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while we do want to try and reduce plastic waste, it is not as simple as simply slowing plastic production. most of our plastic is not actually being used by us: we have clients (companies who use plastic products) who order large quantities of plastic from us and it may not entirely be up to us to stop or slow production

even if we choose to take on less clients or reduce production of our own accord, it may negatively affect our employees, who depend on a high volume of work in order to survive. the reduced amount of work may cause them to get paid less

also, as previously mentioned, the problem with plastic waste is not necessarily in the production but rather in the disposal methods -- once our products are out in the world, it is no longer our obligation to ensure it is disposed of correctly

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https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/in-focus-singapore-recycling-sustainability-blue-bins-waste-12972634

F&N gives out $0.20 coupons for every 20 bottles recycled

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The public sees us profiteering, irresponsible plastic producers. Many do not realise that much research and innovation have been done on our end.
On our end we also see consumers as the irresponsible ones. Perhaps they were misinformed or uninformed.

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This is a concept (policy) that will harm us the most; this means that the environmental costs of the product is all brought back to the manufacturer/producer.

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implementing a logo for plastic products which can be recycled directly such that the recycling process is clearer and easier and can be sent straight to recycling factories

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The plastic industry needs to be more proactive in contributing to the national conversation on managing plastic waste.

1. It needs to be innovative: Improve design and support innovation to make plastics and plastic products easier to recycle.

2. Expand and improve the collection of plastic waste to reduce contamination of plastic waste so as to ensure quality inputs to the recycling economy.

3. Create viable markets for recycled and renewable Plastics.

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https://qz.com/1189422/in-defense-of-plastic-the-worlds-most-wasteful-hazardous-downright-useful-material/

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Potential suppliers of recycled
plastics do not invest sufficiently in sorting and recycling capacity because the profitability
of these operations is limited. Potential buyers (i.e. manufacturing firms) have limited
incentives to use recycled plastics as inputs because of uncertainty about their availability
and quality.

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Yes, but you cannot reduce the plastic waste without reducing the manufacture of plastic. the way they dispose does not matter because it is just waste anyways
if you want to reduce plastic waste you could hoard it in your home and not throw it away

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Our purpose is to allow other stakeholders to know that we are willing to contribute to reduction of plastic waste but we also have our limitations since our workers and profits are at stake.

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Not every single type of plastic can be recycled, there are many plastic products other than plastic bags and disposable packaging e.g. pens etc..

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Where does the plastic waste come from? 

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Where does the plastic waste come from? 

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Single-use plastics.
Does this mean we can compromise and should reduce the manufacture of single-use products or all plastics in general

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Despite the obvious environmental damages that plastic causes it should not be ignored that plastic is a critical component of (practically anywhere in the supply chain) and that sometimes it is the most viable option (cost-wise) due to its unique and versatile properties for many different uses. The environmentalists may argue of a climate disaster impending should plastic production be left unchecked but the economic devastation and accompanying misery that follows may be a worse evil.

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If there is a curb on plastic use, it will affect the plastic producers drastically. What can we do to protect our industry whilst supporting MSE’s target?

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- maintain way of life
- profits
- protect employees

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How much money will it cost if we decide to change production methods?
How many people will the change affect?

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- Using plastics in our everyday lives may be detrimental to the environment, but if they were to be entirely replaced by other materials (e.g,. aluminium), it may be even more detrimental to the environment

- Plastic packaging helps protect and preserve goods, while reducing weight in transportation, which saves fuel and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

- There are many kinds of plastics (7 categories in total) -- not all plastics are disposables. Other plastics such as PVC can be used for long-term purposes (e.g. window frames, drainage pipes) and they enable sustainable, durable, long-lasting design and construction in homes, buildings, and infrastructure

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While we are willing to make concessions in order to protect the environment, ultimately, the interests of our employees and the future of our companies are what we want to safeguard.

