Guidebook on Waste Minimisation for Industries

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    Guidebook on Waste Minimisation for Industries

    TABLE OF CONTENTSAcknowledgements

    CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

    Overview of the Solid Waste Situation in Singapore

    NEAs Strategies on Waste Minimisation

    Why Develop this Guidebook?

    CHAPTER 2: BENEFITS OF WASTE MINIMISATION

    What is Waste Minimisation?

    Benefits to Companies

    Benefits to Singapore

    CHAPTER 3: EIGHT STEPS TO A WASTE MINIMISATION PLAN

    Step 1 Get Managements Commitment

    Step 2 Select a Waste Minimisation Working Team

    Step 3 Conduct a Waste Audit

    Step 4 Determine the True Costs of Waste

    Step 5 Develop Waste Reduction Options

    Step 6 Assess the Scope of Savings & Rank Options

    Step 7 Develop a Waste Minimisation Plan

    Step 8 Implement and Improve the Plan

    CHAPTER 4: CASE STUDIES

    Baxter Healthcare Pte Ltd

    Chevron Oronite Pte Ltd

    IBM Singapore Pte Ltd

    Kyoei Engineering Singapore Pte Ltd

    Sony Display Device (Singapore) Pte Ltd

    Tetra Pak Jurong Pte Ltd

    REFERENCES

    http://app2.nea.gov.sg/data/cmsresource/20100831551567181718.pdfhttp://app2.nea.gov.sg/data/cmsresource/20100901491845260649.pdfhttp://app2.nea.gov.sg/data/cmsresource/20100901416427353336.pdfhttp://app2.nea.gov.sg/data/cmsresource/20100901979857978462.pdfhttp://app2.nea.gov.sg/data/cmsresource/20100901957731850863.pdfhttp://app2.nea.gov.sg/data/cmsresource/20100901718494123780.pdfhttp://app2.nea.gov.sg/data/cmsresource/20100901718494123780.pdfhttp://app2.nea.gov.sg/data/cmsresource/20100901957731850863.pdfhttp://app2.nea.gov.sg/data/cmsresource/20100901979857978462.pdfhttp://app2.nea.gov.sg/data/cmsresource/20100901416427353336.pdfhttp://app2.nea.gov.sg/data/cmsresource/20100901491845260649.pdfhttp://app2.nea.gov.sg/data/cmsresource/20100831551567181718.pdf
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    ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

    The National Environment Agency (NEA) would like to thank the followingorganisations for their participation in the Working Group to produce this

    Guidebook and for their invaluable contributions and support:

    i) JTC Corporation,

    ii) Singapore Manufacturers Federation,

    iii) IBM Singapore Pte Ltd,

    iv) Sony Electronics (Singapore) Pte Ltd and

    v) Waste Management and Recycling Association of Singapore

    The NEA would also like to thank the following persons and their companiesfor their contributions of the best practices in waste minimisation & recyclingto the Guidebook and for their invaluable advice and suggestions:

    i) Ms Shirley Pang [Baxter Healthcare Pte Ltd]

    ii) Mr Ting Eeng Hoe [Baxter Healthcare Pte Ltd]

    iii) Mr Alan Chong [Chevron Oronite Pte Ltd]

    iv) Mr Lim Tew Team [Kyoei Engineering Singapore Pte Ltd]

    v) Mr Windsor Chan Jr [IBM Singapore Pte Ltd]

    vi) Mr Chan Pheng Hwa [Sony Display Device (Singapore) Pte Ltd]

    vii) Mr Ong Lye Huat [Tetra Pak Jurong Pte Ltd]

    Our special thanks also to Dr Tan Kee Wee, (Director, Research & CorporateCommunications of Singapore Manufacturers Federation) for editing theGuidebook.

    We would like to thank all who had provided feedback and suggestions.

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    Guidebook on Waste Minimisation for Industries

    CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

    Overview of Solid Waste Situation in Singapore

    Over the past three decades, the solid waste disposed of in Singapore hasincreased 6-fold. Domestic waste increased about 3-fold. Non-domestic wasteincreased even more by about 8-fold mainly from the high growth in themanufacturing and services sectors.

    Since 1979, the government has spent billions of dollars to build fourincineration plants and sanitary landfills. The incineration plants have beendesigned to incinerate waste safely and fitted with air pollution control

    equipment. They effectively reduce the volume of waste for final disposal inthe landfill and also recover energy and scrap metals. Even then, the lastlandfill on the main island of Singapore was filled up by 1999 and a newoffshore landfill at Pulau Semakau was developed for non-incinerable waste.With the rate of growth in solid waste, Singapore would need to build a newincineration plant every 5-7 years and a new landfill the size of SemakauLandfill every 25-30 years.

    Strategies on Waste Minimisation

    It is not sustainable to go on building more waste disposal facilities to meet

    increasing amounts of waste. Moreover, building and operating new disposalfacilities is very costly and could only lead to a higher refuse disposal fee.The sustainable waste management solution is to minimise waste, andmaximise recycling. Such an approach would help to defer the construction ofnew disposal facilities, reduce the demand for land to build the facilities, andavoid unnecessary increase in the refuse disposal fee.

