Designing Recycling Systems for Local Communities: Paper, Metal, Plastic and Beyond

Bay Meng Yi is the Director for Sustainability of the Singapore Environment Council (SEC), a non-government organization that catalyses action towards environmental sustainability via certification and policy advocacy.

Meng Yi oversees SEC’s green certification programmes and sustainability initiatives, supporting companies and communities in integrating sustainable practices into their operations and daily lives. He also leads policy research and international collaborations, advancing SEC’s work on sustainable consumption, circular economy and green trade.

Prior to joining SEC, Meng Yi spent over a decade in the public sector, where he was involved in the development and implementation of recycling and circular economy policies. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the National University of Singapore, and Master’s degrees from Columbia University and Tsinghua University.

My Sustainability Goals for 2026:

• Sustainability is not merely about protecting the environment; it is about building resilient systems that allow people, communities and economies to prosper for generations to come.
• My goal is to build resilient, people-centric recycling systems; they are built not just on technology, but on people. I would like to help communities co-design solutions that make recycling accessible and efficient for everyday life.
• Recycling does not begin at the bin; it begins with design. I hope to create systems to incentivize products and packaging to be designed for recovery, reuse and recycling.
• I hope to support SMEs in integrating practical sustainability approaches into their operations, from resource efficiency to better waste management, so that sustainability becomes both achievable and value-adding for smaller businesses.