AN ALLIANCE of six Asian waste management associations has been formalised to raise the knowledge and level of expertise of its members in waste management and recycling through various efforts including a series of symposiums and exhibitions.
Members of the new Asia Pacific Waste and Environmental Alliance (APWEA) include national associations from China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore.
The Singapore representative – Waste Management and Recycling Association of Singapore (WMRAS) – will chair APWEA for the first three years.
Speaking to TTGmice e-Weekly in an interview, WMRAS chairman Melissa Tan, said: “The alliance will organise several symposiums and exhibitions throughout the year, conduct networking activities for industry players whenever the alliance calls at one of the members’ destination, and produce an e-newsletter for alliance members.”
Tan said events are important, as they allow APWEA members to connect with each other and make new business contacts.
“All of us are busy with our own business and it is only during exhibitions and conferences that we can meet and share the latest technologies, equipment and best practices we are adopting in our operations and learn from each other,” Tan elaborated, adding that WMRAS is also a strong believer in organising educational and business-matching events for its local members.
WMRAS organises the WasteMET Asia Symposium which takes place once every two years, the WasteMET Asia Industry Awards which debuted this year on October 22, as well as various other conferences and workshops with support from sponsors.
It also conducts the Training, Advisory & Promotion (TAP) Centre under a tripartite agreement with the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) and National Environment Agency. These training events, led by international experts, run over three to four days and include industrial site visits.
Tan said there are plans to duplicate TAP Centre events in APWEA member countries come 2016.
