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Food waste lockers to be installed at selected HDB blocks in Ang Mo Kio-Toa Payoh sector

Food waste lockers to be installed at selected HDB blocks in Ang Mo Kio-Toa Payoh sector

A file photo of food waste in a recycling container. (File photo: AFP/Justin Sullivan, Getty Images North America)

SINGAPORE: A one-year trial to collect food waste from residents will be launched in the Ang Mo Kio-Toa Payoh sector in November, with 10 “smart lockers” placed at selected Housing & Development Board (HDB) blocks in the area, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said on Wednesday (Sep 22).

The trial will be conducted by 800 Super Waste Management, which was on Wednesday awarded a new public waste collection contract for the sector. The sector covers the planning areas of Ang Mo Kio, Bishan, Serangoon and Toa Payoh.

“These smart lockers will be installed with an Internet of Things remote access smart system, a QR code scanner and a load cell weighing scale,” NEA said in a media release.

“Participating households will be issued a unique QR code and air-tight reusable plastic containers to store their food waste.

“Participating households can then do a one-to-one exchange of the reusable plastic containers when they drop off their food waste-filled containers into the smart lockers.”

Participants will receive reward points via the 800 Super mobile app for depositing their food waste. These points can be exchanged for grocery vouchers.

“If the trial is successful, 800 Super will deploy another 83 smart lockers to other HDB blocks in the sector,” NEA said.

An electric rear-end loader refuse collection truck. (Photo: National Environment Agency)

"INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES"

800 Super was awarded the new contract for the Ang Mo Kio-Toa Payoh sector by NEA after an open competitive tender which saw five bidders submit offers.

The company plans to implement “innovative technologies” to improve productivity and sustainability, and will introduce a new fleet of vehicles which includes electric vehicles, a dual-compartment collection truck and a side-loader recycling truck that can be operated by a one-man crew. 

800 Super is the current waste collector for the sector, and will therefore continue to provide services when its current contract expires at the end of this month. The new contract runs from Oct 1 this year until Sep 30, 2028.

A dual-compartment recycling and garden waste collection truck for landed premises. (Photo: National Environment Agency)

“As part of transformation efforts in the waste management industry, NEA encourages the use of innovative concepts and technologies to improve productivity and sustainability in the collection of refuse and recyclables in our public tenders for the public waste collectors,” NEA said.

“Innovative technologies that will be implemented by 800 Super in the Ang Mo Kio-Toa Payoh sector to improve productivity and sustainability include the use of recycling trucks fitted with side-loaders which enables higher capacity recyclables collection with a one-man collection crew, and the replacement of 32 units of mobile compactors at the bin centres with stationary compactors.”

Mobile compactors need to be individually hauled to incineration plants, while waste from stationary compactors can be consolidated by the same refuse collection truck for disposal, NEA explained.

The implementation of such technologies is expected to reduce the number of collection routes by about 11 per cent.

“These efforts will reduce the number of collection trucks on the road (and) improve productivity and service efficiency, thereby reducing the overall carbon footprint of waste collection services,” NEA said.

NEW FLEET OF TRUCKS

800 Super's new fleet of trucks for the collection of refuse, recyclables and garden waste in the sector includes 14 electric vehicles (EVs). The EVs will make up about 45 per cent of this fleet.

One recycling truck will also be fitted with side-loaders.

“800 Super will also introduce a dual-compartment collection truck for the collection of recyclables and garden waste at landed premises,” NEA said.

This truck will be able to collect recyclables and garden waste in separate compartments at the same time, thereby reducing the number of collection trips required.

All vehicles deployed by 800 Super will also be fitted with a 360-degree camera monitoring system to reduce blind spots, NEA said.

A side-loader recycling truck. (Photo: National Environment Agency)

RECYCLING BOOST

800 Super will also introduce an initiative to improve recycling in the sector when its new contract begins.

Sensors will be installed in recycling bins in HDB estates from November, which will enable the company to monitor bin capacity in real-time.

This will allow for more responsive recyclables collection and reduce incidents of bin overflow, NEA said.

Monthly household refuse collection fees remain unchanged at S$8.25 for those living in HDB flats and condominiums, and S$27.47 for those living in landed homes.

"800 Super will inform business owners of their new refuse collection fees, which will depend on their daily refuse output," NEA said. 

The Ang Mo Kio-Toa Payoh sector consists of about 147,400 premises. Of these, 142,000 are homes, while 5,400 are trade premises such as hawker and market stalls, shops, places of worship and government buildings.

Source: CNA/kg

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