S$8m fund to encourage companies to reduce, reuse, recycle

Pearl Forss, Channel NewsAsia 9 Feb 09;

SINGAPORE: The amount of solid waste has been increasing in Singapore. So an S$8 million 3R Fund has been set up to get companies to reduce, reuse and recycle. The 3R Fund will co-fund projects up to 80 per cent, subject to a S$1 million cap.

To get households to recycle more, the National Environment Agency (NEA) will make it compulsory for all condominium and private apartments to provide recycling bins on their premises by the end of this year.

Since 2007, Public Waste Collectors have provided 1,600 centralised recycling bins in the common areas of HDB estates. This works out to a set of bins for every five blocks of HDB flats, though some members of the public have complained that they cannot find these bins.

However, the government said it does not plan to make recycling compulsory in the near future as this will raise business costs, an effect that it wants to avoid in the current economic climate.

Nonetheless, in the longer term, legislation is something the government is considering.

In the meantime, to help recycling businesses tide through the economic crisis, it will give recycling companies located at the Sarimbun Recycling Park a 15 per cent monthly rental rebate from January to December this year. This is a move that will translate into savings of S$187,000 for these businesses.

Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, said: "The prudent use of natural resources is particularly pertinent during this period of economic uncertainty.

"By continuing to take a long-term view and sustaining investments in resource efficiency, our economy and companies can emerge from the economic crisis with leaner cost structures, higher productivity and greater competitiveness."

So the government is offering generous subsidies to promote efficient resource use.

For example, businesses can seek subsidies for the retrofitting costs involved in switching to NEWater, while Small and Medium Enterprises can receive co-funding of up to 80 per cent for water efficiency projects.

For commercial buildings, the government will co-fund half the cost of an energy audit.

The savings after an audit can be substantial. For example, the Manpower Ministry is saving about S$150,000 in utilities bills annually after retrofitting its air-conditioning system.

By March 2010, all government buildings with more than 15,000 square metres of air-conditioned floor area will have to undergo such audits.

So far, 12 out of 48 government buildings have done this, achieving S$3 million in savings annually.

To encourage consumers to be similarly resource efficient, retailers will not be allowed to sell air-conditioners and refrigerators that do not meet Minimum Energy Performance Standards by 2011.

Currently about 20 per cent of retailers' stocks comprise such items, but many retailers said they do not expect this to be a problem as they have been importing energy-efficient models in line with market demand.

Ching Khim Huat, deputy director, Corporate Development, Daikin Air-Conditioning Singapore, said: "We are seeing a lot of consumers actually choosing energy-efficient models, which are the inverter models. Easily we see 60 per cent of our sales are made up of the inverter models."

To encourage efficient resource use on roads, the government will also introduce the mandatory fuel economy labelling scheme for passenger cars from April to help car buyers choose more fuel-efficient vehicles.

In addition, the Green Vehicle Rebate will also be extended by another two years till December 2011. Since the rebate was introduced in 2001, the number of green vehicles has increased from about 200 to more than 5,400 at the end of 2008.

Mr Yaacob said that while the number of green cars here is still low, they make up about one per cent of the total car population, a figure which is comparable to countries such as UK and the US. - CNA/vm

Government introduces $8m recycling fund
Spread over 2 years, it will co-fund up to 80% of projects
Jamie Lee, Business Times 10 Feb 09;

BUSINESSES looking to invest in recycling can tap a new $8 million government fund, the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) said yesterday.

The fund, to be spread over two years from April 2009, will co-fund up to 80 per cent of the cost of waste management projects, capped at $1 million.

Grant sizes will depend on the type and amount of waste reduced or recycled.

Examples of projects include waste sorting systems such as bringing in separate bins for recyclable materials, and process changes to reduce waste during production, such as re-designing packaging or products.

But with the economic slump, there is no push to make recycling compulsory at present.

'We are aware that some developed countries have used legislation to mandate recycling,' Environment and Water Resources Minister Yaacob Ibrahim told Parliament. 'In view of the current economic downturn, we are not looking at introducing legislation in the near future, as it would likely increase costs for businesses and households.'

But the government will look at legislation over the longer term to improve Singapore's recycling rate and will review the cost impact of waste management measures, he said.

MEWR will also give a 15 per cent monthly rebate to recycling companies at the Sarimbun Recycling Park this year to help tide them over the downturn.

On water efficiency, several applications have been approved under a scheme launched last year to help fund projects that reduce consumption.

The Public Utilities Board increased the co-fund cap for small-and-medium enterprises to 80 per cent from 50 per cent in December 2008 and is working with Spring Singapore to promote the fund.

The government will also rule out the least-efficient air-conditioners and refrigerators by 2011 under its new minimum energy performance standards.

These models will fall between the one-tick and two-tick range defined under the mandatory energy labelling scheme (MELS).

The National Environment Agency (NEA) said that the move would affect less than 20 per cent of existing appliance models.

NEA has also extended its waiver on registration fees for air-conditioners and refrigerators under MELS for a year, and has removed registration fees for clothes dryers under MELS.

MEWR also said that 12 out of 48 government buildings have completed and implemented energy audits, saving a total of $3 million a year.

The ministry also provided an update on dengue cases. In 2008, there was a 20 per cent drop in reported cases to just over 7,000, from about 8,800 in 2007.

$8 million for 3Rs
Today Online 9 Feb 09;

THE Government is launching an $8 million 3R Fund to get companies to reduce, reuse and recycle. It will co-fund projects up to 80 per cent, subject to a $1 million cap per project.

In addition, recycling companies located at Sarimbun Recycling Park will enjoy a 15-per-cent rebate on rent this year,Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, told MPs who wanted to know whether there could be incentives for recyclers.

