Guidebook on Waste Minimisation for Industries

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements
CHAPTER 1:

INTRODUCTION

Overview of the Solid Waste Situation in Singapore

NEAs Strategies on Waste Minimisation
Why Develop this Guidebook?
CHAPTER 2:

BENEFITS OF WASTE MINIMISATION

What is Waste Minimisation?

Benefits to Companies
Benefits to Singapore
CHAPTER 3:

EIGHT STEPS TO A WASTE MINIMISATION PLAN

Step 1 Get Managements Commitment

Step 2 Select a Waste Minimisation Working Team
Step 3 Conduct a Waste Audit
Step 4 Determine the True Costs of Waste
Step 5 Develop Waste Reduction Options
Step 6 Assess the Scope of Savings & Rank Options
Step 7 Develop a Waste Minimisation Plan
Step 8 Implement and Improve the Plan
CHAPTER 4:

CASE STUDIES

Baxter Healthcare Pte Ltd

Chevron Oronite Pte Ltd
IBM Singapore Pte Ltd
Kyoei Engineering Singapore Pte Ltd
Sony Display Device (Singapore) Pte Ltd
Tetra Pak Jurong Pte Ltd
REFERENCES

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The National Environment Agency (NEA) would like to thank the following
organisations for their participation in the Working Group to produce this
Guidebook and for their invaluable contributions and support:
i)

JTC Corporation,

ii)

Singapore Manufacturers Federation,

iii)

IBM Singapore Pte Ltd,

iv)

Sony Electronics (Singapore) Pte Ltd and

v)

Waste Management and Recycling Association of Singapore

The NEA would also like to thank the following persons and their companies
for their contributions of the best practices in waste minimisation & recycling
to the Guidebook and for their invaluable advice and suggestions:
i)

Ms Shirley Pang [Baxter Healthcare Pte Ltd]

ii)

Mr Ting Eeng Hoe [Baxter Healthcare Pte Ltd]

iii)

Mr Alan Chong [Chevron Oronite Pte Ltd]

iv)

Mr Lim Tew Team [Kyoei Engineering Singapore Pte Ltd]

v)

Mr Windsor Chan Jr [IBM Singapore Pte Ltd]

vi)

Mr Chan Pheng Hwa [Sony Display Device (Singapore) Pte Ltd]

vii)

Mr Ong Lye Huat [Tetra Pak Jurong Pte Ltd]

Our special thanks also to Dr Tan Kee Wee, (Director, Research & Corporate
Communications of Singapore Manufacturers Federation) for editing the
Guidebook.
We would like to thank all who had provided feedback and suggestions.

Guidebook on Waste Minimisation for Industries

CHAPTER 1:

INTRODUCTION

Overview of Solid Waste Situation in Singapore

Over the past three decades, the solid waste disposed of in Singapore has
increased 6-fold. Domestic waste increased about 3-fold. Non-domestic waste
increased even more by about 8-fold mainly from the high growth in the
manufacturing and services sectors.
Since 1979, the government has spent billions of dollars to build four
incineration plants and sanitary landfills. The incineration plants have been
designed to incinerate waste safely and fitted with air pollution control
equipment. They effectively reduce the volume of waste for final disposal in
the landfill and also recover energy and scrap metals. Even then, the last
landfill on the main island of Singapore was filled up by 1999 and a new
offshore landfill at Pulau Semakau was developed for non-incinerable waste.
With the rate of growth in solid waste, Singapore would need to build a new
incineration plant every 5-7 years and a new landfill the size of Semakau
Landfill every 25-30 years.
Strategies on Waste Minimisation
It is not sustainable to go on building more waste disposal facilities to meet
increasing amounts of waste. Moreover, building and operating new disposal
facilities is very costly and could only lead to a higher refuse disposal fee.
The sustainable waste management solution is to minimise waste, and
maximise recycling. Such an approach would help to defer the construction of
new disposal facilities, reduce the demand for land to build the facilities, and
avoid unnecessary increase in the refuse disposal fee.
Recognising the need to reduce waste, the Ministry of the Environment (ENV)
started to promote waste reduction and recycling in the 1980s and 1990s by
adopting a policy of waste incineration to reduce waste volume and
encouraging recycling. By 2002, about 90% of the waste is disposed of by
incineration thus reducing the landfill space taken up by waste very
significantly. Industries have also responded well and by 2002, about 60% of
the waste generated by industries was recycled. The overall waste recycling
rate for all waste was 45% in 2002.
To step up the efforts, the National Environment Agency (NEA, a statutory
board under ENV) has adopted three strategies. One is to reduce waste going
to incineration plants. The other is to reuse incineration ash. The third is to
reduce waste going directly to landfills. To achieve a long-term goal of
sustainable waste management, the Singapore Green Plan (SGP) 2012 sets
the following key targets:

increase the overall waste recycling rate to 60% by 2012;

extend the lifespan of Semakau Landfill to 50 years, and striving towards

zero landfill;

reduce the need for new incineration plants, from the current one every 57 years, to one every 10-15 years.

