Title: Zero landfill, zero waste: the greening of industry in Singapore

Authors: Josephine Chinying Lang

Addresses: Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University, Nanyang Avenue, 639798, Singapore.

Abstract: This paper reviews how a land-scarce city-state is trying to achieve its goals of zero landfill and zero waste through the greening of industry. The main challenges Singapore confronts in its solid waste management are an increasing volume of industrial waste generated, a shortage of land for landfills, and escalating costs of incineration plants. To green its industries, there has been a coordinated effort to develop a recycling industry and to initiate public-private partnerships that will advance environmental technologies. Case studies on the steel, construction, waste incineration, and the food retail industry illustrate the environmental progress that has been made. These cases show also the crucial role played by the government in accelerating the greening of industry by facilitating the formation of strategic collaborations among organisations, and by reconciling the twin objectives of sustainability and profitability.

Keywords: waste minimisation; waste disposal; environmental sustainability; zero landfill; zero waste; recycling; solid waste management; pollution control; pollution prevention; environmental technology; greening industry; Singapore; sustainable development; government policy; steel industry; construction industry; waste incineration; food retail industry.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESD.2005.007744

International Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development, 2005 Vol.4 No.3, pp.331 - 351

Published online: 07 Sep 2005 *

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