NKF pushes for more sustainable dialysis to reduce carbon footprint and ease staff’s back pain
Singapore's first Centralised Acid Concentrate Delivery System set up at NKF dialysis centre thanks to SUTL's $4m donation.
The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) in Singapore is pushing for more sustainable dialysis practices to reduce the carbon footprint and alleviate staff back pain caused by lifting heavy equipment. Haemodialysis, a common treatment for kidney failure, generates significant waste and contributes to the healthcare sector's 4 to 5 percent of global carbon emissions. NKF, the largest dialysis provider in Singapore, aims to address these issues through various sustainable practices.
The organization has revamped reverse osmosis systems in its 45 dialysis centres, extending their lifespan by a decade and saving approximately $2 million over five years. This change reduces air-conditioning maintenance, lowering electricity consumption by 5.8 percent, even with an increase in patients. In 2026, NKF's headquarters became the first renal sector facility to achieve BCA Green Mark Gold Plus Certification, recognizing high energy efficiency and sustainable design.
A major improvement came in 2025, thanks to a $4 million donation from Arthur Tay's family company, SUTL. The donation enabled the construction of Singapore's first Centralised Acid Concentrate Delivery System (CDS) at the NKF headquarters, reducing plastic waste, carbon emissions, and staff injuries by 80 percent. The CDS serves 456 patients at two NKF centres, requiring 60,000 fewer 5-litre acid concentrate containers annually and saving $115,000 per year.
With the CDS, dialysis solution is tubed directly to each station, eliminating the need for nurses to manually lift and bend with heavy containers. This change has made work processes smoother and less physically demanding for staff. The NKF plans to roll out the CDS to four more centres within the next three to five years during renovation projects.
Additionally, the organization advocates for greater use of home-based peritoneal dialysis, which is more patient-friendly, cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable. Currently, fewer than one in ten of its 6,000 patients utilize peritoneal dialysis, as some patients are reluctant to perform the process independently.
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