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To strike a balance between changing the way we manufacture plastics so that the process is sustainable while at the same time preserving maximum profit

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- profits (because we are a business)
- way of life and people (some may lose their jobs, to retrain people you need time and money)
- benefits of creating plastic compared to other products
- being predominant in many other industries (when you deal with us, how we react will affect many other industries)
- we are willing to change but we have a lot at stake (because we invested a lot already into (for example) factories)

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We want to adhere to MSE's regulations as much as possible without also sacrificing our profit margins and business

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To safeguard our profits and ensure job security of our employees as well as reduce plastic waste

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CONTEXT
• way of life

• profit

• employees

- training requires capital —> affects capital

• benefits of plastic

- usually as GDP increases, waste increases at around the same rate but with introduction of plastic,  waste grew at a slower rate then the GDP (benefits of plastic)

• healthcare —> syringes, fluid bags, etc

• engineering —> mechanical parts under stress (plastic q strong)

disrupts our people (employees & investors)

willing to change but we lose money (profits and investments)

PURPOSE
• to make the other stakeholders understand our POV and what is at risk should we radically change our supply chain and manufacturing process
• argue for our employees --> their livelihood at risk, etc

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1. To obtain the mandate to maintain and sustain our plastic business.

1. Safeguard profits.

2. Prevent any major shifts in our company modus operandi.

1. Prevent retrenchments of workers due to the above.

2. At the same time, compromise (to a limited extent) on how to produce less waste during the process of manufacturing plastics.

3. Defend the point that plastic helps to decrease the total amount of waste; and that we are not the only contributors to plastic waste.

1. Plastic disposal methods (however, this cannot be controlled solely by us manufacturers).

1. Consumers also have to play a part in disposing their plastics properly.

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From an Investment Point of View

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Instructions on how to post your insights

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Instructions on how to post your insights

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1) Click on the '+' sign
2) Click on the "Title" and type in your name
3) Click on "Write something" and post your insights, using the Paul's Wheel of Reasoning as a guide.

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Who you are

Plastic Manufacturers (e.g., members of the Singapore Plastic Industry Association)

Representatives of multinational organisations as well as large, medium and small enterprises that deals with virtually every aspect of the plastic industry, from the manufacturers of plastic moulding, plastic extrusion, plastic blowing, PVC and leather products to companies engaging in the manufacturing and supplying of raw materials, machinery and equipment and services.

Your objectives

To represent views to the relevant government and economic bodies on policies, practices, legislation affecting the plastic industry in Singapore.

To examine with members how to

contribute to improving waste management systems and recycling of plastic waste.

look into better product design that takes into account the short life of disposable packaging.

look into the recycling, upcycling of plastics.

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(Updated: )
Share this content

SINGAPORE: A number of factors such as the contamination of recyclables and incorrect recycling could have possibly contributed to Singapore's low recycling rate among households, experts told CNA.

This follows statistics released by the National Environment Agency (NEA) on Wednesday (Apr 15) which showed that despite generating less waste, Singapore's overall recycling rate fell in 2019.

Of the 7.23 million tonnes of waste produced last year, about 4.25 million tonnes, or about 59 per cent, was recycled - a dip from the recycling rate of 61 per cent in 2018.
CONTAMINATION A MAJOR PROBLEM
In particular, Singapore's domestic - from households - recycling rate fell 5 per cent from 22 per cent in 2018 to 17 per cent in 2019.

Ms Pek Hai Lin, who is the manager of non-governmental organisation Zero Waste SG, told CNA that contamination "seems to still be a huge problem", preventing items from being recycled.

Singaporeans may also be recycling incorrectly, throwing items which are not recyclable, into the blue bins, she added. This "decreases the efficiency of the waste management process".

"They might engage in 'wishful' recycling, where they hope an item can be recycled or repurposed in some ways and thus place them in the blue recycling bin, which in turn causes inefficiency in the waste management process," she said.

"For instance, mattresses and pillows cannot be recycled, and they are bulky, taking up precious space in recycling trucks, which will head to the sorting facility before heading to the incineration plant."

Noting that a decrease in recycling rate does not mean that people are recycling less, Ms Pek added: "In fact, despite contamination rate still being high, people seem more aware and interested in better waste management habits, which is heartening."

Many also "do not have the inclination" to properly separate and properly dispose of recyclables, added Associate Professor Tong Yen Wah from the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the National University of Singapore, and more education is needed in this area.

"We are too used to the conveniences of throwing everything into one bin or chute, and do not bother to recycle properly," he said.

"Having good infrastructure such as more recycling locations that are closer or easier to access, and having incentives such as the reverse vending machines can help too, because there is currently a lack of easily accessible ways to recycle."

