We seldom appointed consultants and experts.

We knew what the objectives were, the solution, and the desired outcomes. We just did basic engineering work.

So you feel it’s often better to rely on local expertise and simple solutions?

External advisors don’t always understand the local context and environment. We did have some experts who helped us identify sources of pollution and some possibilities of what could be done. For example, we hired an Australian air pollution consultant to take a basic inventory of air pollution sources in Jurong industrial estate, after which we followed up and implemented the solutions.

Landed properties in those days were also designated with specific washing areas that linked directly to the sewer. You don’t need high technology.

48

KNOwlEDgE & CApACitY builDiNg what were the engineering constraints you faced with the project, and what sort of techniques did you use to meet them?

We made do with what we had. For example, when laying sewers, we always used local labour and locally available timber sections for shoring deep sewer trenches. In advanced countries, steel sheet piles were used. But they were and still are very expensive. We also used bakau piles for foundations instead of concrete piles. This timber originates from mangrove swamps in Indonesia and lasts a long time in moist conditions in the ground.

1

when investigating environmental solutions, were there international case studies or other cities you looked at to model the improvements for Singapore?

When I was working towards air pollution co nt ro l s o l u t i o n s , I w a s s e nt to N ew Zealand and Australia for training. For waste water treatment, I went to Chicago, California, the U K , and Germany. This w a s b a ck a ro u n d 19 6 9, a n d we we re also looking into advanced waste water treatment technology. In the US, they were experimenting with ion exchange and reverse osmosis processes. We are using them today. what were the major barriers to adopting such technologies at that time?

Don’t forget technology cost s money.

Reverse osmosis, when we first setup our experimental plant in Jurong in 1974, worked out to cost about S$7 to S$8 per 1,000 gallons of water. It was uneconomical. But since then the membranes have improved.

Less pressure is needed to push water through it now, so less energy is required, which in turn brings down the overall costs of producing clean water through recycling.

As Chairman of the public utilities board from 1978 to 2000, how do you feel Singapore has progressed over the decades in its bid to secure vital resources like clean water and clean air?

When you think about it purely as essential commodities for life, water and air quality had gradual and progressive improvements.

Technology improved, recycling costs came down, but conventional water treatment is still expensive.

2

1. Tugboats docked along the riverbank, circa 1980s 2. Bumboats docked along the banks of the Singapore River

What’s big now is recycling. We don’t need more big dams. The great thing about membrane technology is that the land footprint for a NEWater plant is very small.

To build a conventional water treatment plant that handles millions of litres of water a day occupies a much larger track

KNOwlEDgE & CApACitY builDiNg

49

Singapore River today with Fullerton Hotel in the background

of l a n d . T h u s , m e m b r a n e te c h n o l o g y makes much more sense in the context of land-scarce Singapore.

Numerous technical innovations have become available in recent years in monitoring and environmental m a n a g e m e n t . N E A i s e x p l o r i n g n ew systems that leverage on technology to help streamline and consolidate the nationwide approach to environmental management. Do you have any thoughts on how new technology might be used?

Let me put it this way: These systems do not solve all the problems. No matter how sophisticated the alarms, you still have to deal with the original problem. In the US, with Hurricane Irene recently, the forecast could only be so good as to advise people to move out of the area. They could not prevent any flooding. In the case of Singapore, it is well and good to have this monitoring system for public relations purposes, say to warn people ahead of a storm and identify potential flooding areas.

The solution to a storm is still in dealing with the storm water. In a practical sense, you need to look at how reliable technology is — systems can still fail. Technology can be useful but not replace the need for improving infrastructure. if it’s not technology for technology sake, what can we fall back on?

B u i l d b e t t e r i n f r a s t r u c t u r e . To b e a developed city, the ability to maintain the

system is the most important thing. With sanitation, sewers more than 30 or 50 years old are relined by PUB rather than dug up.

Before this technology was developed, it was costly to dig up and replace sewers.

Now you can extend the life of sewerage infrastructure by another 50 years with minimal disruption. the Singapore government has been fairly proactive in terms of educating the public on the environment. Do you have any thoughts on these programmes, or how they could be further refined or expanded?

