Background

Seamless Waste Handling Solution Above a Transport and Retail Hub.

Bedok Residences is a 583-unit integrated development in Bedok Town Centre, Singapore.

The scale and mixed‐use nature demanded a high-capacity, fully enclosed refuse system to handle the apartments’ daily waste without impacting the commercial and transport aspects.

  • The system must process residential refuse without disrupting the operations of Bedok Mall and the adjoining transport interchange.

  • Waste handling had to remain fully enclosed and discreet to preserve the premium living and commercial environment.

Implementation Approach

Greenwave Solutions installed its proprietary AIRWASTE™ mobile pneumatic waste system to handle the apartments’ daily waste using vacuum-driven conveyors. In Bedok Residences, GWS supplied eight screw tanks (3 m³ each) and ~480 m of suspended, acoustically-insulated conveyance piping.

The fully automated configuration requires no fixed bin room. Instead, waste is retained in the sealed tanks until collection.

A concealed docking station on the first storey allows a vacuum truck to connect via an extendable boom and evacuate the stored refuse. At the same time, all piping and tanks are housed behind walls and ceilings, preserving the building’s design and function.

The waste system was integrated into the building’s podium levels to accommodate the structural constraints of the mall and transport hub underneath. Refuse chutes from the towers feed directly into screw tanks located on the 4th and 5th storeys above the mall. Pneumatic pipes run vertically and horizontally through dedicated shafts and ceiling voids, insulated to minimise noise.

The docking station is placed at street level inside a service room; vacuum trucks connect unseen through a discrete port, so waste collection occurs “invisibly” without occupying retail or passenger areas.

“By concealing docking facilities and using enclosed pneumatic transfer, the system ensures waste handling remains invisible while maintaining high hygiene standards.”

In summary

Highlights

Concealed Waste Collection.

  • Docking station hidden at level 1

  • Vacuum trucks connect internally without disrupting traffic

Noise & Hygiene Controls

  • Acoustic insulation along ~480 m of pipeline

  • Fully sealed system prevents odour and pest issues

Seamless, Mixed-use Performance.

  • No space taken by traditional bin centres

  • System installed at podium levels above retail and transport hubs

In summary

Highlights

Concealed Waste Collection.

  • Docking station hidden at level 1.

  • Vacuum trucks connect internally without disrupting traffic.

Noise & Hygiene Controls.

  • Acoustic insulation along ~480 m of pipeline

  • Fully sealed system prevents odour and pest issues

Seamless, Mixed-use Performance.

  • System installed at podium levels above retail and transport hubs

  • No space taken by traditional bin centres

  • Eight tanks provide a buffer for ~24 m³ of refuse

Expertise in complex PWCS Projects

The Bedok Residences project demonstrates how pneumatic systems can manage high-density residential waste above active retail and transport infrastructure.

The AIRWASTE™ system enabled efficient, hygienic collection for 583 households while preserving valuable ground-level space and avoiding operational disruption, making it a benchmark in integrated urban waste management