Waste collectors he spoke to recently also said there has been an increase in the contamination rate in the recyclables they collect, and have had to divert more recyclables to the incineration plants, said Assoc Prof Tong.

Ms Pek said the rubbish chute discourages recycling as there is a "lack of accountability" for residents who may dispose of waste irresponsibly, which can contribute to contamination as well.
EXPORT OF PLASTIC AND PAPER
"Explicit education is needed for Singaporeans to know what to recycle, as there are still quite some misconceptions on the ground which we try to address whenever possible," she added.

A drop in demand for recyclable materials overseas could also have also been a factor in the decrease, said experts.

This would include countries such as China banning imports of recyclable materials as well as restrictions on imports from countries such as Malaysia and Thailand, creating more supply than buyers, said Ms Pek.

"This seems to have resulted in a drop in prices of some recyclable materials, such as paper and plastic, deeming it much less profitable to go through much effort to collect and sell the materials," she added.

According to NEA, the drop in the overall recycling rate is "largely attributable" to the drop in the recycling rate of paper.

"The market for recycled paper was affected by shrinking export markets and reduced demand for printing paper from increasing digitalisation," said NEA on their website.

"Given that 34 per cent of Singapore's recyclables are exported, the status of the external market and policy of other countries towards recyclables would have a significant impact on our recycling rate."

Ms Melissa Tan, chairman of the Waste Management and Recycling Association of Singapore, said knowing that paper and plastic waste will eventually be incinerated could discourage people from recycling.

"People can place their used paper in the blue bins, but if the paper cannot be exported, they would have to be disposed of," she said.

"Some people may thus be less inclined to recycle paper or plastics because they know that there is no market for them overseas and they would be incinerated."

Adding that the solution might be for paper and plastic recycling plants to be built in Singapore, she added: "This will then encourage more people to recycle them because they know their used paper and plastic bottles will actually be recycled and not simply incinerated."

Some Singaporeans also might lack faith in the country's recycling system, and may hence decide not to recycle, noted Plastic-Lite Singapore founder Aarti Giri.

"When someone goes to drop off their recyclables in the blue bin, and spot regular trash in the same bin, their belief in the system, rightfully so, may reduce," she said.

"They may get dejected seeing this and stop recycling altogether, thinking everything is going to get incinerated anyway."

But experts remained generally positive that Singapore will be able to reach its target of a domestic recycling rate of 30 per cent by 2030.

Under the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint, targets include increasing the nation's overall recycling rate to 70 per cent, non-domestic recycling rate to 81 per cent and domestic recycling rate to 30 per cent in ten years.

"If the general market situation does not change and we continue to rely on exporting our recyclables for processing, we might not be able to achieve the target," said Ms Pek.

"However, with schemes such as extended producer responsibility for e-waste and packaging kicking in, in the next few years, it can still be possible to reach the target if Singapore is able to own a certain percentage of recyclables processing, which we should."

Added Assoc Prof Tong: "I think we can definitely achieve 30 per cent domestic recycling by 2030 as that is not a high (target). Other countries like Japan, South Korea, Germany have a much higher recycling rate, so this target is definitely achievable if we do our best."

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Contamination of recyclables, incorrect recycling among possible factors for Singapore's low domestic recycling rate: Experts

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(Updated: ) Share this content SINGAPORE: A number of factors such as the contamination of recyclables and incorrect recycling could have possibly contributed to Singapore's low recycling rate among households, experts told CNA. This follows statistics released by the National Environment Agency (NEA) on Wednesday (Apr 15) which showed that despite generating less waste, Singapore's overall recycling rate fell in 2019.

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Rosenberger learned conversational Haitian Creole, became close with a few Haitians, and wanted to figure out a way to address some of the poverty he witnessed. He was also startled by the enormous piles of plastic trash throughout Haiti. About 9 million pounds of plastic waste is generated each month in Port-au-Prince alone. Most of that is in the form of plastic bottles, which Haitians discard on the street or in the canals, causing serious environmental problems.

When Rosenberger got back to the U.S., he began to do research on what could be done with all that plastic trash. He soon learned that plastic bottles could be turned into fabric, and he knew he had found an idea to create jobs, help impoverished Haitians, and address the terrible waste problem there.

