The Matcha Initiative
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Waste in the Office happens everyday in the vast majority of companies. Important quantities of paper, cardboard, ink or even cups are used and thrown away everyday.
This waste can be easily dealt with in a sustainable manner.
This part provides companies with solutions as well as suppliers to reduce office waste and better recycle it.
- Adopt a centralized bin system. This includes:
More details here.
- Install 1 paper bin next to each printer
- Ensure consistency in the selection of bins and communication tools (same colour, visible name and with a symbol)
- Make sure that the cleaning services and the contractor are aware of the waste management requirements
- For Lobbies and Waiting areas, remove bins and do not let people create discards in those areas. This will save time for the cleaner, save space in those walking area (safety improvement) & make the place look cleaner.
- Conduct Regular Monitoring of your Waste Management: Monitor results, correct wrong practices, set higher targets annually. Ask the help of a professional if need be.
Find out more here.
Upstream:
It is interesting to train staff and start segregating bottles (plastic, aluminum cans...) as Singapore has a beverage bottle buyback system (Deposit Refund Scheme DRS - part of the Packaging EPR) coming live in 2022 and will build a bottle PET recycling plant for it.
Downstream:
Remove bins and do not let people create discards in those areas.
This will save time for the cleaner, save space in those walking area (safety improvement) & make the place look cleaner.
Individuals will be able to discard their rubbish in other areas of the facility.
Apply the 3Rs principle:
1- Reduce paper usage:
See more Best Practices in Paper & Printing in our Green the Office category.
2- Reuse paper:
3- Recycle properly:
Paper is easily recyclable. It can be recycled up to 7 times.
Paper Towels are not recycled and have a higher carbon footprint therefore explore solutions to replace with:
Choose an energy-efficient hand dryer.
Apply the 3Rs principle:
1- Reduce:
2- Reuse:
3- Recycle:
Cardboard is easily recyclable. It can be recycled up to 5 times.
Switch to reusable cups. Bring your Own.
- For high traffic lobbys: consider using compostable cup that can go into a food waste digester (It requires specific bins and good waste management practices. See our General - Management & Infrastructures solutions for more details.
- For medium traffic lobbys: consider using reusable cups and get the staff at the reception to clean them with a dishwasher.
- For low traffic lobbys: consider removing the beverage dispenser.
Contract with a specialised supplier to properly recycle or discard lighting items such as bulbs, lamps, fluorescent lamps etc. They are considered e-waste.
As of July 1st 2021, they are managed under the EPR e-waste scheme.
As stated on NEA website: "Fluorescent lamps and compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) are different from other types of lamps as they contain trace amounts of mercury within the glass enclosure. Mercury plays a pivotal role in the production of light and cannot be totally eliminated". It is important to properly recycle them.
Upstream:
Ink cartridges can be reused.
Prefer recyclable or biodegradable material, use plant-based ink, opt for refurbished / remanufactured cartridges.
Dowstream:
Work with a suitable contractor for e-waste. As of July 1st 2021, they are managed under the EPR e-waste scheme.
The « sustainability journey » may feel overwhelming sometimes, but you are not alone.
Our Buddies have tried, succeeded, failed to implement change in their companies. They share their experience so you can learn, take shortcuts, get inspired and ask questions.
Everybody can become a Buddy and give back to the community; if you are keen, get in touch with us.
A lawyer by training, Eliza has been in Private banking since 1996, with roles ranging from Relationship Management to Head of Strategy for PWM Latin America at Deutsche Bank New York, and a member of the Management Committee. Eliza was also the Business Manager and Head of Business Compliance for the International markets at Bank of Singapore, before joining Azqore as COO for Asia. Eliza has worked in Kuala Lumpur, Frankfurt, New York and Singapore and in addition lived in London, Tokyo and Hong Kong, an experience that has shaped her outlook and made her very much a global citizen.
A banking operations professional, Loretta has had experience across various firms, like UBS and Nomura, before joining Credit Agricole 5 years ago. Currently Azqore’s Head of Asia Operations, she has worked in Singapore, Hong Kong, China and even had a short stint in India. These experiences have opened her eyes to various cultures and cuisines.
Both Eliza and Loretta kicked off the Azqore Asia CSR initiative in 2020 and have never looked back since.
Alya is a multi-passionate entrepreneur, Positive Mentor, and engaging Public Speaker driven by her mission to empower change-makers to take action with a 'Positive Push.'
As the founder of Green Push, she works with companies to engage employees in sustainability through customised programmes that inspire positive change. At her core, Alya is a natural people connector and community builder, dedicated to creating spaces where individuals can collaborate and amplify their collective impact.