The NEA has been working closely with various partners in the people, private
and public sectors to educate, plan and implement waste recycling
programmes to meet the targets of the SGP 2012.
Why Develop this Guidebook ?
A growing number of manufacturing companies in Singapore has been
practising waste minimisation at various levels and realised savings and
other benefits.
However, the fact that our disposal facilities still receive large amounts of
waste materials from industries indicates that there is still room for
improvement.
Currently, non-domestic waste from industries and commercial premises
accounts for about 50% of the waste disposed at our waste disposal facilities.
Studies show that there is scope to reduce waste at source and to recover
more recyclables from the industrial sector for reuse and recycling.
This Guidebook is a joint effort of NEA, JTC Corporation (JTC), Singapore
Manufacturers Federation (SMa), Waste Management and Recycling
Association of Singapore (WMRAS), and industries. The aim of the
Guidebook is to assist companies to reduce waste at source and to maximise
recovery of recyclable waste for reuse or recycling. This would in turn lead to
further improvement in productivity and profitability, and reduce waste. This
Guidebook will provide companies with practical information on how to
approach, plan, and implement a waste minimisation plan. It also provides
case studies of several companies that have achieved cost savings and waste
reduction.

BENEFITS OF WASTE MINIMISATION

What is Waste Minimisation?
There are many ways to define waste minimisation. In its broadest sense,
waste minimisation includes all practices (including waste prevention, reuse
and recycling) that reduce the amount of waste entering the environment.
More specifically, waste minimisation in industry means practices, including,
but not limited to:

Product design modifications,

Inventory management changes,

Operational & maintenance procedure changes,

Material changes,

Equipment replacement or modifications,

Reuse/recycling of waste materials.

Benefits to Companies
Waste minimisation has positive outcomes to industries.
competitive advantages to a company in two main ways:

It can provide

Improved Resource Efficiency & Cost Savings

All the resources (such as raw materials, consumables, energy, water,
manpower and time) that a company puts into their business process will
result in either products which can generate revenue, or waste which costs
money to treat or dispose of. A representation of a resource throughput is
shown below.
Revenue

raw materials &

consumables
energy & water
manpower & time

Products

Business
Process

waste (gaseous / liquid / solid)

waste energy
waste manpower & time

Cost
Cost

Practising waste minimisation in any area of a business process can help

reduce business costs. This can be done through improved resource and
process efficiency, reduction of waste, and cutting down of waste handling
and disposal costs. Many companies experiences have demonstrated this.
Several examples are given in Chapter 4 of this Guidebook on Case Studies.
Improved Public Image & Winning Edge
Furthermore, companies that make efforts to achieve waste reduction can
also improve their public image, enhance their reputation by going green, and
gain a winning edge in the market place as preferred suppliers. Many
businesses have enhanced their relationship with customers through
initiatives such as reusable transit packaging, end-of-life take-back schemes,
etc.

An electronic company used to spend large amounts of money on one-way

packaging materials to deliver their products to customers. They then formed
a waste minimisation working committee. This led to an intensive waste audit
at every stage of the manufacturing process, and in-house reduction targets
were set. The company found opportunities to reduce, reuse and recycle
waste. One of the options - the reuse of packaging materials found strong
support with their customers - resulted in large reduction in packaging waste,
and realised savings of about $1 million a year.
Benefits to the Nation
Singapore disposed of 2.6 million tonnes of solid waste in 2002. Collecting,
processing and disposing the waste in land-scarce Singapore are expensive
and resource intensive. At the current refuse disposal fee of $77 per tonne,
this represents a $200 million value per year in expense. A 10% reduction in
waste disposal would result in savings of $2 million or more each year. In turn,
the reduction in waste would help reduce the demand for new waste disposal
facilities and the associated expenditure.
Just as important, waste minimisation helps to conserve finite natural
resources, expand the lifespan of the landfill, and move a step closer to
sustainable waste management and towards zero landfill.

EIGHT STEPS TO A WASTE MINIMISATION PLAN

Your company may already have a waste minimisation plan or programme in
place. If so, you may use this Guidebook as a point of reference and go to
the sections most appropriate to your needs. Or you could make use of the
resource information listed in References section to further improve your plan.
If your company is starting from scratch, this Guidebook would help you move
along step by step in developing and implementing a waste minimisation plan
for your facility. The steps are as follows:
Step 1: Get Managements Commitment
Step 2: Select a Waste Minimisation Working Team
Step 3: Conduct a Waste Audit
Step 4: Determine the True Costs of Waste
Step 5: Develop Waste Reduction Options
Step 6: Assess the Scope of Savings & Rank Options
Step 7: Develop a Waste Minimisation Plan
Step 8: Implement and Improve the Plan

