Recycling at Commercial Buildings and Industrial Estates

General waste from commercial and industrial premises are collected by licensed general waste collectors and sent to the incineration plants or landfill. For commercial buildings and industrial estates with recycling programmes, recycling bins or skips are placed at certain locations and the recyclables are collected by a recycling collector (usually the recycling service is provided by the same general waste collector). It is not mandatory for commercial buildings and industrial estates to have recycling programmes.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) has worked with the JTC Corporation to implement recycling programmes for JTC industrial estates. NEA has also published the Guidebook on Waste Minimisation for Industries to help companies reduce their waste and practise recycling through a waste minimisation plan, tips and case studies. The guidebook is available for download at the NEA website.

(This article was first published in SG Recycle.)

Green Tip #12 – Select refurbished, recycled or eco-friendly furniture and building materials

Buy refurbished or second-hand furniture that are repaired and cleaned to look like new furniture. This helps to reduce the amount of old furniture sent for disposal. Or choose furniture and building materials made from recycled wood such as tables, chairs, doors and flooring.

You can also select furniture and building materials made of eco-friendly bamboo or wood sourced from sustainable forests such as those certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), which helps to reduce the rate of deforestation.

Local players can set the trend for green buildings

Channel NewsAsia reported that local players in the property sector can play a bigger role in setting the trend for green buildings.

There is a growing trend for property developers and owners to have green buildings, and this is mainly due to some help from the government. The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) launched the Green Mark Scheme in January 2005 to promote green buildings which incorporate best practices in energy and water efficiency, site and project management, indoor environmental quality, and environmental innovations. Read more