He quickly realized he needed help, so turned to a friend of his from Penn State, Lee Kimball, who had experience in non-profit management and an MBA. Kimball was drawn by Thread's core premise of finding sustainable solutions to global problems. He is now the COO of Thread. Rosenberger also brought in Frank Macinsky, another Penn State graduate, with whom he had previously worked at an ad agency. Macinsky is now Thread's director of marketing.

In its infancy, Thread received advice and crucial early investment funds from the Idea Foundry, a business incubator in Pittsburgh that I'll write about in a later installment here. Freelancing at the time at the Idea Foundry, Jenna Knapp-another Penn State grad who also has a degree from Carnegie Mellon in public management-was assigned to help Thread turn their idea into a sustainable business. She's been with the company ever since and is its director of production.

Kelsey Halling is the only member of the Thread team who wasn't a Penn State undergrad. She studied business administration at the University of Pittsburgh and has experience in the non-profit sector. Bothered by some of the inefficiencies she observed in non-profits, she found herself drawn to the idea of social enterprise-solving social and environmental problems with for-profit business models-and now works as Thread's "director of impact."

All told, that's just five people. Not even enough to field a softball team. But they're thinking like major leaguers in their efforts to alleviate poverty by providing jobs, while simultaneously mitigating environmental harm. And they've worked out productive partnerships with other organizations that are pursuing the same goal, as I'll explain below.

Sitting in their tiny one-room headquarters in Pittsburgh's East Liberty neighborhood (home to Google's offices there and tech startups), I was impressed by both the youthful idealism and the informed hardheadedness the Thread team displayed as they took me through the logic behind the company and the processes of its operation.

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The Company That Turns Plastic Bottles Into Fabric-and Jobs

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Rosenberger learned conversational Haitian Creole, became close with a few Haitians, and wanted to figure out a way to address some of the poverty he witnessed. He was also startled by the enormous piles of plastic trash throughout Haiti. About 9 million pounds of plastic waste is generated each month in Port-au-Prince alone.

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Dr Janil Puthucheary takes a deep dive into one of the major contributors to global warming: Plastic. What can be done to curb our plastic addiction?

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Singapore has taken another step in its long-term plans to improve its recycling rates and capabilities, particularly its ability to recover more plastic waste.

Last week, the National Environment Agency (NEA) awarded the tender for the feasibility study and design of a pilot plastic recovery facility to engineering firm HTP GmbH & Co. The company specialises in the planning and design of waste management and recycling systems.

The feasibility study will help the NEA identify and assess the capacity and design of the facility, as well as the requirements for a suitable site, the agency said.

The study is expected to start soon and be completed by the third quarter of this year.

It will run parallel to a joint study between the NEA and energy company Shell that was announced last October, on the feasibility of chemically recycling waste in Singapore.

The NEA said the plastic recovery facility will take in domestic waste collected from households and trade premises before sorting it and recovering various plastic polymer types. These will be further treated in chemical recycling plants.

"The recovered plastics... can be converted into higher-value products such as pyrolysis oil, which can serve as feedstock for Singapore's petrochemical sector to manufacture new plastics and chemicals," said the NEA.

The facility will also be able to recover suitable polyethylene terephthalate, a type of plastic commonly known as PET, which will be mechanically recycled.

The NEA said there is currently no local facility that recovers contaminated plastics from domestic waste.

Under the current system, recyclables are collected from blue National Recycling Programme bins at various locations across the island.

The new facility will tap a larger source of waste collected, such as from the green general waste bins in Housing Board estates, thereby reducing the amount of waste sent for incineration and to landfills, said the NEA.

The feasibility study on the facility will propose the technologies and equipment required to recover up to 72,000 tonnes of plastic waste a year for chemical recycling, among other things.

The study will, in addition, determine the cost-effectiveness for the facility to separate and recover non-plastic recyclables, such as paper, metals and glass, the NEA said.

The facility would be "a key enabler in closing the waste loop, especially for plastics", the agency said.

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Study to be done on recovering plastic waste

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Singapore has taken another step in its long-term plans to improve its recycling rates and capabilities, particularly its ability to recover more plastic waste. Last week, the National Environment Agency (NEA) awarded the tender for the feasibility study and design of a pilot plastic recovery facility to engineering firm HTP GmbH & Co.