Step 1: Get Managements Commitment

To stay competitive, companies need to continually find new ways to improve
efficiency and cut costs.
If you are the decision-maker of the company and would like to achieve the
same benefits that other companies have reaped, then the first step, which is
an essential prerequisite for success, is to give a clear and strong signal of
the senior managements commitment to support waste minimisation efforts.
If you are an environmental engineer or manager (or from any other
departments), and believe that there are scope to reduce waste in your
facility, take this first step to propose a waste minimisation plan to your senior
management to draw up and implement a waste minimisation plan. You need
to collect data on the amount of waste generated by your company and the
cost of disposing it and estimate the potential savings today and in the future.
You should also find the most effective channel; to present your idea and
proposal so that senior management has a chance to study and consider your
idea and proposal.
When the senior management has made their decision, it is important to get a
clear direction on appointment of the appropriate personnel to take charge of
the project and the time frame for implementation.
Request your senior management to demonstrate its support and commitment
as follows:

Circulating or make known to all staff a policy statement on waste

minimisation;

Announcing the formation of a waste minimisation team and give the team
the authority and responsibility;

Keeping staff informed of plan and the progress of the project

Giving recognition as appropriate to the staff involved; and

Showing interest and participating in key activities on waste minimisation.

The policy statement, which conveys waste minimisation plan objectives to

employees, may include these main points:

Reducing waste at source to eliminate waste is the main goal in research,

process and product design, plant operations, and is as important to
management as quality, safety, yield, and loss prevention.

Reusing and recycling materials before disposing them as waste.

In the policy statement, you may also want to list certain motivations for waste
minimisation. These could be product quality improvement, cost reduction,
and being an environmentally-responsible corporate citizen.
Following are some examples of policy statements. You may use them as the
reference, or amend the language to suit your facility.
Examples of Policy Statements
1.

[Your Company]'s policy is to reduce all waste to the minimum levels

that are economically and technically feasible;
As both a responsible citizen and [Company] employee, each individual
is responsible for reducing waste, and for complying fully with all waste
reduction programme goals established by the company;
Employees are urged to come forth with suggestions for further reducing
waste in their own work areas, and in any other areas which they may
have ideas.

2.

[Your Company] is committed to excellence and leadership in protecting

the environment. In keeping with this policy, our objective is to reduce
waste and emissions. We strive to minimize adverse impact on the air,
water, and land, through excellence in waste reduction. By successfully
reducing waste at its source, we can achieve cost savings, increase
operational efficiencies, improve the quality of our products and
services, and maintain a safe and healthy workplace for our employees.
[Your Company] promotes environmentally-sound measures to reduce,
reuse, and recycle waste.

Once management signs and dates the policy statement, display it

prominently and distribute it widely.
How a company first distribute the written policy to employees indicates its
commitment. Posting it unexpectedly at work stations could send a negative
message. We suggest that you call a special meeting to explain and distribute
copies of your company's policy, and ask employees for their ideas. This will
help to send a positive signal to employees and get them involved and treat
the matter seriously.
Step 2:

Select a Waste Minimisation Working Team

Following the policy decision, a waste minimisation working team need to be

formed to make things happen.
A company needs to select a waste minimisation working team, identify a
competent team leader, and give the leader sufficient authority to lead the
team. The team leader would best possess the following attributes:

Familiar with the facility, its production processes, and its waste
management operations

Familiar with quality control requirements

Good rapport with management and employees

Familiar with waste reduction principles and techniques

Familiar with new production and waste management technology

The size of the team can vary depending on the complexity of the companys
operation. Preferably, the members would be well represented in terms of
experience, knowledge, and perception of the issues, and from different
sections / departments / divisions and levels such as :

Management

Engineering / design

Production

Maintenance

Purchasing

Accounting / Finance

Shipping / Receiving

It may be useful for the team to involve the companys suppliers in the
planning process. Suppliers would have the technical knowledge about the
raw materials, or equipment, or packaging that they are supplying. They may
also have experience with their other customers on similar projects and can
share information and success stories. For the same reason, it would be
helpful to involve your companys customers in the process.
Step 3:

Conduct a Waste Audit

Solid waste in a manufacturing facility is usually generated in three areas:

manufacturing (wastage of raw material and process waste);

shipping and receiving (packaging waste);

office operations (paper and print cartridge waste, etc.);

Understanding the waste generated in these areas is an essential step and

can be done through conducting a waste audit.
The objective of a waste audit is to profile the waste streams by finding out
information on the

types of waste,

quantity of each waste stream,

how they are generated,

why they are generated,

where they are being generated, and

how they are managed after being generated.

Doing this alone will not reduce waste, but it helps to identify areas of wastage
and problems, and discover opportunities to reduce them in the later stage of
planning.
You can obtain information on waste materials through:

getting material purchasing records, waste disposal invoices, records of

waste and rejects produced at generation points in daily operations;

walking through different operational processing areas;

surveying the waste in the refuse bins; and

talking to the relevant employees.

Create a checklist for all waste streams and use a waste assessment sheet
for each waste stream identified from all activities / processes / operations. An
example of a waste stream assessment sheet is as follows:
Date:

Process / Operation / Activity:

Profile of waste:
Type of Waste:
Point of origin:
Quantity/month:
Physical & chemical properties:
Rate of generation (i.e. kg/unit of
product):
Potential for contamination (e.g.
mixed with other types of waste):
9

Cost to manage and/or dispose:

Why it is generated (e.g. due to
frequent machine break down):
How it is managed after being
generated (i.e. reused / recycled
/ disposed ?):
When conducting the waste audit, an estimate should be made of the
resources required to carry out the audit. Your resources requirements may
include the following:

adequate time for assigned people to carry out audit tasks to ensure the
quality of your audit data;

storage containers to isolate, move, and sort waste and recyclables;

different-colour bags, tags, or labelled containers to identify waste from

various generation points;

space for sorting and storing waste during the audit;

a weighing scale.

The suggested waste audit approach is not intended to provide a highly

accurate and detailed measurement of all waste, but to identify the major
waste and to provide a starting point for your waste diversion initiatives.
If the operation of your company is a highly complex one that needs
experienced personnel to conduct the audit, or the resources are limited in
your company, you may want to consider hiring consultants specialising in
waste audits.
Special attention needs to be given to find out why a waste is generated. It
can help to discover the root cause of wastage and identify solutions.
Step 4: Determine the True Costs of Waste
Having identified the waste streams and filled in the related information in the
waste assessment sheets, you would have the basic information on the waste
produced by your company. The next step is to determine the true cost of
dealing with the waste streams from various processes, operations, or
activities. This would help to provide a clearer picture of how much it costs the
company when these waste are produced and then disposed of. You can
then identify the high cost waste streams, prioritise efforts, and track the
overall success of the waste minimisation programmes.
There are two broad areas of costs that should be considered. From the
analysis of costs below, it can be seen that the true cost of waste is more than
what meets the eyes.
10

Disposal Costs
Hauling Charge

is the cost you pay a contractor for collecting and

transporting waste to an incineration plant or the
landfill.

Container Rental Fee

is the monthly fee for having a compactor, or an

open top container, or refuse bins on-site.

Disposal Tipping Fee

is the charge for the amount of waste (tonnage)

being disposed of at an incinerator or the landfill.

These three elements of the disposal costs may not apply in some cases.
Some waste collectors may charge a company a flat fee to include all the
three elements of the costs depending on the contract agreed upon.
Associated Costs
The true costs of producing waste goes beyond the disposal cost. In its
simplest form, we need to add the cost of the raw material in the waste to the
cost of disposal. Where more than one material is in the waste, this
calculation should be made for each component.
Simplest calculation of the true cost of a waste
Cost of waste = Cost of raw material that + Cost of
waste
becomes waste

disposal

of

= [Amount of raw material + Cost of disposal of raw

material waste
purchased amount of raw
material in product] x unit
cost of raw material
In reality, any business process involves many resources on top of the raw
materials used. Hence, when we calculate the true cost of a waste, we need
to assign all the associated costs contributing to the true cost of producing a
waste, and they can include the following:

Purchasing cost of raw materials

o the raw material that exceeds the shelf-life;
o the raw material lost / leakage before it gets to the production process;
o the raw material in the rejects.

Manpower costs
o operating labour and supervision
11

o
o
o
o
o

maintenance work
material handling
inspection
record keeping
training

Utilities costs
o electricity
o water
o steam
o refrigeration
o fuel
o sewerage

Equipment depreciation

Loss of revenue (i.e. downgraded product, seconds, or an off-standard

reject that can not be sold)

Cost of waste handling

o storage,
o internal transport,
o managing waste-disposal contractors;

Although businesses have many elements in common, it is impossible to

cover all aspects of costs associated with individual waste. The true costs
should be examined for each and every waste.
In summary, the true cost of a waste should include all associated waste and
the disposal costs.
True Cost of Waste =

Associated Costs

Disposal Costs

Experience has shown that many businesses spend around 4% of their

turnover generating waste. The true cost of waste can be between 5 and 20
times the cost of their disposal. And in an average company, it could be
around ten times the cost of disposal.
Step 5:

Develop Waste Reduction Options

After conducting the waste audit and determining the true costs of waste, the
next step is to identify the opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce waste
and cut down costs.

12

Objective
Your objective at this step is to generate a comprehensive set of waste
minimisation options. Consider every waste stream as a reduction opportunity
until proven otherwise. Most of the time, an opportunity exists if a waste
stream exists.
Prioritising waste streams
If your company has quite a few waste streams, you may want to prioritise
them. One-way of ranking them is in terms of their true cost. Generally, we
can target at the higher cost waste streams as they may represent higher cost
of raw materials, higher process inefficiency, and thus more potential for cost
savings. Other factors, such as whether the high waste cost can easily be
reduced, and the payback period for high investment measures to reduce
waste, can also play a part. These factors will be considered at the ranking of
options stage later.
Tapping on all resources
Identifying potential options relies both on the expertise and creativity of the
team members. Much of the information needed can come from their
education and on-the-job experience. The team should tap on all resources
available and involve as many employees as practically possible. Consulting
staff from different departments, such as purchasing officers, engineers,
machine operators and maintenance technicians, would be useful too. These
people know their working areas best and may be able to suggest good
options for waste reduction. Your suppliers / vendors and customers are also
valuable resources.
Consider all options
At this stage of developing options, the working team should list all the
possible opportunities of reducing waste within the facility. The team should
not consider in detail the technical or economic aspects of any particular
option. This will be done at the next step. The list may include several options
for each waste stream or process.
General areas for waste reduction
In general, we could identify options to reduce waste in three areas:
manufacturing (raw material and process waste), receiving/shipping
(packaging waste) and office (paper, cartridge etc. general office waste). The
waste minimisation techniques or practices listed below may help inspire
you to generate ideas on options to reduce waste at your facility.
(1) Reduction of Manufacturing Waste
(a) Inventory management

13

Proper control over raw materials, intermediate products, final products, and
the associated waste streams is an important waste reduction technique.
Experiences show that better inventory control and material handling could
lead to reduction of raw material waste. You may look for waste reduction
options by observing some general guidelines described below.
Inventory control:

purchase only the amount of raw materials needed for a production run or
a set period of time;

purchase the material in the proper amount and the proper size container;

approach the suppliers to see if they can take back the excess materials;

develop review procedures for all materials purchased, to minimise the

chances of storing them beyond their shelf-life period.

Material handling:

Ensure that raw materials reach the production process without loss
through contamination, spills, and leaks;

Ensure that the material is efficiently handled and used in the production
process and does not become waste;

Handle waste or rejects like a product. Allowing a recyclable or clean

waste material to be contaminated can reduce or eliminate its recovery
potential;

Encourage employees to separate waste that can be recycled from those

that have to be sent for incineration or landfill. Label and place recycling
and trash bins in strategic locations of production process areas.

(b)

Production process modification

Improving the efficiency of a production process can significantly reduce

process waste generation. It can be achieved or enhanced through
modification in operational and maintenance procedures, material change and
equipment.
Operational and maintenance procedures:

Look for opportunities to further improve efficiency of operational process

procedures;
Most production processes can be operated more efficiently, no matter
how long they have been in operation or how well they have been run.

14

Some process steps may in fact be unnecessary, and eliminating them will
reduce waste generation.
For example, a paint manufacturer found that instead of using a series of
coarse to fine filters to remove grit, only the fine filter was necessary. As a
result of this change to using only one filter, the generation of spent filter
cartridges was reduced by more than 50%. The costs of purchasing,
handling, and disposing of the cartridges have also been reduced.

Document fully improved operating procedures, and make them part of the
regular employee training programme;

Implement a strict maintenance programme, which stresses preventive

and corrective maintenance, to reduce waste generation caused by
equipment failure. Such a programme can help spot potential sources of
release and correct a problem before any material is lost;

Maintain a strict schedule on all maintenance activities under the

programme and keep accurate records.

Material change:

Consider material change that will lead to the elimination of one step of the
process. This could lead to elimination, or reduction of raw material used
and waste generated, and improve the process efficiency;

Consider material change that may have an impact on overall waste

reduction;

Use a less hazardous material in a production process where possible;

Look for ways to avoid contamination of a waste so that it can be put back
into the originating process as a substitute for a raw material;

Look for ways to use a waste as a raw material in another process;

A high-technology and scientific equipment supplier uses employee teams to

identify waste reduction opportunities. In the course of a discussion between
an engineer and a purchasing expert, they discovered one opportunity that
now saves the company nearly $100,000 each year. By changing the
specifications for a steel-alloy part used in manufacturing seals, the company
was able to purchase an alternative material which requires less cutting and
shaping to meet the customers needs. Just this one material switch reduced
their labour cost by 33% and other related costs. The company also realised
substantial savings through a 66% reduction in metal waste.

15

Process equipment modification:

Modify existing or install more efficient process equipment to take

advantage of better production technologies: New or updated equipment
can usually process materials more efficiently, reduce the amount of raw
material used, and cut down the number of off-specification products or
rejects. This will reduce waste and costs.

Sometimes the modification of equipment can be simple and effective in

improving efficiency.
A manufacturing companys core business is to produce office furniture. The
mechanical sensors on a machine that cuts desk and table tops were reliable,
but occasionally failed to function. As a consequence, the tops were
sometimes cut out-of-square. Each mis-cut top had to be discarded, because
they could not be repaired.
Under their Machine Improvement Programme, they started looking into how
to improve the reliability of the process. A simple low-cost solution to the
problem was proposed by the team involved in the programme. They replaced
the mechanical sensors with more reliable optical sensors. For an investment
of US$181, the company saved 17 tonnes of marketable tops valued at
US$8,950 each year. It also saved on the cost of 17 tonnes of raw materials,
the cost on waste disposal, and all associated costs such as labour and
energy costs.
In many cases, improved operational procedures and process equipment
modifications are used together to improve efficiency, and reduce costs and
waste.
(2) Reduction of Packaging Waste
The packaging materials usually include cardboard, plastics, and drums. Your
packaging waste will be either from your suppliers, who deliver the materials
you need for your production, or in the form of packaging materials you use to
pack and ship your products to your customers.
Using packaging materials more than necessary to pack and ship your
products costs you more in purchasing, materials handling, and shipping. This
generates more packaging waste at your customers end.
If your suppliers use packaging materials more than necessary to supply you
the goods, or use single-use packaging, it generates more waste at your
facility, costs you more time to handle, and incurs more disposal cost to you if
the packaging is not recyclable.

16

Many companies experiences have shown that the easiest area to begin
waste reduction is most likely in the packaging area. Thus, in waste reduction,
packaging waste is often referred to as low hanging fruit".

So look into the ways to modify the design or change the material of
packaging that can:

improve packing / shipping efficiency,

reduce the use of packing materials, and / or

allow reusable or recyclable packaging.

Work with your suppliers and customers for opportunities to reuse and / or
recycle packaging materials.
A software company develops, markets, and ships computer software
products that support software libraries for computer programmers and math
experts. The company has implemented several waste reduction measures in
its product packaging. Below is one of the examples:
Previously, each product (which might consist of several disks and manuals)
was packed in a small corrugated cardboard box. Since many of its customers
order more than one product at a time, these small boxes were then
consolidated into one or more larger boxes. Under the new system, manuals
and disks are shrink-wrapped together, eliminating the smaller boxes. This
has reduced the weight of packaging sent to customers by an estimated 68%
and significantly reduced staff time. They have achieved financial savings
(packaging only) of $21,000/year. In addition, they have achieved significant
resource savings on packaging each year.

An engineering company manufactures and assembles precision custom

sheet metal parts for its customers.
They have created a "closed-loop system" for some transport packaging. By
convincing a customer to use a local vendor for an interim manufacturing
step, the company was able to create custom packaging to ship sheet metal
parts. The second vendor inserts additional components, then ships the

17

completed assembly to the end customer. The durable cardboard packaging

is returned to the company and is reused at least 10 times before being
recycled. Financial savings amounted to more than $50,000 a year.

(3) Reduction of Office Waste

In a typical office, usually half of the total waste is paper-based. Paper is
therefore a major purchasing and disposal cost to the average office. Yet it is
a cost that can be brought down easily through reduction, reuse and
recycling. The following suggested practical options could be considered to
reduce paper waste in an office:
Reduce

Make it a company policy that all printing,

photocopying and publications are
produced in double-sided format where
possible.

Put reminder posters near printers and

photocopiers.

Cancel subscriptions of unwanted publications to reduce paper waste.

Avoid overproduction of marketing and publicity material by reviewing

distribution lists and regularly updating databases

Use electronic communication where possible to reduce printing and

faxing. Ensure that your staff is comfortable with new technology and
provide training where necessary. Encourage them not to print out e-mails
unless absolutely necessary.

Eliminate the use of fax cover sheet where possible.

Ensure fax machines are set so that they do not produce unwanted
headers or report sheets.

Reduce confidential waste costs by giving clear instructions to staff as to

which material is strictly confidential, and which is general paper waste.

Use single-spacing for report or memo writing.

Set narrower margins for drafts.

Change margins to avoid the last page of your report with little text.

Edit and proof-read carefully on the computer before printing.

I can print
DOUBLE-SIDED.
USE ME TO THE
FULLEST!!!

18

Share newspapers / magazines.

Reuse

Collect all paper that has been printed on

one side and re-use it for printing in draft
or for scrap message pads.

Re-use envelopes wherever possible,

especially
for
sending
information
internally.

Reuse paper file folders.

Recycle

Set up a waste paper collection system and send waste paper for
recycling. Place paper recycling bins in all office areas. A good guide is
one bin between six staff members, and one next to each photocopier and
printer. Use paper ream lids as additional staff desk top collection trays.

Ensure that cleaning staff are in support of

the recycling scheme and that emptying the
recycling bins is part of their contracted work.

Promote the scheme to staff by putting up

posters around the offices, and on bins
explaining the types of paper that can be
recycled.

Provide staff with on-going feedback about the scheme, including figures
on the amount of paper collected. Suggest making a donation to charity or
planting a tree when targets are met.

Use recycled paper

Paper is a natural resource that can be recycled up to about five times. This
substantially reduces the impact on the environment. By using recycled paper,
you can help boost the market for recycled products. This will in turn support
the recycling industry and reduce unnecessary use of virgin materials.
Today the quality of paper containing recycled fibre (e.g. 51% recycled fibre)
has improved and is comparable with virgin paper. Where possible, you may
consider purchasing and using recycled office paper.
Reduction of other office waste

Reuse paper clips, rubber bands

19

Collect print cartridges for recycling. Some local recycling companies can
pick up and buy back the used cartridges from you, depending on the
quantity and model of the cartridges, and whether they can recover
transportation cost.

Purchase re-manufactured print cartridges from cartridge recycling

companies. The costs are much lower, and you could look for the
companies that can provide you warranty on the re-manufactured
cartridges.

Step 6:

Assess the Scope of Savings and Rank Options

Having generated a number of options to solve a waste minimisation problem,

and a range of options for various waste streams, the next step is to assess
their feasibility. It is also to assess the scope of savings of options, and rank
and decide the options that can be implemented.
(a) Technical Assessment
Technical assessment is to determine whether a proposed option will work,
and whether there are any facility constraints or product requirements which
will make it technically unwise to implement. The completed technical
assessment should be reviewed by all affected sections / departments /
divisions of the company.
During the screening procedure to assess the options, the following questions
can be asked by the team to facilitate the assessment:

Does the proposed option of equipment / technology change have a good

track record in the market? If not, is there convincing evidence that the
option will work as required?

Is the option compatible with the current manufacturing process;

Does the change maintain product quality requirements;

Does the change meet shipping / packing criteria to protect the products
from damaging;

Is this option appropriate to the problem (e.g. installing automatic controls

where a simple change to operating procedures would be just as good)?

Who can implement this? (i.e. Is external help needed or can it be done inhouse?)

When can it be implemented? Some solutions may take longer than others
to come to fruition.

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Any options that are deemed to be technically feasible now require economic
assessment.
(b) Economic Assessment
An economic assessment of a potential solution to a waste minimisation
problem includes:

one-off cost of implementation (i.e. capital investment, costs of design,

testing and implementation);

on-going cost of operating or maintaining the solution (i.e. running costs,

maintenance costs);

savings from the associated costs (i.e. raw material cost and other
relevant costs listed in step 4) and disposal costs;

In many cases a simple payback calculation is sufficient to assess the

economic feasibility of an option or to identify an optimum option.
Calculating payback
The payback can be calculated by dividing the total one-off cost of the
project by the net saving of the project (the difference between savings
and operating & maintenance costs). This gives a payback figure in
years.
In some cases, more in-depth assessment methods may be required.
These could include undiscounted and discounted financial analysis. The
waste minimisation working team could approach the company
accountant if there are any doubts about calculating cost and benefit.
There is also a UK guide available which can be found at this website
(www.envirowise.gov.uk/envirowisev3.nsf/key/GuidesP) called Investing
to Increase Profits and Reduce Waste. It contains detailed examples of
financial appraisal.
(c) Other Considerations
Other factors that could be considered include:

How much waste could be reduced through the change?

Is the option easy to implement?

Does the option ensure the lowest environmental burden or impact

compared with other options (e.g. an option that reduces or eliminates
waste is better than a recycle route identified for the waste)?

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Does the option ensure that the change will not create problems in other
environmental areas (e.g. the decrease of solid waste does not increase
liquid waste or hazardous waste)?

The overall assessment based on the technical and economic assessments,

and considerations of the factors listed above should lead to the final ranking
of the most reasonable options for reduction of waste streams.
Step 7:

Develop a Waste Minimisation Plan

What to be Included in a Waste Minimisation Plan

When the tasks outlined in the previous steps are completed, you can start to
develop and write a waste minimisation plan for your company including:

Targeted waste streams for reduction;

Proposed options to minimise the waste and a description for each option;

Estimated costs involved;

Estimated payback period and net savings;

Estimated volume of waste reduction (i.e. kg) for each waste stream;

Implementation schedule of the options (steps or phases and timing for

implementation);

Implementation requirements (such as tasks and personnel assignments),

Training of personnel involved,

Management requirements,

Measurable, performance goals

Target dates for completion of goals

In addition to the write-up of the plan, you could create a summary table of the
plan similar to the one below for ease of reference for your team and the
management.
Summary of waste minimisation plan
Waste
type

Qty
(t/
kg)

Proposed
option for
waste
reduction

Waste
reduction
goal
(t/kg)

Estimated
costs

Estimated
payback
period

Start End
date date

Status

22

Considerations for Scheduling the Implementation:

Packaging usually provides the easiest reduction opportunities and thus the
greatest potential for savings. So you may wish to schedule the easy options
first.
Some options, which do not involve equipment change, are inexpensive and
quick to implement. Thus, you could schedule such options like operation
procedural changes or material changes for implementation as soon as
possible.
Also, the options that have shorter payback period and produce greater
savings can be scheduled for implementation early.
In waste minimisation plans that call for equipment changes, it's essentially
the same as any other capital improvement project. The phases of the project
include planning, design, procurement, construction or installation, and you
may need to schedule them for implementation at a later stage when
resources are available and the team can cope.
Establishment of Goals & Measuring Indicators
In order to measure the success of the waste minimisation plan, specific
performance goals need to be established and expressed in numeric terms.
To measure waste reduction, it would be more meaningful to measure it in
terms of actual waste reduction in tonnes, or kilograms of waste generated
per standard unit of production. The following are some useful measurements
for setting the waste and cost reduction goals:

Ratio of waste generated to production rate, before and after

implementation of the option;

*Ratio of raw materials consumed to production rate, before and after

implementation (an indirect measure of waste reduction);

Savings on raw materials costs and waste disposal costs;

Changes in utilities and maintenance costs;

Changes in manpower and other associated costs;

Changes in production capacity and product quality;

The programme's actual costs and savings compared with the initial
programme estimates;

* Obtaining good quality data for waste stream volume, flow, and composition
can be costly and time consuming. For this reason, in some instances,
expressing waste reduction indirectly in terms of the ratio of input materials
23

consumption to production rate may be more practical. These data are easier
to obtain although the measure is not direct.
If the establishment of numeric performance goals is not practical, include a
clearly stated list of actions designed to lead to the establishment of numeric
goals as soon as possible in your waste minimisation plan.
When using suggested measurements to set the waste reduction goals, the
team need to try to set the goals that are:

Understandable

Acceptable to those who will work to achieve them;

Flexible to adapt to changing requirements;

Measurable over time;

Suitable to the overall corporate goals; and

Achievable with a practicable level of effort.

Step 8:

Implement and Improve the Plan

When the waste minimisation plan is firmed up, the implementation is the key.
At this stage, several important actions are needed to ensure success.
Firstly, the team should be clear about the goals and objectives of the plan.
Assign clear responsibility and authority to appropriate personnel in all
administrative, operating and maintenance areas. Make the right resources
available, and ensure that the personnel take implementation actions
according to schedule.
At the same time, the team should develop a waste minimisation awareness
programme to get the key messages across to all employees and gain their
support. The following measures could be used for creating awareness:

Launch the waste minimisation plan by the CEO or Managing Director of

the company;

Display the plan and the implementation schedule with explanation of

waste reduction goals in prominent locations;

Organise waste minimisation educational talks for staff in training

sessions;

Put up educational posters in strategic locations;

24

Prepare waste minimisation tips for individuals to take action and make
them available to staff through emailing and notice board;

Share and update waste reduction results periodically with all employees;

To ensure a sustainable programme, the team should:

make all implemented options or measures a functioning part of a
company's standard operating procedures. Include product development,
operational procedures, and training;

make on-going improvements. The team need to monitor waste reduction

performance against the goals established and conduct annual reviews to
compare the current performance with the pervious year. During the
process, additional waste reduction opportunities might arise. More action
might be needed or different methods might become available.

So you need to:

make changes to the planned actions and adjust operating procedures,

incorporate new options or methods,

establish new priorities for action, and

set reviewed waste reduction goals, ideally upwards.

By following the steps in this guidebook, and using the resource information
listed in References section, it is hoped that your company can achieve
sizable cost savings and waste reductions, and contribute to solving
Singapores waste disposal problem.

WASTE MINIMISATION CASE STUDIES

Baxter Healthcare Pte Ltd
Chevron Oronite Pte Ltd
IBM Singapore Pte Ltd
Kyoei Engineering Singapore Pte Ltd
Sony Display Device (Singapore) Pte Ltd
Tetra Pak Jurong Pte Ltd

25

REFERENCES
A Guide to Waste Audits and Reduction Workplans for Industrial, Commercial
and Institutional Sectors
Ministry of Environment and Energy, Ontario, Canada, 1995
Developing a Pollution Prevention (P2) Plan: A How-To Book for Kentucky
Generators
Published by The Kentucky Pollution Prevention Centre (KPPC), University of
Louisville, August 1995
Green Officiency: Running A Cost-Effective, Environmentally Aware Office,
Envirowise, UK, 2002
Industrial Solid Waste Reduction Workbook
Prepared by: Cam Metcalf (Executive Director), Keith Ridley (Assistant
Director of Assessments), and Todd Logsdon (Engineering Associate),
Kentucky Pollution Prevention Centre, University of Louisville, August 1996
(Revised)
Minnesota Guide to Pollution Prevention Planning
[Joint effort of the Minnesota Technical Assistance Programme (MnTAP) and
the Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance (OEA), with assistance
from the Minnesota Emergency Response Commission (ERC)], Authors:
Robert Lundquist (MnTAP), Mark Snyder (OEA), Staff Team: Kenneth Brown
(OEA), David Cera (OEA), Cindy McComas (MnTAP), Kevin McDonald
(OEA), John Polanski (MnTAP), 1999 (2ND Edition)
The Measure of Success Calculating Waste Reduction
WasteWise Update, EPA, US, July 1999
No Time to Waste a practical guide to waste minimisation
Scottish Environment Protection Agency, 1999
Waste Minimisation An Environmental Good Practice Guide for Industry,
Published by the Environment Agency, UK, Revised edition April 2001, First
published April 1998
Waste Minimisation and Recycling Guide (Covering the North East Regional
Development Area)
Environment Agency, UK, 1999
Where are the Biggest Cost Savings?
WasteWise, US Environmental Protection Agency,

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