    Recognising the need to reduce waste, the Ministry of the Environment (ENV)started to promote waste reduction and recycling in the 1980s and 1990s byadopting a policy of waste incineration to reduce waste volume andencouraging recycling. By 2002, about 90% of the waste is disposed of by

    incineration thus reducing the landfill space taken up by waste verysignificantly. Industries have also responded well and by 2002, about 60% ofthe waste generated by industries was recycled. The overall waste recyclingrate for all waste was 45% in 2002.

    To step up the efforts, the National Environment Agency (NEA, a statutoryboard under ENV) has adopted three strategies. One is to reduce waste goingto incineration plants. The other is to reuse incineration ash. The third is toreduce waste going directly to landfills. To achieve a long-term goal ofsustainable waste management, the Singapore Green Plan (SGP) 2012 setsthe following key targets:

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    increase the overall waste recycling rate to 60% by 2012;

    extend the lifespan of Semakau Landfill to 50 years, and striving towardszero landfill;

    reduce the need for new incineration plants, from the current one every 5-7 years, to one every 10-15 years.

    The NEA has been working closely with various partners in the people, privateand public sectors to educate, plan and implement waste recyclingprogrammes to meet the targets of the SGP 2012.

    Why Develop this Guidebook ?

    A growing number of manufacturing companies in Singapore has beenpractising waste minimisation at various levels and realised savings andother benefits.

    However, the fact that our disposal facilities still receive large amounts ofwaste materials from industries indicates that there is still room forimprovement.

    Currently, non-domestic waste from industries and commercial premisesaccounts for about 50% of the waste disposed at our waste disposal facilities.Studies show that there is scope to reduce waste at source and to recovermore recyclables from the industrial sector for reuse and recycling.

    This Guidebook is a joint effort of NEA, JTC Corporation (JTC), SingaporeManufacturers Federation (SMa), Waste Management and RecyclingAssociation of Singapore (WMRAS), and industries. The aim of theGuidebook is to assist companies to reduce waste at source and to maximiserecovery of recyclable waste for reuse or recycling. This would in turn lead tofurther improvement in productivity and profitability, and reduce waste. ThisGuidebook will provide companies with practical information on how toapproach, plan, and implement a waste minimisation plan. It also providescase studies of several companies that have achieved cost savings and wastereduction.

    BENEFITS OF WASTE MINIMISATION

    What is Waste Minimisation?

    There are many ways to define waste minimisation. In its broadest sense,waste minimisation includes all practices (including waste prevention, reuseand recycling) that reduce the amount of waste entering the environment.

    More specifically, waste minimisation in industry means practices, including,but not limited to:

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    Product design modifications,

    Inventory management changes,

    Operational & maintenance procedure changes,

    Material changes,

    Equipment replacement or modifications,

    Reuse/recycling of waste materials.

    Benefits to Companies

    Waste minimisation has positive outcomes to industries. It can provide

    competitive advantages to a company in two main ways:

    Improved Resource Efficiency & Cost Savings

    All the resources (such as raw materials, consumables, energy, water,manpower and time) that a company puts into their business process willresult in either products which can generate revenue, or waste which costsmoney to treat or dispose of. A representation of a resource throughput isshown below.

    Cost

    waste (gaseous / liquid / solid) waste energy waste manpower & time

    Products

    Revenue

    BusinessProcess

    Cost

    raw materials &consumables

    energy & water manpower & time

    Practising waste minimisation in any area of a business process can helpreduce business costs. This can be done through improved resource and

    process efficiency, reduction of waste, and cutting down of waste handlingand disposal costs. Many companies experiences have demonstrated this.Several examples are given in Chapter 4 of this Guidebook on Case Studies.

    Improved Public Image & Winning Edge

    Furthermore, companies that make efforts to achieve waste reduction canalso improve their public image, enhance their reputation by going green, andgain a winning edge in the market place as preferred suppliers. Manybusinesses have enhanced their relationship with customers throughinitiatives such as reusable transit packaging, end-of-life take-back schemes,etc.

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    An electronic company used to spend large amounts of money on one-waypackaging materials to deliver their products to customers. They then formeda waste minimisation working committee. This led to an intensive waste auditat every stage of the manufacturing process, and in-house reduction targets

    were set. The company found opportunities to reduce, reuse and recyclewaste. One of the options - the reuse of packaging materials found strongsupport with their customers - resulted in large reduction in packaging waste,and realised savings of about $1 million a year.

    Benefits to the Nation

    Singapore disposed of 2.6 million tonnes of solid waste in 2002. Collecting,processing and disposing the waste in land-scarce Singapore are expensiveand resource intensive. At the current refuse disposal fee of $77 per tonne,this represents a $200 million value per year in expense. A 10% reduction inwaste disposal would result in savings of $2 million or more each year. In turn,the reduction in waste would help reduce the demand for new waste disposalfacilities and the associated expenditure.

    Just as important, waste minimisation helps to conserve finite naturalresources, expand the lifespan of the landfill, and move a step closer tosustainable waste management and towards zero landfill.

    EIGHT STEPS TO A WASTE MINIMISATION PLAN

    Your company may already have a waste minimisation plan or programme inplace. If so, you may use this Guidebook as a point of reference and go tothe sections most appropriate to your needs. Or you could make use of theresource information listed in References section to further improve your plan.