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SINGAPORE (Reuters) - As countries around Southeast Asia struggle to cope with growing piles of plastic and other waste on land and in their waters, Singapore is one country in the region that appears to have things figured out.

Singapore's streets are glistening clean, its parks and beaches mostly free from the trash that plagues neighboring countries like Malaysia and Indonesia. Almost all of Singapore's non-recyclable waste is incinerated, with the ash and some solid waste shipped to a man-made island nearby that doubles as a nature reserve.

But that solution looks as if it is running short on time.

The tip on Semakau island was supposed to meet Singapore's dumping needs until as late as 2045, according to environment ministry documents. But with the use of disposable products growing at a rapid rate, the ministry's most recent estimates show that Semakau could be full a decade earlier.

Plastics was the largest category of waste disposed of in Singapore last year - 763,400 tonnes - according to data from the National Environment Agency (NEA). Only 6 percent of the 815,200 of plastic waste generated was recycled.

Analysis of the NEA data by Reuters shows that plastic waste per capita has increased nearly 20 percent over the last 15 years.

A report by the local Straits Times newspaper in March said each person in Singapore threw away an average of 13 bags a day in 2016.

So far, the government has not adopted any bans or charges on plastic bags or single-use plastic items like straws and plates. It has also not disclosed any plans to replace the Semakau dump.

"More needs to be done to prolong the life of Semakau landfill beyond 2035," the NEA said in an email when asked about plans for the dump.

The agency said that recycling initiatives had helped stabilize the amount of trash sent for incineration, despite increases in waste generation caused by population and economic growth.

HARDER LINE

Southeast Asia is home to four of the world's top marine plastic polluters, a trend some think will be exacerbated by last year's waste import ban in China, which used to be the world's top destination for recyclable trash.

The recent death of a pilot whale in Thailand with 80 pieces of plastic rubbish in its stomach has also drawn global attention to the problem.

Singapore, which plays host to the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations this year, is planning a special ministerial meeting on climate action in July.

But climate groups have urged the government of the wealthy city-state, which enjoys broad support from its electorate, to spend more political capital on tackling waste in a convenience culture where deliveries and take-out meals are common.

Singapore says it aims to become a "zero waste" nation, meaning it will eventually not send any waste to landfill. However, it has yet to set a date for achieving that goal.

The NEA said it was implementing initiatives aimed at increasing recycling rates and reducing waste at the source. These have included increasing the number of recycling bins and awareness campaigns.

It said Singapore was offering research grants for companies and organizations to develop sustainable waste management technologies, and planned to make it mandatory for large generators of packaging waste to report the types and quantities they use and their reduction plans by 2021.

The local recycling industry has yet to feel the pinch of China's waste ban, the NEA said, adding that for now it was still able to find overseas markets for recyclables.

Kim Stengert, chief communications officer for WWF Singapore, said the group would like to see Singapore adopt measures like mandatory charges for plastic bags or requiring firms to either pay for or participate in the collection and recycling of plastics.

Singapore's senior minister of state for the environment and water resources, Amy Khor, said in March that unlike other countries with mandatory plastic bag charges, Singapore incinerates plastic waste before putting it in landfills.

"We do not face the land and water pollution issues that plague those countries," she said. She added that plastic bags were "necessary for responsible and hygienic bagging of waste" in Singapore's hot and humid climate.

Neighboring Malaysia has said it aims to introduce a nationwide ban on plastic bags within a year, while some local authorities in the Philippines already regulate their use.

"There is no rubbish piling up in the streets, so Singaporeans don't perceive a waste problem or feel personally responsible to reduce waste," said Sonny Ben Rosenthal, an academic who specializes in environmental issues at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University.

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disposal & recycling services (trbc level 5)

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In Singapore, where trash becomes ash, plastics are still a problem

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SINGAPORE (Reuters) - As countries around Southeast Asia struggle to cope with growing piles of plastic and other waste on land and in their waters, Singapore is one country in the region that appears to have things figured out. Singapore's streets are glistening clean, its parks and beaches mostly free from the trash that plagues neighboring countries like Malaysia and Indonesia.

