In this industry, the products are pretty much a commodity. Sorted recyclables that we collect are at the mercy of international market forces which is increasingly volatile. In the local market, it is a service-oriented market with stiff competition. It is also challenging in Singapore ats the eco-consciousness is not as strong, so it is hard to get people to adopt more sustainable practices especially if it costs more.

Clients often ask us : Can you do it for free? Are there rebates for my recyclables? Can you tell us the process of what happens after you collect our waste? 

Usually regarding the cost, I will try to explain the cost involved in making the collection and processes after. I may then offer both a service charge $X per trip and a reimbursement rate like $Y/kg and, at the end of the day, they may cancel each other out or one party pays the other. 

In terms of what happens after collection, for paper waste we will sort, pack and export them to paper mills to be made into new products. For other materials like plastic and metals which we have less volume of, we usually partner with local recyclers (similar to us but plastic or metal focused) for them to process or export.

I would tell them to:

• Start the conversation with us or a professional waste consultant to help design a “towards zero waste” plan. Paper waste will be one of the lower hanging fruits to tackle.
• Continuously engage with staff to properly segregate the recyclables from contaminations to have a successful program.
• For warehouses, conversations may start out trying to recycle papers but could turn out to be a full blown zero waste journey.
  

For the future, we are expecting some paper types to decline such as newspapers and writing papers but an increase in packaging papers like cartons. Therefore, we are moving toward a one-stop service approach to help customers with their zero waste journey with recycling as a focus. We are looking to onboard partners and capabilities to offer other services such as waste audit & consultancy, plastic recycling, food waste solutions etc. 

DBS project is a program where we help them collect and recycle red packets, and all their branches act as drop-off points for the public. One of the main benefits is that it sparks a conversation around recycling and sustainability during the Chinese festive season which promotes eco awareness. 

Two of A Kind project is where we help them (an online direct to consumer contact lens retailer) recycle plastic daily contact lens blisters (containers). This allows these blisters to be effectively recycled where it would have, otherwise, not been picked up at local sorting plants due to its size. It also sparks a great conversation with contact lens community as this project accepts blisters from all other brands too.

I believe that these partnerships, when well designed, can only be beneficial to all parties, including the environment. So, the more the merrier. 

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I joined KGS as a business development director in early 2021. Main e-waste we collect is ICT equipment ranging from laptops to servers. With ICT equipment, it often contains data so data sanitization services such as magnetic degaussing are value added services we provide when we help clients recycle e-waste. From Dec 2020 to June 2021, we have been instrumental in executing and promoting the PMD disposal and recycling program with the support of NEA and LTA.

We will sort the e-waste we collected into various types and send them for refurbishment or recycling. Then we will proceed to dismantle the items down into its component level, segregate into respective materials and send for further recycling. We are audited to international standards for our processes and partners we work with to ensure proper recycling.