Speech by MOS Low Yen Ling at Frasers Property's MOU signing on food waste valoriser

Ms Soon Su Lin, Chief Executive Officer, Frasers Property Singapore

Mr. Edward Chia, Founder and Managing Director, Life Lab Resources

Mr. Christopher Thorn, Chairman, Green Eco Technologies

Mr. Allaster Cox, High Commissioner, Australian Embassy

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Introduction

1. Good morning. I am delighted to join you today to witness the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing ceremony between Frasers Property Singapore and Life Lab Resources to roll out Green Eco Technologies’ WasteMaster system[1], an onsite food waste valorisation system, at five Frasers Property malls[2].

2. It is heartening to see industry leaders coming together to pioneer solutions that benefit businesses and contribute to a more sustainable and circular economy. At the heart of this collaboration lies a shared commitment to address the challenges of managing food waste. This aligns with Singapore’s vision of becoming a Zero Waste Nation powered by a circular economy under the Singapore Green Plan 2030.

Project’s alignment with SG Green Plan’s Sustainable Living Pillar

3. One of the key pillars of the Singapore Green Plan 2030 is Sustainable Living. Our goal is to achieve a circular economy with high rates of recycling, effective resource management, and waste reduction. Singapore aims to, by 2030, reduce the waste sent to the landfill per capita daily and lower it by 30% from what it was in 2018. This includes food waste, which accounted for about 11 per cent of total waste generated in Singapore in 2022[3]. Food waste has risen by 30% over the past decade.[4]

4. Today’s MOU is a positive step towards reducing food waste in our landfills. On an annual basis, in the event that the food waste valorisation programme is extended to more of Frasers Property Singapore’s malls, it is expected to cut down about 4,700 tonnes of food waste.

5. The partners are exploring ways to process the converted substrates further to close the recycling loop. This initiative will also repurpose food waste and contribute to our circular economy. I hope more businesses will follow their footsteps and adopt sustainable initiatives as we work towards becoming a Zero Waste Nation.

6. I am pleased to note that nine retail tenants, such as Bali Thai, Food Republic, Dian Xiao Er, and FairPrice Finest Supermarket, are on board the food waste valoriser programme. I urge more businesses to be part of this collaborative effort to recycle food waste and make Singapore greener.

Private Sector plays a vital role in innovation and adopting new sustainable solutions

7. Businesses like Frasers Property, Life Lab Resources and Green Eco Technologies play an important role in driving innovation and adopting sustainable practices.

8. The Government welcomes and encourages the private sector to pursue sustainability initiatives and grow the green economy. Companies can tap into the Enterprise Sustainability Programme (ESP), which supports them to build sustainability capabilities to capture green opportunities. Businesses can take advantage of subsidised courses, resources and grants for green projects provided by the programme. The ESP also supports trade associations and corporates in capability-building programmes for their members or suppliers.

Conclusion

9. The MOU between Frasers Property Singapore and Life Lab Resouces with Green Eco Technologies as the technology provider is timely as Singapore strives to establish our city as a green force in sustainability. Its success in valorising food waste will inspire more enterprises to catalyse new ideas and fresh opportunities that will lead us to reimagine and forge a greener and brighter future.

10. I thank you all for being here to witness this momentous occasion, and I wish you a wonderful week ahead and Happy New Year!

[1] The food waste valorisation system, WasteMaster System, converts food waste into nutrient-rich substrates using reactive oxygen technology.

[2] The five malls are: Causeway Point, Waterway Point, Northpoint City, Tiong Bahru Plaza and Tampines 1 

[3] Source: https://www.nea.gov.sg/our-services/waste-management/3r-programmes-and-resources/food-waste-management

[4] Source: Zero Waste Masterplan Singapore. Published by Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources and National Environment Agency.