Nominated MP Edwin Khew pointed out that segregation of waste at source needs to improve especially “food waste from recyclables as food waste contaminates recyclables, rendering them non-recyclable”.

The minister agreed, saying that the National Environment Agency has received several preliminary proposals from its industry consultations. “These include the separate collection and recycling of food and garden waste, glass and batteries,” he said.

While some developed countries have used legislation to mandate recycling,Dr Yaacob said his ministry will not be adopting this tack for now “as it would likely increase costs for businesses and households”.

“However, in the longer term, we will study the use of legislation to further improve our recycling rate. We will also review our gate fee regularly, taking into consideration the need to appropriately price our waste disposal operations and the cost impact on businesses and households.” ESTHER NG

22 government buildings get energy efficient
Neo Chai Chin, Today Online 10 Feb 09;
THE Ministry of Manpower (MOM) last year put in place measures that trim annual energy costs by about $150,000 in its premises.

It was the first public building to do so under the Guaranteed Energy Savings Performance (GESP) contract, which assures savings over five years. MOM’s project consultant and guarantor, Chesterton International Property, guaranteed energy savings of at least 20 per cent.

For instance, MOM replaced its 20-year-old air conditioning system with a new $2.5 million system that employs smaller chillers to cater to the building’s off-peak hours.

The GESP, announced in 2006, is part of the Government’s efforts to lead the way in energy efficiency. All large public buildings must do energy audits by March next year. So far, 22 of the 48 have become energy efficient, or are in the process of doing so. Five are undergoing audits, and the rest will do so by this year.

While a scheme similar to the GESP exists in the private sector,Mr Foong estimates three in four private-sector buildings are not energy efficient. Which is where the National Environment Agency’s (NEA) co-funding schemes come in.

In Parliament yesterday, Minister for the Environment, Water and Resources Yaacob Ibrahim noted how, to train building managers, NEA launched the Singapore Certified Energy Manager Training Grant last September; 82 applicants are now in training.

The Energy Efficiency Improvement Assistance Scheme, which co-funds energy audits, drew 121 applications, which will cost NEA $3.22 million but result in savings of about $30 million a year.

$8m fund to spur recycling
Straits Times 10 Feb 09;

THE National Environment Agency (NEA) yesterday launched an $8 million fund to encourage companies to get into the habit of cutting back on waste and recycling.

The Reduce, Reuse and Recycle - or 3R - Fund will co-fund eligible projects for up to 80 per cent of the costs over a period of two years. It will have a cap of $1 million per project.

Any local organisation, including companies, schools, town councils and industry associations, can apply for the fund, an NEA spokesman said.

'They need to show relevant costs and benefits, such as the tonnage of waste recycled,' he said.

The percentage of funding will be higher for projects involving waste that has low recycling rates - such as food and plastic waste - and hence are more difficult to segregate.

News of the fund came when Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Yaacob Ibrahim responded to Mr Charles Chong (Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC), who asked about the progress of recycling efforts.

Dr Yaacob said Singapore's recycling rate has improved steadily from 40 per cent in 2000 to 56 per cent last year and is on track to meet the Singapore Green Plan target of 60 per cent by 2012.

More households are also taking part in the National Recycling Programme.

Participation rate was just 15 per cent when the programme first started in 2001. But today, about 63 per cent of households recycle.

The amount of items in recycle bins also went up from 65kg per month in 2007 to 103kg last year.

While the results were 'encouraging', Dr Yaacob said it was an increasing challenge to sustain this progress as waste matter such as glass, food and plastic are not easy to separate and recycle.

Nominated MP Edwin Khew said during the debate on the budget estimates for the ministry that the low recycling rates of plastic, horticultural, glass and food waste meant that these categories had 'no chance' of reaching the Singapore Green Plan 2012 target.

He suggested, among other things, introducing legislation to mandate recycling.

But Dr Yaacob said that for now, Singapore will not follow other developed countries in introducing such legislation: 'In view of the current economic downturn, we are not looking to introduce legislation in the near future as it would likely increase the costs for businesses and households.'

But this stance will be studied in the longer term, he added.

AMRESH GUNASINGHAM

Efforts to save costs and resources stepped up
Channel NewsAsia 9 Feb 09;

SINGAPORE: Plans by the PUB to restructure used water charges into a single volumetric fee will be delayed. Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, said this in Parliament on Monday during debates on the expenditure for his ministry.

He said the revisions will be held off in light of the economic downturn and in recognition of the fact that the changes could add to the sense of uncertainty for households.

He added that to help needy households, PUB will spend S$600,000 to install water-saving devices in such households with above-average water consumption.

For non-domestic customers, Dr Yaacob said the PUB will increase the co-funding for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) involved in water efficiency projects carried out under the Water Efficiency Fund and help SMEs switch to using lower priced NEWater by helping to defray part of the retrofitting costs involved in making the change.

To conserve water, the water efficiency labelling of taps, dual-flush low capacity flushing cisterns (LCFCs) and urinals will be mandatory from July onwards.

All new developments and existing premises undergoing renovation must also have, from July onwards, taps and dual toilet flushing systems that have at least a "one-tick" water efficiency rating.

In terms of energy use, the National Environment Agency (NEA) will extend until 30 June 2010 its waiver on the registration fee that companies must undertake to offer energy efficient clothes dryers, air-conditioners and refrigerator models under the mandatory energy label (MELS).

The registration fees borne by companies offering vehicles under mandatory fuel economy labelling scheme, or FELS, will also be waived till 2010.

In the household sector, NEA will implement Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) for household air-conditioners and refrigerators by 2011 to remove the least efficient models from the market.

This will affect less than 20 per cent of existing appliance models and suppliers have a two-year lead time to clear existing stock and bring in new models.

- CNA/sf