    If your company is starting from scratch, this Guidebook would help you movealong step by step in developing and implementing a waste minimisation planfor your facility. The steps are as follows:

    Step 1: Get Managements Commitment

    Step 2: Select a Waste Minimisation Working Team

    Step 3: Conduct a Waste Audit

    Step 4: Determine the True Costs of Waste

    Step 5: Develop Waste Reduction Options

    Step 6: Assess the Scope of Savings & Rank Options

    Step 7: Develop a Waste Minimisation Plan

    Step 8: Implement and Improve the Plan

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    Step 1: Get Managements Commitment

    To stay competitive, companies need to continually find new ways to improveefficiency and cut costs.

    If you are the decision-maker of the company and would like to achieve thesame benefits that other companies have reaped, then the first step, which isan essential prerequisite for success, is to give a clear and strong signal ofthe senior managements commitment to support waste minimisation efforts.

    If you are an environmental engineer or manager (or from any otherdepartments), and believe that there are scope to reduce waste in yourfacility, take this first step to propose a waste minimisation plan to your seniormanagement to draw up and implement a waste minimisation plan. You needto collect data on the amount of waste generated by your company and thecost of disposing it and estimate the potential savings today and in the future.

    You should also find the most effective channel; to present your idea andproposal so that senior management has a chance to study and consider youridea and proposal.

    When the senior management has made their decision, it is important to get aclear direction on appointment of the appropriate personnel to take charge ofthe project and the time frame for implementation.

    Request your senior management to demonstrate its support and commitmentas follows:

    Circulating or make known to all staff a policy statement on wasteminimisation;

    Announcing the formation of a waste minimisation team and give the teamthe authority and responsibility;

    Keeping staff informed of plan and the progress of the project

    Giving recognition as appropriate to the staff involved; and

    Showing interest and participating in key activities on waste minimisation.

    The policy statement, which conveys waste minimisation plan objectives toemployees, may include these main points:

    Reducing waste at source to eliminate waste is the main goal in research,process and product design, plant operations, and is as important tomanagement as quality, safety, yield, and loss prevention.

    Reusing and recycling materials before disposing them as waste.

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    In the policy statement, you may also want to list certain motivations for wasteminimisation. These could be product quality improvement, cost reduction,and being an environmentally-responsible corporate citizen.

    Following are some examples of policy statements. You may use them as the

    reference, or amend the language to suit your facility.

    Examples of Policy Statements

    1. [Your Company]'s policy is to reduce all waste to the minimum levelsthat are economically and technically feasible;

    As both a responsible citizen and [Company] employee, each individualis responsible for reducing waste, and for complying fully with all wastereduction programme goals established by the company;

    Employees are urged to come forth with suggestions for further reducingwaste in their own work areas, and in any other areas which they mayhave ideas.

    2. [Your Company] is committed to excellence and leadership in protectingthe environment. In keeping with this policy, our objective is to reducewaste and emissions. We strive to minimize adverse impact on the air,water, and land, through excellence in waste reduction. By successfullyreducing waste at its source, we can achieve cost savings, increaseoperational efficiencies, improve the quality of our products andservices, and maintain a safe and healthy workplace for our employees.[Your Company] promotes environmentally-sound measures to reduce,reuse, and recycle waste.

    Once management signs and dates the policy statement, display itprominently and distribute it widely.

    How a company first distribute the written policy to employees indicates itscommitment. Posting it unexpectedly at work stations could send a negativemessage. We suggest that you call a special meeting to explain and distributecopies of your company's policy, and ask employees for their ideas. This will

    help to send a positive signal to employees and get them involved and treatthe matter seriously.

    Step 2: Select a Waste Minimisation Working Team

    Following the policy decision, a waste minimisation working team need to beformed to make things happen.

    A company needs to select a waste minimisation working team, identify acompetent team leader, and give the leader sufficient authority to lead the

    team. The team leader would best possess the following attributes:

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    Familiar with the facility, its production processes, and its wastemanagement operations

    Familiar with quality control requirements

    Good rapport with management and employees

    Familiar with waste reduction principles and techniques

    Familiar with new production and waste management technology

    The size of the team can vary depending on the complexity of the companysoperation. Preferably, the members would be well represented in terms ofexperience, knowledge, and perception of the issues, and from differentsections / departments / divisions and levels such as :

    Management

    Engineering / design

    Production

    Maintenance

    Purchasing

    Accounting / Finance

    Shipping / Receiving

    It may be useful for the team to involve the companys suppliers in theplanning process. Suppliers would have the technical knowledge about theraw materials, or equipment, or packaging that they are supplying. They mayalso have experience with their other customers on similar projects and canshare information and success stories. For the same reason, it would behelpful to involve your companys customers in the process.

    Step 3: Conduct a Waste Audit

    Solid waste in a manufacturing facility is usually generated in three areas:

    manufacturing (wastage of raw material and process waste);

    shipping and receiving (packaging waste);

    office operations (paper and print cartridge waste, etc.);

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    Understanding the waste generated in these areas is an essential step andcan be done through conducting a waste audit.

    The objective of a waste audit is to profile the waste streams by finding outinformation on the

    types of waste,

    quantity of each waste stream,

    how they are generated,

    why they are generated,

    where they are being generated, and

    how they are managed after being generated.

