SINGAPORE - The drive to improve productivity has extended to the waste management sector, with scrap metal processor Kim Hock Corporation unveiling its latest metal shredding and separation plant on Monday evening.

The plant will double the company's production capacity while requiring just 12 per cent more staff.

It will also run on green power, based on the company's experience in biomass waste to energy.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Tharman Shanmugaratnam said at the opening ceremony that maintaining adequate and high quality waste treatment capacity locally is crucial to achieve Singapore's target of a 70 per cent recycling rate by 2030, and its long term aspiration of zero waste here.

The Economic Development Board has provided support for Kim Hock's investments in its machines and biomass energy plant.

Spring Singapore is also supporting via a grant a project between Kim Hock and the Supply Chain Management Centre of Innovation to implement a new system which will help Kim Hock automate job assignment and scheduling and enable its waste collection fleet to take on more jobs.

The National Environment Agency is also working with the sector to raise industry standards, such as the Singapore Standards on waste management launched last month, he noted.