Southeast Asia · Case study

PSA Singapore, Operational Waste Management

Singapore2019 to present

PSA Singapore has implemented a structured operational waste management program across its container terminal facilities, aligned with Singapore's national Zero Waste Masterplan (launched 2019) and the National Environment Agency's (NEA) waste management regulations (PSA Singapore, 2025; National Environment Agency, 2019). PSA Singapore has set a target to reduce its waste generation index (general waste tonnage per million TEU) by 30 percent by 2030 (PSA Singapore, 2025).

PSA's program reports operational waste by category, including construction, industrial, general, packaging, office and electronic waste. Industrial waste includes steel wire rope, metal scrap, steel cables, hydraulic and lubricating oil, tyres, vehicle batteries and crane rails. General waste is collected and managed by waste collectors licensed by the National Environment Agency. In 2024, PSA Singapore recycled 100 percent of its construction and electronic waste and 99 percent of its industrial waste (PSA Singapore, 2025).

Singapore's Zero Waste Masterplan (2019) sets a national target of reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill per capita per day by 30 percent by 2030, with an overall recycling rate target of 70 percent (National Environment Agency, 2019). The Resource Sustainability Act (2019) sets extended producer responsibility for regulated consumer products and requires packaging reporting and food waste segregation and reporting. PSA's program aligns with these national frameworks and provides a model for corporate waste management within the ASEAN region.

Transferability

For ASEAN DMCs, PSA Singapore's program demonstrates a systematic, corporate approach to operational waste management that may be replicable in other large terminal operations. The program's emphasis on data tracking, reporting, and continuous improvement provides a model for ports seeking to formalize waste management practices and demonstrate progress to regulators and stakeholders.

Sources

All information used for this case study was based on publicly available resources.