    Doing this alone will not reduce waste, but it helps to identify areas of wastageand problems, and discover opportunities to reduce them in the later stage ofplanning.

    You can obtain information on waste materials through:

    getting material purchasing records, waste disposal invoices, records ofwaste and rejects produced at generation points in daily operations;

    walking through different operational processing areas;

    surveying the waste in the refuse bins; and

    talking to the relevant employees.

    Create a checklist for all waste streams and use a waste assessment sheetfor each waste stream identified from all activities / processes / operations. Anexample of a waste stream assessment sheet is as follows:

    Date: Process / Operation / Activity:

    Profile of waste:

    Type of Waste:Point of origin:Quantity/month:Physical & chemical properties:Rate of generation (i.e. kg/unit ofproduct):

    Potential for contamination (e.g.mixed with other types of waste):

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    Cost to manage and/or dispose:Why it is generated (e.g. due tofrequent machine break down):How it is managed after beinggenerated (i.e. reused / recycled

    / disposed ?):

    When conducting the waste audit, an estimate should be made of theresources required to carry out the audit. Your resources requirements mayinclude the following:

    adequate time for assigned people to carry out audit tasks to ensure thequality of your audit data;

    storage containers to isolate, move, and sort waste and recyclables;

    different-colour bags, tags, or labelled containers to identify waste fromvarious generation points;

    space for sorting and storing waste during the audit;

    a weighing scale.

    The suggested waste audit approach is not intended to provide a highlyaccurate and detailed measurement of all waste, but to identify the majorwaste and to provide a starting point for your waste diversion initiatives.

    If the operation of your company is a highly complex one that needsexperienced personnel to conduct the audit, or the resources are limited inyour company, you may want to consider hiring consultants specialising inwaste audits.

    Special attention needs to be given to find out why a waste is generated. Itcan help to discover the root cause of wastage and identify solutions.

    Step 4: Determine the True Costs of Waste

    Having identified the waste streams and filled in the related information in thewaste assessment sheets, you would have the basic information on the wasteproduced by your company. The next step is to determine the true cost ofdealing with the waste streams from various processes, operations, oractivities. This would help to provide a clearer picture of how much it costs thecompany when these waste are produced and then disposed of. You canthen identify the high cost waste streams, prioritise efforts, and track theoverall success of the waste minimisation programmes.

    There are two broad areas of costs that should be considered. From theanalysis of costs below, it can be seen that the true cost of waste is more thanwhat meets the eyes.

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    Disposal Costs

    Hauling Charge is the cost you pay a contractor for collecting andtransporting waste to an incineration plant or the

    landfill.

    Container Rental Fee is the monthly fee for having a compactor, or anopen top container, or refuse bins on-site.

    Disposal Tipping Fee is the charge for the amount of waste (tonnage)being disposed of at an incinerator or the landfill.

    These three elements of the disposal costs may not apply in some cases.Some waste collectors may charge a company a flat fee to include all thethree elements of the costs depending on the contract agreed upon.

    Associated Costs

    The true costs of producing waste goes beyond the disposal cost. In itssimplest form, we need to add the cost of the raw material in the waste to thecost of disposal. Where more than one material is in the waste, thiscalculation should be made for each component.

    Simplest calculation of the true cost of a waste

    Cost of waste = Cost of raw material thatbecomes waste

    + Cost of disposal ofwaste

    =[Amount of raw materialpurchased amount of rawmaterial in product] x unitcost of raw material

    +Cost of disposal of rawmaterial waste

    In reality, any business process involves many resources on top of the rawmaterials used. Hence, when we calculate the true cost of a waste, we needto assign all the associated costs contributing to the true cost of producing awaste, and they can include the following:

    Purchasing cost of raw materials

    o the raw material that exceeds the shelf-life;o the raw material lost / leakage before it gets to the production process;o the raw material in the rejects.

    Manpower costso operating labour and supervision

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    o maintenance worko material handlingo inspectiono record keepingo training

    Utilities costso electricityo watero steamo refrigerationo fuelo sewerage

    Equipment depreciation

    Loss of revenue (i.e. downgraded product, seconds, or an off-standardreject that can not be sold)

    Cost of waste handlingo storage,o internal transport,o managing waste-disposal contractors;

    Although businesses have many elements in common, it is impossible tocover all aspects of costs associated with individual waste. The true costs

    should be examined for each and every waste.

    In summary, the true cost of a waste should include all associated waste andthe disposal costs.

    True Cost of Waste = Associated Costs +

    Disposal Costs

    Experience has shown that many businesses spend around 4% of theirturnover generating waste. The true cost of waste can be between 5 and 20

    times the cost of their disposal. And in an average company, it could bearound ten times the cost of disposal.

    Step 5: Develop Waste Reduction Options

    After conducting the waste audit and determining the true costs of waste, thenext step is to identify the opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce wasteand cut down costs.

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    Objective

    Your objective at this step is to generate a comprehensive set of wasteminimisation options. Consider every waste stream as a reduction opportunityuntil proven otherwise. Most of the time, an opportunity exists if a waste

    stream exists.

