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

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.