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Semakau Landfill is located about 8km south of Singapore. A 7km perimeter rock bund encloses part of the sea off Pulau Semakau and Pulau Sakeng to create the space for the landfill. The bund is lined with impermeable membrane and a layer of marine clay, ensuring that leachate from the refuse is contained in the landfill. Ancillary facilities were built to ensure that the landfill operation is self-sustainable.

Visits to the Semakau Landfill or one of the waste-to-energy plants can be arranged by sending us a request.

The landfilling process at Semakau Landfill:

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Semakau Landfill is located about 8km south of Singapore. A 7km perimeter rock bund encloses part of the sea off Pulau Semakau and Pulau Sakeng to create the space for the landfill. The bund is lined with impermeable membrane and a layer of marine clay, ensuring that leachate from the refuse is contained in the landfill.

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REDUCING AND RECYCLING OUR WASTE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE
We are producing an increasing amount of waste.

We have to cut down on the amount of waste we generate as we are running out of space to dispose of waste.

MINIMISING THE VOLUME OF WASTE DISPOSED
Singapore currently has only one active landfill. To conserve our limited landfill space, we incinerate as much waste as we can to reduce the volume going to the landfill. Through incineration, we can reduce the volume by as much as 90%.

Excess heat from Waste-to-Energy incineration plants provides about 2% of our electricity supply.

DISPOSE HAZARDOUS WASTE SAFELY
Many industries produce hazardous waste and generate by-products that pose health risks to both people and the environment.

Strict regulations are administered by NEA to ensure that such waste is properly managed.

Our Key Targets

1. Extend the lifespan of Semakau landfill.

2. Achieve 70% recycling rate by 2030.

Our Main Plans

Recycling

Space For Waste Will Run Out

Recycling is one way to minimise the amount of waste we create. Often, items are discarded without any thought to how they can be given a second life.

Singapore has only one landfill. Recycling is an important way of cutting down the amount of waste that goes into the landfill and reducing the cost of disposal.

The Challenge: Increasing Recycling Rate To 70% By 2030

We have had successes with certain waste streams, such as ferrous metals and construction and demolition materials, with near 100% recycling rates.

However, more can be done, particularly with increasing the recycling rates of our priority waste streams. Although awareness of recycling has improved among Singaporeans, the recycling rate remains low. The contamination of recyclables in collection bins adds further challenges. We will need everyone's collective efforts in order to achieve our recycling rate target.

Our Efforts

More than 80,000 blue recycling bins have been placed in HDB and landed estates across the island.Paper, plastic, glass and metal recyclables can be deposited into these bins. The mixed recyclables are collected by dedicated recycling trucks and sent to Materials Recovery Facilities for sorting. After sorting, the recyclable materials are sent to recycling facilities for further processing.

Since April 2018, all new non-landed private residential developments above four storeys are required to install dual chutes for refuse and recyclables. All condominiums have also been required to provide one recycling per block since August 2018.

We will continue to make recycling accessible to all residents.

Waste Collection

Waste Production Never Stops

In line with population and economic growth, the volume of waste produced has increased exponentially.

Without an efficient waste collection system in place, piles of rubbish would accumulate near homes and workplaces and create breeding grounds for pests and poses threats to public health.

The Challenge: Our Climate Cannot Tolerate Waste

Due to our hot and humid weather, organic waste rapidly decomposes and starts to smell unpleasant. On top of the discomfort, uncollected waste promotes the breeding of disease-carrying vectors, such as mosquitoes, in our environment.

To protect public health, waste generated has to be collected and disposed promptly and safely.

Our Efforts

Today, there are now 3 public waste collection companies operating in 6 sectors, serving households and trade premises. Rights to manage waste are competitively tendered by these companies.

In addition, there are more than 300 approved general waste collectors that serve commercial and industrial premises.

Incineration

The Challenge: Effective But Not A Sustainable Solution

Incineration Plants Cost Us Space And Money
Incineration converts waste to energy and reduces the volume of waste going to landfill. However, incineration plants are very expensive to build and operate. They also take up land space. We cannot keep building more incineration plants indefinitely.
Pollutants During Incineration
Pollutants, such as NOx, SO ₂, dioxins and particulate matter, are produced in the process of incineration and they affect our air quality.