    Prioritising waste streams

    If your company has quite a few waste streams, you may want to prioritisethem. One-way of ranking them is in terms of their true cost. Generally, wecan target at the higher cost waste streams as they may represent higher costof raw materials, higher process inefficiency, and thus more potential for costsavings. Other factors, such as whether the high waste cost can easily bereduced, and the payback period for high investment measures to reducewaste, can also play a part. These factors will be considered at the ranking of

    options stage later.

    Tapping on all resources

    Identifying potential options relies both on the expertise and creativity of theteam members. Much of the information needed can come from theireducation and on-the-job experience. The team should tap on all resourcesavailable and involve as many employees as practically possible. Consultingstaff from different departments, such as purchasing officers, engineers,machine operators and maintenance technicians, would be useful too. Thesepeople know their working areas best and may be able to suggest goodoptions for waste reduction. Your suppliers / vendors and customers are alsovaluable resources.

    Consider all options

    At this stage of developing options, the working team should list all thepossible opportunities of reducing waste within the facility. The team shouldnot consider in detail the technical or economic aspects of any particularoption. This will be done at the next step. The list may include several optionsfor each waste stream or process.

    General areas for waste reduction

    In general, we could identify options to reduce waste in three areas:manufacturing (raw material and process waste), receiving/shipping(packaging waste) and office (paper, cartridge etc. general office waste). Thewaste minimisation techniques or practices listed below may help inspireyou to generate ideas on options to reduce waste at your facility.

    (1) Reduction of Manufacturing Waste

    (a) Inventory management

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    Proper control over raw materials, intermediate products, final products, andthe associated waste streams is an important waste reduction technique.Experiences show that better inventory control and material handling couldlead to reduction of raw material waste. You may look for waste reductionoptions by observing some general guidelines described below.

    Inventory control:

    purchase only the amount of raw materials needed for a production run ora set period of time;

    purchase the material in the proper amount and the proper size container;

    approach the suppliers to see if they can take back the excess materials;

    develop review procedures for all materials purchased, to minimise thechances of storing them beyond their shelf-life period.

    Material handling:

    Ensure that raw materials reach the production process without lossthrough contamination, spills, and leaks;

    Ensure that the material is efficiently handled and used in the productionprocess and does not become waste;

    Handle waste or rejects like a product. Allowing a recyclable or cleanwaste material to be contaminated can reduce or eliminate its recoverypotential;

    Encourage employees to separate waste that can be recycled from thosethat have to be sent for incineration or landfill. Label and place recyclingand trash bins in strategic locations of production process areas.

    (b) Production process modification

    Improving the efficiency of a production process can significantly reduce

    process waste generation. It can be achieved or enhanced throughmodification in operational and maintenance procedures, material change andequipment.

    Operational and maintenance procedures:

    Look for opportunities to further improve efficiency of operational processprocedures;

    Most production processes can be operated more efficiently, no matterhow long they have been in operation or how well they have been run.

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    Some process steps may in fact be unnecessary, and eliminating them willreduce waste generation.

    For example, a paint manufacturer found that instead of using a series ofcoarse to fine filters to remove grit, only the fine filter was necessary. As a

    result of this change to using only one filter, the generation of spent filtercartridges was reduced by more than 50%. The costs of purchasing,handling, and disposing of the cartridges have also been reduced.

    Document fully improved operating procedures, and make them part of theregular employee training programme;

    Implement a strict maintenance programme, which stresses preventiveand corrective maintenance, to reduce waste generation caused byequipment failure. Such a programme can help spot potential sources ofrelease and correct a problem before any material is lost;

    Maintain a strict schedule on all maintenance activities under theprogramme and keep accurate records.

    Material change:

    Consider material change that will lead to the elimination of one step of theprocess. This could lead to elimination, or reduction of raw material usedand waste generated, and improve the process efficiency;

    Consider material change that may have an impact on overall wastereduction;

    Use a less hazardous material in a production process where possible;

    Look for ways to avoid contamination of a waste so that it can be put backinto the originating process as a substitute for a raw material;

    Look for ways to use a waste as a raw material in another process;

    A high-technology and scientific equipment supplier uses employee teams toidentify waste reduction opportunities. In the course of a discussion betweenan engineer and a purchasing expert, they discovered one opportunity thatnow saves the company nearly $100,000 each year. By changing thespecifications for a steel-alloy part used in manufacturing seals, the companywas able to purchase an alternative material which requires less cutting andshaping to meet the customers needs. Just this one material switch reducedtheir labour cost by 33% and other related costs. The company also realisedsubstantial savings through a 66% reduction in metal waste.

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    Process equipment modification:

    Modify existing or install more efficient process equipment to takeadvantage of better production technologies: New or updated equipmentcan usually process materials more efficiently, reduce the amount of raw

    material used, and cut down the number of off-specification products orrejects. This will reduce waste and costs.

    Sometimes the modification of equipment can be simple and effective inimproving efficiency.

    A manufacturing companys core business is to produce office furniture. Themechanical sensors on a machine that cuts desk and table tops were reliable,but occasionally failed to function. As a consequence, the tops weresometimes cut out-of-square. Each mis-cut top had to be discarded, becausethey could not be repaired.