Education is a continuous process. It doesn’t take effect overnight. Just like making NEWater drinkable, you have to do it in stages. Our littering problem has improved, and the smoking problem as well. Hardly anyone smokes in enclosed air-conditioned b u i l d i n gs a ny m o re. El i m i nat i n g t h e s e problems completely is idealistic but we have to constantly work at it. what do you think are the threats to Singapore’s environmental sustainability in the long run? Do you think threats like climate change will affect the geography, environment and infrastructure?

You have touched a very political topic.

I’m agnostic about climate change. The assumptions are now that climate change is man-made. There are other schools of thought that explore natural cycles in climate. I’m not saying that human activities don’t contribute to it with the abundant use of fossil fuels, but compared to energy

given off by a solar flare, or materials given off by volcanic eruption — it puts the issue in perspective. There are many natural phenomena beyond our control.

Can we do anything about it? Not really.

We are a small countr y. There may be data to show that there is, say, a sea-level rise... but this might be caused by natural geophysical phenomena. We could probably do something about it, but take for example the Maldives when the tsunami struck — parts were inundated with water, but the people came back and continued their lives. in general, are there lessons you could share from your experience in changing public perceptions and behaviours relating to environment and natural resources like water? how could civil servants today co nt i n u e to a d v a n ce t h e ca u s e s yo u started back in the early days?

I come from a civil engineering background and many people today might not agree with my views. Being a Permanent Secretary and an engineer, I had the responsibility to get things done. I mobilised people, delegated, and chose the right people whom I could rely on, and empowered them to do the job. The most important thing in management I’ve learned is to delegate and people must learn to accept responsibility. If you are given a job and you accept the responsibility, then I don’t have to second guess what you’re doing or why you’re doing it.

50

KNOwlEDgE & CApACitY builDiNg

Recent environmental news and events in Singapore

22 April 2011

Youth for the Environment Day

Youth for the Environment Day made its debut on 22 April 2011 — Earth Day. Launched by National Environment Agency (NEA) and supported by the Ministry of Education (MOE), the annual event encourages youths to take ownership of the environment by safeguarding, nurturing and cherishing it for future generations. It will be part of MOE’s National Education calendar for local schools.

In conjunction with this year’s event, more than 130 primary and secondary schools, junior colleges and ITEs organised environmentrelated activities to promote energy efficiency, recycling, nature appreciation and litter-free surroundings. More schools are expected to join in next year.

There were 11 recipients (across five categories) who received the EcoFriend award from NEA for their contributions to the environment.

They were selected from a pool of over 300 nominees.

1

April 2011 10 may 2011

MOU Signed With UK Met Office

The stage has been set for NEA to further boost its climate change research capabilities through an official MOU signed with the UK Met Office. NEA’s Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) will work with the UK Met Office Hadley Centre, a leading centre for climate prediction, to expand its current programme on climate science and lay the groundwork for the establishment of a centre for climate research.

2

This collaboration will enable MSS to produce reliable projections of Singapore’s rainfall, temperature, wind and sea levels for different time scales up to year 2100. These projections will augment NEA’s Vulnerability Studies to determine the impact of climate change on Singapore’s urban weather, water resources and coastal areas.

KNOwlEDgE & CApACitY builDiNg

51

24-25 may 2011

Energy Efficiency National Partnership (EENP) Awards

To recognise companies in the manufacturing sector for their efforts in implementing programmes to reduce energy wastage and improve energy efficiency, the Energy Efficiency National Partnership (EENP) Awards Ceremony was held in conjunction with the National Energy Efficiency Conference (NEEC) 2011. The EENP Awards aims to foster a culture of sustained energy efficiency improvement and encourage companies to adopt a more proactive approach towards energy management by profiling positive examples for emulation. The recipients of the EENP Awards, which were presented by the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, were: Excellence in Energy management Category

1.

2.

Pfizer Asia Pacific Pte Ltd Glaxo Wellcome Manufacturing Pte Ltd

best practices Category

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Ascendas Land (S) Pte Ltd City Developments Limited Eastman Chemicals Singapore Pte Ltd MSD International GmbH Pfizer Asia Pacific Pte Ltd

best practices Category (honourable mention)

1.