Our Efforts: Improving Processes And Exploring New Uses

Tapping Private Sector Expertise
The Government increased private sector participation in the incineration industry. Singapore's fifth incineration plant was built and operated by a private company through a Design, Build, Own and Operate arrangement.
Treating Pollutants Before Release Into The Environment
All incinerators in Singapore have been fitted or built with pollution control equipment to protect our air quality. The flue gas produced during incineration is treated to remove most of the pollutants in order to meet safe environmental standards before being released into the air.
Reducing Waste
NEA has been encouraging people and industries to reduce their waste, reuse where possible and increase their rate of recycling.
Incinerating Less Than Before
The reduction of waste and increase in recycling will also help to delay the building of new incineration plants. Instead of building one every 5-7 years, we can build one every 8-10 years.
Ash May Be Recycled Instead Of Landfilled
After the success of developing the use of incinerated bottom ash (IBA) for road material, NEA is exploring other uses for treated ash so as to extend the lifespan of our sole remaining landfill, Semakau.

Landfill

Limited Space For Our Growing Amount Of Waste

As there is no available land for landfill on mainland Singapore, Semakau Landfill had to be created by enclosing 350 hectares of sea space between two offshore islands. Semakau Landfill opened on 1 April 1999 and is now the only one we have.

At current waste generation rates, Semakau Landfill will run out of space by around 2035.

The Challenge: Building Landfills Is Not A Sustainable Solution

Landfills require space. We have already used up large tracts of land on mainland Singapore, in various areas such as Choa Chu Kang, Lim Chu Kang and Lorong Halus.

The Semakau Landfill had to be constructed out of sea space due to our land constraints. It is difficult for Singapore to continually build landfills to handle our growing amount of waste. We need to look for more sustainable solutions to handle our waste.

Our Efforts: Minimising The Amount Of Waste That Goes To The Landfill

The Zero Waste Masterplan sets a new waste reduction target for Singapore - to reduce the waste sent to Semakau Landfill each day by 30 per cent by 2030. This will help extend Semakau Landfill's lifespan beyond 2035.
Reduce Volume Of Waste By Incineration
Incinerable waste is sent to our four incineration plants, and the ashes end up at Semakau landfill.

Incineration can reduce waste volume by over 90%!

The excess heat energy produced contributes to about 3% of our electricity supply.
Prolonged Lifespan of Semakau Landfill
Through recycling and other waste minimisation efforts, we are progressively lengthening the lifespan of our last landfill.

The Related Laws

1. RESOURCE SUSTAINABILITY ACT
The Act covers pregulatory measures targeting the three priority waste streams of food waste, e-waste and packaging waste, including plastics.

2. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT ACT
The Act covers pollution control, hazardous substances control and licensing of industrial plant works among others.

3. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT ACT
The Act covers pollution control, hazardous substances control and licensing of industrial plant works among others.

4. ENVIRONMENTAL PUBLIC HEALTH ACT
The Act lists out regulations for public services such as general waste collection, swimming pools and food hygiene among others.

5. HAZARDOUS WASTE (CONTROL OF EXPORT, IMPORT AND TRANSIT) ACT
The Act regulates the movement of hazardous wastes among others.

6. RADIATION PROTECTION ACT
The Act controls the import and export of radioactive materials and other related apparatus as well as the disposal, accumulation and transport of radioactive.

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Our Clean Land Policy in a Nutshell REDUCING AND RECYCLING OUR WASTE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE We are producing an...

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Be part of Singapore's journey to become a Zero Waste Nation

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Purpose: To examine how the plastic industry can contribute to MSE’s target without affecting the industry negatively by balancing our interests with the interests of other people and the environment.

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1) https://www.nea.gov.sg/programmes-grants/schemes/singapore-packaging-agreement - The Singapore Packaging Agreement (SPA) was a joint initiative by government, industry and NGOs to reduce packaging waste, which constitutes about one-third by weight of Singapore’s domestic waste disposed of. The Agreement was voluntary, so as to provide flexibility for the industry to adopt cost-effective solutions to reduce waste.

2) https://www.plasticsmakeitpossible.com/about-plastics/whyarewecreatinglessgarbagestudypointstoplastics/ - data from Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS)
3) https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/ba-1969-0096.ch001 - use of plastic in engineering