    Under their Machine Improvement Programme, they started looking into howto improve the reliability of the process. A simple low-cost solution to theproblem was proposed by the team involved in the programme. They replacedthe mechanical sensors with more reliable optical sensors. For an investmentof US$181, the company saved 17 tonnes of marketable tops valued atUS$8,950 each year. It also saved on the cost of 17 tonnes of raw materials,the cost on waste disposal, and all associated costs such as labour andenergy costs.

    In many cases, improved operational procedures and process equipmentmodifications are used together to improve efficiency, and reduce costs andwaste.

    (2) Reduction of Packaging Waste

    The packaging materials usually include cardboard, plastics, and drums. Yourpackaging waste will be either from your suppliers, who deliver the materialsyou need for your production, or in the form of packaging materials you use to

    pack and ship your products to your customers.

    Using packaging materials more than necessary to pack and ship yourproducts costs you more in purchasing, materials handling, and shipping. Thisgenerates more packaging waste at your customers end.

    If your suppliers use packaging materials more than necessary to supply youthe goods, or use single-use packaging, it generates more waste at yourfacility, costs you more time to handle, and incurs more disposal cost to you ifthe packaging is not recyclable.

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    Many companies experiences have shown that the easiest area to beginwaste reduction is most likely in the packaging area. Thus, in waste reduction,packaging waste is often referred to as low hanging fruit".

    So look into the ways to modify the design or change the material ofpackaging that can:

    improve packing / shipping efficiency,

    reduce the use of packing materials, and / or

    allow reusable or recyclable packaging.

    Work with your suppliers and customers for opportunities to reuse and / orrecycle packaging materials.

    A software company develops, markets, and ships computer softwareproducts that support software libraries for computer programmers and math

    experts. The company has implemented several waste reduction measures inits product packaging. Below is one of the examples:

    Previously, each product (which might consist of several disks and manuals)was packed in a small corrugated cardboard box. Since many of its customersorder more than one product at a time, these small boxes were thenconsolidated into one or more larger boxes. Under the new system, manualsand disks are shrink-wrapped together, eliminating the smaller boxes. Thishas reduced the weight of packaging sent to customers by an estimated 68%and significantly reduced staff time. They have achieved financial savings(packaging only) of $21,000/year. In addition, they have achieved significant

    resource savings on packaging each year.

    An engineering company manufactures and assembles precision customsheet metal parts for its customers.

    They have created a "closed-loop system" for some transport packaging. Byconvincing a customer to use a local vendor for an interim manufacturingstep, the company was able to create custom packaging to ship sheet metalparts. The second vendor inserts additional components, then ships the

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    completed assembly to the end customer. The durable cardboard packagingis returned to the company and is reused at least 10 times before beingrecycled. Financial savings amounted to more than $50,000 a year.

    (3) Reduction of Office Waste

    In a typical office, usually half of the total waste is paper-based. Paper istherefore a major purchasing and disposal cost to the average office. Yet it isa cost that can be brought down easily through reduction, reuse andrecycling. The following suggested practical options could be considered toreduce paper waste in an office:

    Reduce

    I can printDOUBLE-SIDED.USE ME TO THE

    FULLEST!!!

    Make it a company policy that all printing,photocopying and publications areproduced in double-sided format wherepossible.

    Put reminder posters near printers andphotocopiers.

    Cancel subscriptions of unwanted publications to reduce paper waste.

    Avoid overproduction of marketing and publicity material by reviewingdistribution lists and regularly updating databases

    Use electronic communication where possible to reduce printing andfaxing. Ensure that your staff is comfortable with new technology andprovide training where necessary. Encourage them not to print out e-mailsunless absolutely necessary.

    Eliminate the use of fax cover sheet where possible.

    Ensure fax machines are set so that they do not produce unwanted

    headers or report sheets.

    Reduce confidential waste costs by giving clear instructions to staff as towhich material is strictly confidential, and which is general paper waste.

    Use single-spacing for report or memo writing.

    Set narrower margins for drafts.

    Change margins to avoid the last page of your report with little text.

    Edit and proof-read carefully on the computer before printing.

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    Share newspapers / magazines.

    Reuse

    Collect all paper that has been printed onone side and re-use it for printing in draftor for scrap message pads.

    Re-use envelopes wherever possible,especially for sending informationinternally.

    Reuse paper file folders.

    Recycle

    Set up a waste paper collection system and send waste paper forrecycling. Place paper recycling bins in all office areas. A good guide isone bin between six staff members, and one next to each photocopier andprinter. Use paper ream lids as additional staff desk top collection trays.

    Ensure that cleaning staff are in support ofthe recycling scheme and that emptying therecycling bins is part of their contracted work.

    Promote the scheme to staff by putting upposters around the offices, and on binsexplaining the types of paper that can berecycled.

    Provide staff with on-going feedback about the scheme, including figureson the amount of paper collected. Suggest making a donation to charity orplanting a tree when targets are met.

    Use recycled paper

    Paper is a natural resource that can be recycled up to about five times. Thissubstantially reduces the impact on the environment. By using recycled paper,you can help boost the market for recycled products. This will in turn supportthe recycling industry and reduce unnecessary use of virgin materials.

    Today the quality of paper containing recycled fibre (e.g. 51% recycled fibre)has improved and is comparable with virgin paper. Where possible, you mayconsider purchasing and using recycled office paper.