Through her mentoring, Alya offers actionable insights and encouragement to aspiring changemakers, guiding them to turn their ideas into real-world impact. As a public speaker, her keynotes can explore topics like Climate Action, Impact Entrepreneurship, and Climate Optimism, inspiring others to make a difference.
Alya is also an Earth shot Prize Official Nominator for 2025 - if you have an inspiring, inclusive, and impactful solution, feel free to get in touch!
I started my career as a mechanical engineer for 5 years and joined TayPaper Recycling in 2018. Tay Paper Recycling has grown from an informal scrap dealer to now a leading paper focused recycling company in Singapore. On top of just recycling, we also offer confidential data disposal services to help clients comply with PDPA, GDPR and recycle at the same time. I am now working at KGS, an e-waste and data sanitization company.
With 17 years of experience in IT across different sectors and industries, Benoit managed a team focusing on project management and IT application support in Singapore. In 2017, he was one of the founders, and later on leader of Credit Agricole CIB's first green team in Singapore. Since 2022, he has started in France a new adventure within Credit Agricole Assurances (CAA) and managed up to 24 people, in software integration team.
Recently, in September 2023, he was promoted to ECODESIGN Coach within CAA. He is creating and deploying a new framework for all projects to add a sustainability dimension to help CAA reduce its environmental impact.
Package Pals is a circular packaging initiative that seeks to extend the life cycle of packaging. We collect used e-commerce packaging from members of the public, distributing it back to businesses seeking eco-friendly, second hand packaging options. There are 7 categories of packaging we collect: poly mailers (<A4),paper envelopes (<A4), plastic wrappers (<A4), bubble wrap, padded envelopes.
Package Pals has worked with multiple large and small businesses, schools, NGOs and governmental organisations since it was started in May 2020. Other than carrying out collection and distribution, we also focus on education and outreach, seeking to educate our 4k-strong audience on packaging waste and other environmental issues, through social media, webinars and other events.
Mary has founded Journey Makers to support organisations in their online presence blending customer experience and employee experience. She was previously in charge of Customer Experience for Lyreco Asia and worked on accelerating Digital and Marketing activities. In 2020, she was appointed sustainability ambassador as well for the region, as the topic was becoming a strategic one for the company. Thriving to drive the change internally and externally, she launched a Green Team that she co-led with her colleague.
Prior to this role, Mary had made her career essentially in the hospitality industry at global and regional role, from trade marketing, sales to Digital marketing. Before moving to Singapore in 2015, she was based in Dubai, UAE and France.
Before joining Chanel, I was General Manager of BSI Singapore for 2.5 years. Prior to joining BSI, I held different job assignments for the international retailer Carrefour. For them, I oversaw Quality, Food Safety and Sustainability in China and then at the Group level.
I spent most of my career working in Asia: in Shanghai, Hong Kong and I have been happily settled in Singapore for 8 years now.
I have a real passion for sustainability and nature conservation and I love to share the knowledge and experience I gained in this field. I am also a volunteer for the Singaporean NGO called Climate Conversation which aims to raise awareness on climate change.
Founder and Director of the consulting business Zero Waste City, Rémi provides engineering consulting services to large commercial and industrial facilities on waste management, energy efficiency, and packaging design.
He has gained a strong experience as a consultant covering a wide range of industries and technologies in New Zealand, Australia, and Singapore.
He is a certified TRUE Advisor (Total Resource Use Efficiency) by the U.S. Green Building Council Inc. This certification recognised his knowledge in Zero Waste programs and his ability to support businesses to achieve the TRUE Zero Waste certification.
Carolin is a passionate and driven entrepreneur and sustainability advocate. She is involved in many projects and initiatives that contribute to reducing our environmental impact.
In 2020, Carolin founded the social enterprise susGain.
susGain is a rewards-based engagement app that focuses on driving behavioural change within communities (corporates, schools, NGOs etc.) whilst measuring ESG reportable data on the impact created. By better connecting the environmentally and socially conscious stakeholders, susGain hopes to accelerate the change towards more sustainable communities.
Prior to susGain, Carolin worked as Account & Project Manager in an HR consulting and change management firm, where she was responsible for business development and end-to-end project management of training and consulting projects across APAC.
In July 2021, Carolin won the Finder's Expatpreneur Sustainability Award. susGain has also been recognized by Global Initiatives at the Sustainable Business Awards Singapore 2020/21.
I run a business called Bright Green where I work with corporates to engage employees in impact projects in the areas of environmental and social impact. I also facilitate sustainability learning programs to educate employees on developing an eco-friendly mindset and high impact actions they can take in their homes and daily lives.
Before founding Bright Green in 2020, I have been working in Project Management, Change Management and Continuous Improvement roles within Human Resources and Recruitment. I love that I get to work with organisations that are making commitments to net-zero and inspire employees to make an impact!