2.

Eagle Services Asia Pte Ltd Glaxo Wellcome Manufacturing Pte Ltd

Outstanding Energy managers of the Year Category

Mr Yeo Yee Pang, Engineering Manager, Glaxo Wellcome Manufacturing Pte Ltd

3

In recognition of its efforts, the Ministry of Manpower was presented with the “best public Sector Agency in Energy management� commendation. It recognises an outstanding public sector agency that has demonstrated exemplary performance and commitment to energy management efforts and has been proactive in implementing energy efficiency improvements.

May 2011 24-25 may 2011

Inaugural National Energy Efficiency Conference (NEEC) & Energy Efficiency National Partnership (EENP) Awards Ceremony 2011

NEA, in partnership with the Economic Development Board and Energy Market Authority, organised the inaugural National Energy Efficiency Conference to bring together energy efficiency experts and industry energy professionals to share best practices and case studies. The conference was held on 24 and 25 May 2011.

It comprised three plenary sessions focusing on industrial energy efficiency policies and programmes, energy management systems and high impact energy efficiency retrofits. Separate tracks on energy efficiency opportunities in industrial systems, high-performance facilities, energy management information solutions and energy efficiency benchmarking were held to cater to specific target groups.

More information on the conference and presentation slides can be found at www.neec2011.sg.

52

KNOwlEDgE & CApACitY builDiNg

15 June 2011

ASEAN Dengue Day

15 June 2011 was officially designated by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as ASEAN Dengue Day — an annual campaign day to advocate dengue prevention and control.

The theme for the inaugural ASEAN Dengue Day was “Dengue is everybody’s concern, causing socio-economic burden, but it is preventable.”

A ceremony to observe ASEAN Dengue Day was held at the Biopolis, with Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, and Dr Shin Young-soo, the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for the Western Pacific, gracing the occasion.

To mark the significance of the day, the Environmental Health Institute (EHI) was officially inaugurated as a WHO Collaborating Centre for the Reference and Research of Arbovirus and their Associated Vectors.

In his address, the Minister noted that the designation by the WHO demonstrates its appreciation of EHI as a value partner and takes the partnership to a higher level, and urged EHI to forge closer links with other institutions so that working together, the region as a whole would be better prepared to tackle arboviral disease.

Dr Shin reiterated that dengue cannot be fought merely at the level of a health response as it is also an environmental problem, and this requires everyone, from households to national governments to work together to eliminate mosquitoes.

Apart from the inauguration ceremony, NEA also organised a series of community road shows to create public awareness and reinforce the key message of personal responsibility. NEA and the Ministry of Health also co-organised a dengue symposium titled Tackling The Dengue Challenge.

1 July 2011

3R programme to improve waste management and recycling rate in the hotel industry

To improve waste management in the hotel industry, the Singapore Hotel Association (SHA) and National Environment Agency (NEA) jointly launched the “3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) Programme for Hotels”, in conjunction with the Singapore Green Hotel Award 2011.

This initiative aims to help hotels achieve better waste management and increase waste recycling rates. This is part of ongoing outreach efforts to encourage different industry sectors to play their part to recycle and contribute towards the recycling rate target of 70% by 2030. Currently, it is estimated that hotels in Singapore produce about 60,000 tonnes of solid waste a year and less than 10% of the waste is being recycled.

The 3R programme, a voluntary commitment by hotels, will require the hotel partners to set up a system to reduce solid waste, which entails the formation of a committee. The green committee will conduct waste audits, set waste reduction and recycling goals, and review existing practices. The NEA will provide training to the committee so that they are equipped with relevant knowledge and skills to develop their 3R plans.

At the event, Senior Minister of State for Ministry of the Environment Ms Grace Fu presented the Singapore Green Hotel Award to Mr Thomas Schmitt-Glaeser, Resident Manager and Mr Edwin, Engineering Manager of Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore.