    Reduction of other office waste

    Reuse paper clips, rubber bands

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    Collect print cartridges for recycling. Some local recycling companies canpick up and buy back the used cartridges from you, depending on thequantity and model of the cartridges, and whether they can recovertransportation cost.

    Purchase re-manufactured print cartridges from cartridge recyclingcompanies. The costs are much lower, and you could look for thecompanies that can provide you warranty on the re-manufacturedcartridges.

    Step 6: Assess the Scope of Savings and Rank Options

    Having generated a number of options to solve a waste minimisation problem,and a range of options for various waste streams, the next step is to assesstheir feasibility. It is also to assess the scope of savings of options, and rankand decide the options that can be implemented.

    (a) Technical Assessment

    Technical assessment is to determine whether a proposed option will work,and whether there are any facility constraints or product requirements whichwill make it technically unwise to implement. The completed technicalassessment should be reviewed by all affected sections / departments /divisions of the company.

    During the screening procedure to assess the options, the following questionscan be asked by the team to facilitate the assessment:

    Does the proposed option of equipment / technology change have a goodtrack record in the market? If not, is there convincing evidence that theoption will work as required?

    Is the option compatible with the current manufacturing process;

    Does the change maintain product quality requirements;

    Does the change meet shipping / packing criteria to protect the productsfrom damaging;

    Is this option appropriate to the problem (e.g. installing automatic controlswhere a simple change to operating procedures would be just as good)?

    Who can implement this? (i.e. Is external help needed or can it be done in-house?)

    When can it be implemented? Some solutions may take longer than othersto come to fruition.

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    Any options that are deemed to be technically feasible now require economicassessment.

    (b) Economic Assessment

    An economic assessment of a potential solution to a waste minimisationproblem includes:

    one-off cost of implementation (i.e. capital investment, costs of design,testing and implementation);

    on-going cost of operating or maintaining the solution (i.e. running costs,maintenance costs);

    savings from the associated costs (i.e. raw material cost and otherrelevant costs listed in step 4) and disposal costs;

    In many cases a simple payback calculation is sufficient to assess theeconomic feasibility of an option or to identify an optimum option.

    Calculating payback

    The payback can be calculated by dividing the total one-off cost of theproject by the net saving of the project (the difference between savingsand operating & maintenance costs). This gives a payback figure in

    years.

    In some cases, more in-depth assessment methods may be required.These could include undiscounted and discounted financial analysis. Thewaste minimisation working team could approach the companyaccountant if there are any doubts about calculating cost and benefit.There is also a UK guide available which can be found at this website(www.envirowise.gov.uk/envirowisev3.nsf/key/GuidesP) called Investingto Increase Profits and Reduce Waste. It contains detailed examples offinancial appraisal.

    (c) Other Considerations

    Other factors that could be considered include:

    How much waste could be reduced through the change?

    Is the option easy to implement?

    Does the option ensure the lowest environmental burden or impactcompared with other options (e.g. an option that reduces or eliminateswaste is better than a recycle route identified for the waste)?

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    Does the option ensure that the change will not create problems in otherenvironmental areas (e.g. the decrease of solid waste does not increaseliquid waste or hazardous waste)?

    The overall assessment based on the technical and economic assessments,

    and considerations of the factors listed above should lead to the final rankingof the most reasonable options for reduction of waste streams.

    Step 7: Develop a Waste Minimisation Plan

    What to be Included in a Waste Minimisation Plan

    When the tasks outlined in the previous steps are completed, you can start todevelop and write a waste minimisation plan for your company including:

    Targeted waste streams for reduction;

    Proposed options to minimise the waste and a description for each option;

    Estimated costs involved;

    Estimated payback period and net savings;

    Estimated volume of waste reduction (i.e. kg) for each waste stream;

    Implementation schedule of the options (steps or phases and timing forimplementation);

    Implementation requirements (such as tasks and personnel assignments),

    Training of personnel involved,

    Management requirements,

    Measurable, performance goals

    Target dates for completion of goals

    In addition to the write-up of the plan, you could create a summary table of theplan similar to the one below for ease of reference for your team and themanagement.

    Summary of waste minimisation planWastetype

    Qty(t/kg)

    Proposedoption forwastereduction

    Wastereductiongoal(t/kg)

    Estimatedcosts

    Estimatedpaybackperiod

    Startdate

    Enddate

    Status

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    Considerations for Scheduling the Implementation:

    Packaging usually provides the easiest reduction opportunities and thus thegreatest potential for savings. So you may wish to schedule the easy options

    first.

    Some options, which do not involve equipment change, are inexpensive andquick to implement. Thus, you could schedule such options like operationprocedural changes or material changes for implementation as soon aspossible.

    Also, the options that have shorter payback period and produce greatersavings can be scheduled for implementation early.

    In waste minimisation plans that call for equipment changes, it's essentially

    the same as any other capital improvement project. The phases of the projectinclude planning, design, procurement, construction or installation, and youmay need to schedule them for implementation at a later stage whenresources are available and the team can cope.

