A team of lecturers at Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) is working with tech firm W-Locate to find a way to cut the carbon footprint of these vehicles – this was sparked from a discussion as part of the new Alliance for Sustainability Innovation (ASI) initiative led by the polytechnic. The solution lies in an electric system attached to the cement mixer drum to keep it rotating without relying on fossil fuel-driven engines.
W-Locate CEO Stevie Ooi says preliminary calculations indicate possible fuel savings of up to 30 percent, which is a boon for construction firms. More than 200 SMEs from different industries, including building management, transportation, construction, manufacturing, as well as electronics, and industrial processes, have joined the ASI so far.
Start early or risk being left behind
Mr Kee Boon Hian, co-founder of aquaponics farm BlueAcres, warns that sustainability may soon be regulated for all companies, making it necessary for small businesses to start finding solutions now or risk being left behind.
"In the world today and even in Singapore, sustainability is largely a discretionary decision," he says. "But it may soon be regulated even for SMEs. My advice is to start somewhere now – it is about realizing that sustainability is the only way businesses can survive."
Read the entire article at the Straits Times