Pilot project aims to automate food waste collection at the hawker centre, to create a cleaner environment and boost the food waste segregation and recycling rate at the centre.          

Singapore, 21 February 2019 – The National Environment Agency (NEA) is calling for tenders for the installation and maintenance of an automated food waste conveyance system at Our Tampines Hub (OTH) Hawker Centre. This will eliminate the need for the manual transfer of food waste to the existing on-site food waste treatment system at the integrated lifestyle and community hub.

2          Currently, the stallholders segregate the food waste and deposit it into the covered bins provided to each stall. Stallholders then transfer the food waste into the large waste bins located at the tray return stations. Table-cleaners likewise segregate the leftover food on dishes at the tray return points, or during table-cleaning operations, and deposit it into the large waste bins. When these waste bins are full, the cleaners wheel them to the food waste recycling room located in the basement of OTH. The food waste is then converted into non-potable water, a liquid nutrient and organic fertiliser.

3          NEA is exploring technologies to facilitate food waste segregation at hawker centres, and intends to introduce a food waste conveyance system at OTH Hawker Centre. The food waste will be ground and conveyed from each of the 42 stalls at the hawker centre and the two tray return stations directly to the food waste treatment system in a closed system. The winning bidder will be required to install the system in phases, maintain the system, monitor the utilisation of the system and engage and train the stakeholders (e.g. stallholders and table cleaners) to use the system.

4          The pilot project is intended to complement the current food wastage reduction and recycling efforts at OTH, and demonstrate how automation can be incorporated into the food waste collection system to improve productivity. With the proposed automation, stallholders and cleaners will no longer have to manually transport food waste to the waste bins or the digester.  The greater convenience is expected to boost the food waste recycling rate at OTH Hawker Centre. In addition, the closed system of handling food waste will reduce any smell nuisance that may arise from the open collection and transportation of food waste.

5          The pilot project is part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce, reuse and recycle waste, working towards our vision of a Zero Waste Nation and aiming to reach an overall recycling rate of 70 per cent by 2030.

6          The tender is expected to be awarded by 2Q 2019. The food waste conveyance system is expected to be operationally ready by end 2019.

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