June 2011

July 2011

Photograph courtesy of Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore

KNOwlEDgE & CApACitY builDiNg

5 July 2011

Waste Management Symposium 2011

On 5 July 2011, 220 delegates congregated at Marina Mandarin Singapore for the annual Waste Management Symposium.

They comprised environmental experts, representatives of regulatory institutions and private industry professionals.

The event, jointly organised by the Waste Management & Recycling Association of Singapore (WMRAS) and NEA, provided insights into the opportunities and trends for the waste management market in Singapore as well as the region.

Two Memorandums of Understanding were signed during the Symposium. The first was between WMRAS and Harry Elias Partnership LLP, and the second was between WMRAS and the Singapore Business Federation.

WasteMET Asia, an inaugural conference and exhibition for Asia’s solid waste management and environmental technology industries, was announced at the Symposium. It is a partner event to the CleanEnviro Summit Singapore, an international event organised by NEA and slated to take place in July 2012, alongside the World Cities Summit and Singapore International Water Week.

2012 — Our Milestone Year

CELEBRATING

10

YEARS OF NEA

To commemorate NEA’s 10-year journey in keeping Singapore clean and green, NEA will embark on a yearlong celebration to pay tribute to the collective efforts rendered by our staff, partners and the community that has helped provide a quality living environment for all to enjoy. The year-long celebration in 2012 will include an array of engaging activities including Staff Appreciation Day, Youth Environment Day (YED) and an NEA 10th Anniversary Exhibition which showcases NEA’s commitment to the environment. NEA will also be doing its part in giving back to the society through various fundraising events such as a Charity Dinner and Charity Run. Stay tuned for more announcements on upcoming happenings!

53

54

KNOwlEDgE & CApACitY builDiNg

The Change to Euro 5 REgulaToRy uPdaTEs on EnvIRonMEnTal and PolIcy MaTTERs

the Switch from Euro 4 to Euro 5 Emissions Standards

We are all too familiar with the haze that envelops Singapore from time to time. For some, the ashy smog goes only so far as to cause some breathing discomfort. For others, it can be detrimental to health.

The culprit? Minute particulate matter, some of it with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 2.5 μm (PM 2.5) — 1/20 the size of a human hair strand.

health hazards

Measurements: μ (micro) = 10-6 (one millionth) μm = micrometre μg/m3 = micrograms per cubic metre ppm = parts per million

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), short-term exposure to particulate matter from air pollution contributes to acute cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Over the long term, prolonged exposure can reduce life expectancy by a few years. PM 2.5, in particular, leads to an increased risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack), cerebrovascular accident (stroke), arrhythmia (inconsistent heart rate), and heart failure exacerbation within hours to days of exposure in susceptible individuals. It can also cause decreased lung function, and the development of chronic bronchitis.

Although the annual haze hazard from forest-burning is a contributor, much of Singapore’s PM 2.5 air pollution comes from local sources. They include diesel vehicle emissions, industrial activities, wind-blown dust and sea salts.

the implementation plan Each pm 2.5 particle is less than 1/20 of a hair’s thickness.

human hair

In a bid to improve existing air quality standards in Singapore, NEA has drawn up a set of blueprints which will progressively see the country switch from Euro 4 to Euro 5 emission standards. The following implementation plan to convert diesel vehicles to Euro 5 has since been approved: •

Emission standards for diesel vehicles will be revised to Euro 5 from 1 January 2014

•

Near Sulphur-free Diesel (NSFD) — diesel fuel with sulphur content less than 10 ppm — will be mandated from 1 July 2013 to pave the way for the implementation of Euro 5

KNOwlEDgE & CApACitY builDiNg

55

Euro 5 technology

Did you know ?

Euro 5 diesel vehicles emit 80 per cent less particulates than Euro 4 diesel vehicles.

Cleaner air out

Exhaust in

Arguments for the implementation

Soot and ash are trapped on the channel walls

Formed in 2008, the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Sustainable Development (IMCSD) developed a national framework alongside key strategies for Singapore’s sustainable development. One of the targets for clean air was to reduce PM 2.5 levels in ambient air to 12 μg/m3 by 2020. Singapore’s annual average of 17 µg/m³ still exceeds the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (USEPA) standard of 15 µg/m³ — 14 years since it was adopted by the US. A 2006 study commissioned by NEA estimated that for every µg/m³ increase in PM 2.5, the economic cost on the health of Singaporeans is about US$19 million per year.

