Singapore Polytechnic (SP) and the Waste Management & Recycling Association of Singapore (WMRAS) will be working together to bring technological solutions to the waste industry, in a move that will help support the nation's zero waste goal.
Gwyneth Teo Channel NewsAsia 4 Jun 18;
SINGAPORE: Singapore Polytechnic (SP) and the Waste Management & Recycling Association of Singapore (WMRAS) will be working together to bring technological solutions to the waste industry, in a move that will help support the nation's zero waste goal.
The two organisations also agreed to work together to support workplace safety and health in the environmental services industry.
The collaboration will allow innovations being developed at SP to be tailored to the uses and needs of Singapore's waste industry and the wider economy as a whole.
At the signing of the memorandum of understanding on Monday (Jun 4), Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for Environment and Water Resources, noted that Singapore's only landfill will be completely filled in less than 20 years.
"For Singapore to achieve our visions of becoming a zero waste nation, we will have to adopt a circular economy model, where we minimise the waste generated and maximise the value and resources that we can extract from key waste streams," said Dr Khor.
For instance, the Advanced Materials Technology Centre (AMTC) in SP has developed solutions in solid waste recycling and resource recovery.
This includes projects such as the total conversion of incinerated ashes to foam glass, a 'green' chemical formulation for electronic waste recycling that yields higher amounts of precious metals in a short amount of time, and a process that recovers more than 90 per cent of material cost from recycling solar panels.
"Industry partners can leverage in the technology development strength of our technology centres and design-thinking infused approach to solving problems," said Mr Lim Peng Hun, Deputy Principal of Singapore Polytechnic.
In addition to these solutions, SP and WMRAS will also be starting a Chemical Management and Workplace Safety Programme to support worker safety and health.
Under this programme, small-and-medium enterprises and professionals will undergo a two-day workshop, during which they will learn how to reduce occupational diseases, injuries, and fatalities from potential exposure to hazardous chemicals.
The programme is expected to benefit 100 companies every year. The first workshop will take place later this year.
During the workshop, attendees will also receive training in new knowledge and skills in achieving a pollution-free and zero waste environment.
Source: CNA/ng(aj)
Singapore Poly, waste management agency team up for zero waste goal
NOEL LOW The New Paper 5 Jun 18;
Researchers from Singapore Polytechnic (SP) have come up with a way of fully recycling incineration ash, a development that could lead to landfills becoming a thing of the past.
When combined with glass powder and other materials, a tonne of incineration ash can yield up to $11,500 worth of foam glass, a material used for thermal insulation highly sought after in the construction industry.
Developments like this have prompted a collaboration between SP and the Waste Management and Recycling Association of Singapore, which hopes to capitalise on SP's research expertise to achieve Singapore's zero waste vision through technological developments.
A memorandum of understanding which was signed yesterday will also see the launch of a Chemical and Workplace Safety Programme - a two-day workshop for chemical and waste management companies - later this year.
The foam glass initiative was among several showcased by SP to launch the tie-up.
Electronic waste is one of the areas the collaboration hopes to target. The Republic is one of the top three electronic waste producers in South-east Asia, yet only 6 per cent of some 60,000 tonnes of e-waste produced here each year are recycled.
SP has also found ways to improve the recycling of e-waste and solar panels so that valuable materials can be recovered rather than incinerated.
Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources Amy Khor said at the ceremony that by 2025, it is projected "some 30,000 workers will benefit from higher value-added jobs in the cleaning and waste management industry".
