9 years in the past, KGS’s founders went door-to-door for useless devices. Now, it’s a high e-waste agency.
Many people toss spoilt telephones into the bin and not using a second thought, or depart them forgotten in drawers as “spares.”
However these habits quietly feed Singapore’s mounting e-waste drawback. Town-state generates about 60,000 tonnes of such waste each year, and solely 5.5% will get correctly recycled.
Even when units are recycled, there are security dangers. Electronics thrown into dustbins increase fire risks, whereas overflowing assortment factors pose one other concern: dumpster divers who could entry units containing delicate information.
To sort out these dangers, KGS—an e-waste firm on a mission to curb Singapore’s rising digital waste drawback—is making it safer and simpler for individuals to recycle. We spoke to its co-founders to learn the way KGS helps customers recycle responsibly with peace of thoughts, whereas contributing to a round economic system.
KGS is one in all Singapore’s early e-waste recyclers
KGS was based in 2016 by longtime associates Jasper Tan and Sudesh Max, each 35, who shared a priority in regards to the rising quantity of discarded electronics in an more and more tech-driven society.
On the time, there have been few e-waste firms round, so the duo noticed it as the correct second to step in.
Their startup section was modest: Jasper and Sudesh borrowed a pal’s van, collected e-waste from buildings and corporations, and delivered it to downstream recyclers on the identical day. They taught themselves to dismantle laptops, telephones, and energy banks by hand.
Over time, the 2 garnered sufficient cash to purchase second-hand machines to shred and type metals and plastics from the e-waste they collected.
Finally, Jasper and Sudesh managed to save lots of up S$10,000, which they used to arrange a 600 sq ft unit in Ang Mo Kio.
As shoppers grew to become extra involved about information safety, the duo additionally bought a degaussing machine—a tool that makes use of a powerful magnetic discipline to fully erase information from onerous drives and different storage media. Additionally they supplied door-to-door assortment, giving clients peace of thoughts whereas guaranteeing their units had been safely recycled.
Tapping into new recycling alternatives
In 2019, Jasper and Sudesh crossed paths with Andrew Tay, 37, who was then within the paper recycling sector, whereas collaborating on a venture.
After recognising that paper recycling supplied restricted long-term prospects, Andrew joined KGS in 2021 as a co-founder.
With an engineering background, he managed to strengthen KGS’s backend processes, permitting the crew to discover new recycling alternatives.
By 2023, the surge in battery-powered units and electrical autos created a gap for battery recycling. Leveraging capital generated over time, KGS invested S$2 million to construct a 20,000 sq ft vertical battery recycling facility in Tuas—Singapore’s third devoted battery plant. The ability added 2,600 tonnes of battery recycling capacity yearly, boosting the nation’s complete capability by round 30% on the time.
To recycle batteries, KGS discharges them in saltwater to take away any energy they nonetheless maintain. The corporate then dismantles them manually as batteries have various specs, and places them into machines to be shredded.
Past battery recycling, the trio additionally closed their outdated manufacturing facility and consolidated their different e-waste operations on the new Tuas facility.
This 12 months, KGS expanded its warehouse house to 32,000 sq ft and launched Singapore’s first automated solar panel recycling facility. The ability is provided with techniques that assist get well useful supplies corresponding to glass, silicon, silver, and aluminium, lowering landfill waste and lengthening the lifespan of photo voltaic infrastructure.
With this addition, KGS has turn into the primary built-in facility in Singapore able to recycling normal e-waste, lithium-ion batteries, and photo voltaic panels beneath one roof. It could actually course of 75 tonnes of waste per day and retailer 210 tonnes in its warehouse.
As KGS places it, digital waste, or e-waste, is just “something powered by electrical energy,” and their purpose is to recycle each final machine.
The journey is just not with out hiccups
From its humble beginnings, KGS has grown into one in all Singapore’s largest built-in e-waste recycling firms, geared up with state-of-the-art services.
However regardless of having rigorous security techniques in place, incidents can nonetheless happen.
In Oct 2024, a hearth broke out within the warehouse whereas operations had been closed, suspected by SCDF to have originated from saved e-waste.
Nevertheless, the founders mentioned that the precise trigger stays unknown. They observe that this was the primary fireplace in KGS’s nine-year historical past and reaffirm their dedication to strict security laws.
One other ongoing problem for KGS is land price, notably for a waste administration and recycling firm that requires important house. To handle this, KGS maximises each inch of their services by means of vertically optimised layouts, together with built-in photo voltaic panels.
Encouraging recycling in Singapore
Past increasing their enterprise, KGS has invested important efforts in public schooling, encouraging Singaporeans to recycle—an pressing activity provided that the home family recycling price dropped to an all-time low of 11% in 2024.
Through the years, KGS has put in e-waste bins in 255 business buildings and continues to supply doorstep assortment throughout the island, supported by a crew of round 30 employees.
Between Dec 2020 and mid-2021, the corporate partnered with the Nationwide Atmosphere Company for a nationwide collection of non-compliant personal mobility devices (PMDs). Residents had been supplied S$100 incentives to give up e-bikes and e-scooters deemed fireplace hazards.
KGS visited varied neighbourhoods and picked up over 3,300 PMDs, aided by its outreach to the group on Telegram, Fb, and WhatsApp.
Final 12 months, the Infocomm Media Improvement Authority engaged KGS for a nationwide e-waste assortment initiative. This led to the launch of TakeBag, a collaboration with Decide Locker modelled after parcel supply techniques.
Residents can order free sealable luggage from KGS’s web site, deposit e-waste, and drop them at any of Decide Locker’s 1,700 assortment factors.
The initiative remains to be ongoing and has already collected over 1,500 kg of e-waste, attaining an order-to-return price of greater than 80%. This effort is supplemented by on-the-ground engagement in neighbourhoods corresponding to Zhenghua and Clementi, the place greater than 30,000 TakeBags have been distributed.
“It’s simply so handy for individuals to recycle, they usually get to be assured of their information’s destruction whereas having the ability to declutter. It’s a win-win for the setting and for everybody,” mentioned KGS co-founder Max.
Eyes on the area
At KGS’s Tuas facility, processing volumes proceed to climb: The corporate dealt with 400–600 tonnes of e-waste in 2024, with 2025 volumes projected to be 1.5 occasions larger.
Within the subsequent 5 years, whilst nationwide recycling charges fluctuate, KGS sees Singapore as a possible regional hub for recycling innovation, sharing operational information with neighbouring international locations.
The agency is already exploring replication in Malaysia and Indonesia, although the founders declined to share additional particulars.
Their recommendation to aspiring entrepreneurs: know your viewers, cater to their wants, and persevere with grit, particularly in demanding industries like waste administration.
Featured Picture Credit score: KGS
