Landfill diversion drivers abundant, says Singapore panel

Landfill diversion drivers abundant, says Singapore panel
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A panel of executives tied to Singapore’s environmental services sector convened at a virtual CleanEnviro Summit Singapore (CESG) Media Roundtable said collaboration, sharing and education are key drivers in changing the way waste will be handled in the region in the future.

Post-pandemic increased economic activity has yielded the question “What to do with all the waste we generate?” agreed members of the panel, which included Dalson Chung, managing director of CESG; Dr. Andrew Benedek, chair and CEO of Canada-based Anaergia Inc.; Lee Kok Kin, CEO of Singapore-based SembWaste; Professor Seeram Ramakrishna from the National University of Singapore; and moderator Jessica Cheam, founder and managing director of Singapore-based Eco-Business.

In Singapore, its only landfill, Semakau Landfill, will be full by 2035. Singapore has plans in place to reduce the waste it sends to the landfill by 30 percent before 2030, said Chung.

The problem is hardly unique to Singapore, and at the heart of the problem, said panelists, is what is known as the linear economy, in which resources are extracted, used and then disposed of. A circular economy, by contrast, focuses on reducing, reusing and recycling discarded materials.

“All societies and countries are in a catch-22 situation,” said Ramakrishna. “They need to rebound their economies in a post-pandemic world, but at the same time need to find a way to reduce solid waste generation and also improve recycling rates.”

The solution must come from a constellation of measures, including those that encourage manufacturers to produce less waste and consumers to use less, and more effective and accessible recycling and upcycling programs, according to panelists.

“Everyone who cares about sustainability understands that the only way to survive long-term is to make a virtuous cycle and begin to reuse and recycle the products we make,” said Benedek. He said this can be done through government incentives, regulations and disincentives, but unless there is something to drive change, it may not happen. “If you’re going to make progress, you need the carrot and the stick,” said Benedek.

“When governments support local industry in their drive for sustainability through the adoption of new technology, some of these can be brought to market more quickly,” said Chung. “The adoption of such technologies can be made mainstream due to benefits of incentives and cost savings.”

“Today, technologies are ready to convert solid waste into energy,” said Lee of SembWaste. Benedek said large parts of Europe currently use this technology to convert organic waste into biogas. With fuel costs rising, it is beginning to make more economic sense to do so in Asia, where this technology is less common.

There is also a role for more cutting-edge technology, Ramakrishna remarked. Techniques such as molecular labeling and blockchain can help governments enforce recycling directives as the “stick” part of their approach, he added.

“In the past, people were not paying attention to solid waste because most of the time it is out of sight,” said Ramakrishna. “But we have come to learn that there is a social cost, health cost and economic cost associated with solid waste.”

“If we don’t want to bear the brunt of that cost as a society, we must take responsibility for changing the way we produce and consume,” the professor continued. “Singapore has joined a growing movement of governments that are holding producers responsible through its extended producer responsibility (EPR) policy. But individual consumers also bear some responsibility to change their habits,” he added.

“I am optimistic about EPR for e-waste (or electrical and electronic waste),”, said Chung said. “The critical success factor is the behavioral change from our people.” Similarly, Lee remarked that educating people about recycling is a key step toward implementing a successful recycling program.

In the end, collaboration will drive change, panelists agreed. In March 2022, officials from 175 nations met at a conference in Nairobi to endorse a resolution to end plastic pollution, in much the same way nations have agreed to net-zero carbon production pledges, said the panel.

“This means there must be a lot of new thinking regarding solid waste management,” Ramakrishna said. “That’s why we need conferences like CESG, to share best practices and how to implement them.”]]>
Source: Recycling Today
Landfill diversion drivers abundant, says Singapore panel
<![CDATA[A panel of executives tied to Singapore’s environmental services sector convened at a virtual CleanEnviro Summit Singapore (CESG) Media Roundtable said collaboration, sharing and education are key drivers in changing the way waste will be handled in the region in the future.Post-pandemic increased economic activity has yielded the question “What to do with all the waste we generate?” agreed members of the panel, which included Dalson Chung, managing director of CESG; Dr. Andrew Benedek, chair and CEO of Canada-based Anaergia Inc.; Lee Kok Kin, CEO of Singapore-based SembWaste; Professor Seeram Ramakrishna from the National University of Singapore; and moderator Jessica Cheam, founder and managing director of Singapore-based Eco-Business.In Singapore, its only landfill, Semakau Landfill, will be full by 2035. Singapore has plans in place to reduce the waste it sends to the landfill by 30 percent before 2030, said Chung.The problem is hardly unique to Singapore, and at the heart of the problem, said panelists, is what is known as the linear economy, in which resources are extracted, used and then disposed of. A circular economy, by contrast, focuses on reducing, reusing and recycling discarded materials. “All societies and countries are in a catch-22 situation,” said Ramakrishna. “They need to…