    Establishment of Goals & Measuring Indicators

    In order to measure the success of the waste minimisation plan, specificperformance goals need to be established and expressed in numeric terms.To measure waste reduction, it would be more meaningful to measure it interms of actual waste reduction in tonnes, or kilograms of waste generatedper standard unit of production. The following are some useful measurementsfor setting the waste and cost reduction goals:

    Ratio of waste generated to production rate, before and afterimplementation of the option;

    *Ratio of raw materials consumed to production rate, before and afterimplementation (an indirect measure of waste reduction);

    Savings on raw materials costs and waste disposal costs;

    Changes in utilities and maintenance costs;

    Changes in manpower and other associated costs;

    Changes in production capacity and product quality;

    The programme's actual costs and savings compared with the initialprogramme estimates;

    * Obtaining good quality data for waste stream volume, flow, and compositioncan be costly and time consuming. For this reason, in some instances,expressing waste reduction indirectly in terms of the ratio of input materials

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    consumption to production rate may be more practical. These data are easierto obtain although the measure is not direct.

    If the establishment of numeric performance goals is not practical, include aclearly stated list of actions designed to lead to the establishment of numeric

    goals as soon as possible in your waste minimisation plan.

    When using suggested measurements to set the waste reduction goals, theteam need to try to set the goals that are:

    Understandable

    Acceptable to those who will work to achieve them;

    Flexible to adapt to changing requirements;

    Measurable over time;

    Suitable to the overall corporate goals; and

    Achievable with a practicable level of effort.

    Step 8: Implement and Improve the Plan

    When the waste minimisation plan is firmed up, the implementation is the key.

    At this stage, several important actions are needed to ensure success.

    Firstly, the team should be clear about the goals and objectives of the plan.Assign clear responsibility and authority to appropriate personnel in alladministrative, operating and maintenance areas. Make the right resourcesavailable, and ensure that the personnel take implementation actionsaccording to schedule.

    At the same time, the team should develop a waste minimisation awarenessprogramme to get the key messages across to all employees and gain theirsupport. The following measures could be used for creating awareness:

    Launch the waste minimisation plan by the CEO or Managing Director ofthe company;

    Display the plan and the implementation schedule with explanation ofwaste reduction goals in prominent locations;

    Organise waste minimisation educational talks for staff in trainingsessions;

    Put up educational posters in strategic locations;

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    Prepare waste minimisation tips for individuals to take action and makethem available to staff through emailing and notice board;

    Share and update waste reduction results periodically with all employees;

    To ensure a sustainable programme, the team should:make all implemented options or measures a functioning part of acompany's standard operating procedures. Include product development,operational procedures, and training;

    make on-going improvements. The team need to monitor waste reductionperformance against the goals established and conduct annual reviews tocompare the current performance with the pervious year. During theprocess, additional waste reduction opportunities might arise. More actionmight be needed or different methods might become available.

    So you need to:

    make changes to the planned actions and adjust operating procedures,

    incorporate new options or methods,

    establish new priorities for action, and

    set reviewed waste reduction goals, ideally upwards.

    By following the steps in this guidebook, and using the resource informationlisted in References section, it is hoped that your company can achievesizable cost savings and waste reductions, and contribute to solvingSingapores waste disposal problem.

    WASTE MINIMISATION CASE STUDIES

    Baxter Healthcare Pte Ltd

    Chevron Oronite Pte Ltd

    IBM Singapore Pte Ltd

    Kyoei Engineering Singapore Pte Ltd

    Sony Display Device (Singapore) Pte Ltd

    Tetra Pak Jurong Pte Ltd

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    REFERENCES

    A Guide to Waste Audits and Reduction Workplans for Industrial, Commercialand Institutional SectorsMinistry of Environment and Energy, Ontario, Canada, 1995

    Developing a Pollution Prevention (P2) Plan: A How-To Book for KentuckyGeneratorsPublished by The Kentucky Pollution Prevention Centre (KPPC), University ofLouisville, August 1995

    Green Officiency: Running A Cost-Effective, Environmentally Aware Office,Envirowise, UK, 2002

    Industrial Solid Waste Reduction Workbook

    Prepared by: Cam Metcalf (Executive Director), Keith Ridley (AssistantDirector of Assessments), and Todd Logsdon (Engineering Associate),Kentucky Pollution Prevention Centre, University of Louisville, August 1996(Revised)

    Minnesota Guide to Pollution Prevention Planning[Joint effort of the Minnesota Technical Assistance Programme (MnTAP) andthe Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance (OEA), with assistancefrom the Minnesota Emergency Response Commission (ERC)], Authors:Robert Lundquist (MnTAP), Mark Snyder (OEA), Staff Team: Kenneth Brown(OEA), David Cera (OEA), Cindy McComas (MnTAP), Kevin McDonald

    (OEA), John Polanski (MnTAP), 1999 (2ND

    Edition)

    The Measure of Success Calculating Waste ReductionWasteWise Update, EPA, US, July 1999

    No Time to Waste a practical guide to waste minimisationScottish Environment Protection Agency, 1999

    Waste Minimisation An Environmental Good Practice Guide for Industry,Published by the Environment Agency, UK, Revised edition April 2001, Firstpublished April 1998

    Waste Minimisation and Recycling Guide (Covering the North East RegionalDevelopment Area)Environment Agency, UK, 1999

    Where are the Biggest Cost Savings?

    WasteWise, US Environmental Protection Agency,

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