On 1 October 2006, Euro 4 emissions standards were implemented for diesel vehicles to reduce PM 2.5 levels in order to meet the USEPA standard of 15 µg/m³. However, emissions standards need to be further tightened for the government to achieve its target of 12 µg/m³ by 2020, as mapped out in the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint. Studies have proven that Euro 5 diesel vehicles emit 80 per cent less particulates than Euro 4 diesel vehicles.

Key Considerations

Availability of diesel vehicle models that conform to Euro 5 The local motor industry needs time to negotiate with their overseas principals on the allocation of vehicles at the required emissions standards, clear existing stock of commercial vehicles, and train maintenance personnel. European vehicles would be able to comply by early 2012 while Japanese models, in 2014.

Availability of NSFD Euro 5 diesel vehicles require higher quality diesel. NSFD is necessary for the fuel injectors and after-treatment devices to function properly.

Oil companies, as a group, have all agreed to supply NSFD by 2014.

Development in international practice Key automotive manufacturing countries and regions — which include the EU, US and Japan — are currently on Euro 5 or Euro 5-equivalent standards for vehicles. South Korea is following the EU schedule to implement Euro 5. Hong Kong will adopt Euro 5 once there is a sufficient supply of Euro 5-compliant vehicle models.

Diesel particulate Filter Exhaust Flow There are a few technologies that have been implemented in Euro 5-practising countries to help vehicles comply with new emissions standards. One of the prototypes widely used at the moment is the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF). Here are some interesting facts about it:

1.

DPFs reduce PM emissions by more than 90 per cent

2. DPFs need to be regenerated periodically to burn off trapped PM to ensure that the engine continues to function as specified

3. Regeneration results in ash accumulation which over time

creates a resultant back pressure that affects engine performance. When that happens, they need to be cleaned or changed completely

Exhaust Gas Recirculation

Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) is another Euro 5 technology that has been adopted in most Euro 5-compliant heavy vehicles.

EGR functions by re-circulating part of the engine’s exhaust gas to some of the excess oxygen in the pre-combustion mixture.

EGR lowers combustion chamber temperatures which in turn reduces the amount of nitrogen oxide (NOx) produced. NOx is a smog-causing pollutant responsible for acid rain and is itself a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming.

Selective Catalytic Reduction

Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) can be said to be a step ahead of EGR with its ability to deliver near-zero emissions of NOx. In SCR technology, automotive-grade urea, also known as Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) is injected into a high temperature exhaust stack where it interacts with exhaust gases to break NOx into two

benign components: water vapour and nitrogen.

Innovative Clean Enviro-Solutions for Asia’s Growing Cities 1 – 4 July 2012 | Sands Expo and Convention Center | marina bay Sands | Singapore The inaugural CleanEnviro Summit Singapore (CESS) is a global platform for leaders, senior government officials and policy makers, regulators and industry captains to identify, develop and share practical solutions to address environmental challenges for tomorrow’s cities. Organised by Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA), CESS will facilitate the sharing of insights on the latest environmental market trends through its plenary sessions and business forums.

A myriad of activities that visitors can expect include the Clean Environment Leaders Summit, Clean Environment Regulators Roundtable and WasteMET Asia exhibition and conference that showcase the latest innovations in waste management, environmental technology and recycling solutions for Asia.

Online registration will open in February 2012.

who Should Attend

Enquiries

·

Ministers, Governors and Mayors

For more information, visit www.cleanenvirosummit.sg

·

Policy makers and Regulators

and www.wastemetasia.sg.

·

Heads and Senior Officials from International Organisations

·

CEOs, Business Strategists and Industry Leaders

·

Technical Experts and Practitioners

·

Academia

Organised by:

Strategic partners:

Supported by:

Knowledge Partner:

Partner event:

Enquiries: james.boey@singex.com.sg

Co-located events:

Managed by:

For more on Singapore: