Conduct a Waste Audit

If your company or organisation wishes to reduce the waste generated from your premises, you can first conduct a waste audit.

A waste audit involves finding out the type and quantity of waste generated, and how the waste are generated and disposed. This audit would help you to identify the problems and opportunities for waste reduction.

How to Conduct a Waste Audit

You can conduct a simple waste audit by:

• Sorting the waste in the waste bins to find out the waste type and quantity
• Checking the material purchasing records and waste disposal records to learn where the waste comes from and where it ends up
• Walking around the site and checking with the staff to identify where and how the waste are generated

With the data collected from the waste audit, you can identify the major waste types and find ways to reduce them at the source of generation or divert them from disposal through reuse and recycling.

Check with your suppliers and see whether there are opportunities to reduce their packaging or take back the packaging for reuse. You can also find out whether some of the waste can be given to someone who wants it or whether it can be sent for recycling. What is considered as waste to your company might become a resource for another company.

Guidebook on Waste Minimisation for Industries

The National Environment Agency (NEA) has published a Guidebook on Waste Minimisation for Industries to help companies reduce their waste and practise recycling. The guidebook contains information on how to conduct a waste audit, and also how to introduce a waste minimisation programme through tips and case studies. Visit the NEA website to download the guidebook.

Conduct a Waste Audit for Your Home

You can also follow the same steps above to conduct a simple waste audit for your home. Find out the waste types from your dustbin and try to find ways to minimise them. Can you reduce the waste by not buying them in the first place? Can you reuse the waste for another purpose? Can you recycle the waste?

Start Recycling at Home

It’s easy to recycle at home. First, learn about the existing recycling programme at your area. Second, find out the type of items that are acceptable and unacceptable for recycling. Third, remember the collection date and place your recyclables outside for collection.

You can start recycling at home with these 3 steps:

1. Learn About Your Recycling Programme

The National Environment Agency (NEA) has implemented the National Recycling Programme (NRP) since 2001, where recycling bags or bins are given to residents living in HDB housing estates and landed properties.

These recycling bags and bins are provided by the appointed recycling contractors and the recyclables are collected fortnightly (once every two weeks) at your doorstep.

For more information, check out this NRP brochure by NEA. For enquiries, call 1800-CALL NEA (1800-2255 632) or email Contact_NEA@nea.gov.sg.

In addition, there are public recycling bins placed at housing estates (about one set of recycling bins placed for every five blocks) to supplement the NRP. Find recycling bins near your home.

Condominiums and private apartments are not covered under the NRP. However, it is mandatory for condominiums and private apartments to provide recycling facilities for their residents from 1 Nov 2008. If there’s no recycling facilities at your place, contact your Managing Agents (MAs) and Management Councils (MCs). The MAs and MCs can also refer to the NEA’s online guidebook to learn how to set up a recycling programme.

2. Find Out What You Can Recycle

You can make use of the recycling programme to recycle items such as paper, plastic bottles and containers, glass bottles, metal cans and old clothing.

Find out what items are acceptable or unacceptable for recycling from this NEA poster or the NRP brochure.

3. Remember Your Recycling Collection Date

The date or calendar of your recycling collection is printed on the recycling bag or bin. Remember to place your bag/bin outside your doorstep on the correct collection date and before the collection time specified on the bag/bin.

For enquiries on the collection, contact your recycling contractor whose telephone number is printed on the recycling bag/bin.

What Happens to the Recyclables?

The recycling bag and recyclables are collected by the recycling collector and brought back to their facility. The recyclables are sorted manually or by equipment into the different types of material. The sorted recyclables are then sent to local recycling companies for processing into raw materials or new products, or exported overseas for recycling.

Watch this video to see what happens to the recyclables collected by a recycling collector, Altvater Jakob (now known as Veolia ES):