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How might we best achieve the targets of the Zero Waste Masterplan and cater to all stakeholders.

Our purpose:

- to push for a circular economy

(more recycling and upcycling while cutting down on usage)

- raise public awareness on the issue + serious consequences of issue and how they cld help

- to get support from other stakeholders

plastic is useful to our lives and is beneficial to our lives. however, when not properly used and managed they can lead to serious consequences (lack of space + climate change due to incineration + ingested plastic + ruining of biodiversity)

Hence, in order to protect ourselves and our earth we have to do our part to create a circular economy

How plastic affects us on a:

Social level

Everyday life

Economic level

Revenue generated and jobs created

Physical level

How it is influencing our earth and animals

other concepts:

alternatives available for us (technology wise or product wise) Circular economy, public awareness, climate change, biodiversity.

And how they are all correlated

assumptions:

- the implementation of our initiatives will improve our current system and will play a part in improving the environment

(an assumption we are coming from but not really proven)

-there are alternatives that we can use

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1. Is it possible to make all plastic packaging recyclable, when there are different needs for the packaging of each product? For example the thin plastic wrapping for a lot of meat and vegetables is single use

2. Why hasn't Singapore not implemented a nation-wide law that deincentivises plastic bag usage, when other countries have done this several years ago?

3. Is “zero” waste actually achievable? Plastic waste can be reduced, but can it be eliminated?

4. Which plastics can be recycled and how does that match with the plastics that are currently being recycled? How much of the plastic waste is due to ignorance/ contamination?

5. To what degree can plastic use be streamlined (use of recyclable plastics after non-reusable ones) in current industrial process?
What margins can the economy work with (how much resources can be devoted to this problem)?

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- Plastic use must go down.

- Increase recycling not only by consumers but also by industries. Can be done through education campaigns + laws + subsidies+ lower taxes

- Invest in R&D for plastic substitutes. Streamline mass production. Subsidize costs for businesses.

-  Reduce plastic use by business owners and consumers. Mandate through laws and incentivize. Use public education campaigns too

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- Concern for the environment
- Need to adopt a more sustainable way of packaging, etc. so as to reduce plastic waste
- Not necessarily in the interest of the gov or profit because they are non-governmental, non-profit orgainsations

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- compromising profits as a result of reducing plastic waste and transitioning to eco-friendly options
- plastic packaging is still better than other packaging in some instances (e.g. longer storage life for fruits)
- most of the public use plastic in their daily lives, hard for them to make the transition due to the convenience plastic offers, however can be done through education

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1) trying our best to reduce waste but its mainly the consumers because we are reducing our waste on our part but consumers are not
2) plastic is not biodegradable but because it is a relatively new material we need more time to research it
3) the perception of what plastic is used for has been oversimplified by the public

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Increasing waste disposal rates
Causes of issue

1. Lack of awareness

2. Lack of cooperation (unwilling to give up advantages of plastic eg. convenience)

3. Limitations of resources (recycling)

4. Over Reliance on plastic products that is difficult for people to forgo (convenience, also unaware of the problems only 1 plastic bag causes.Will require a large scale change people are not comfortable with  )(culture)

5. Culture (Singaporeans culture, do not care)

6. Lack of incentives to reduce plastic usage

7. Lack of concern ( people feel like its not their job to reduce plastic waste)

8. Bystander effect (feel that other people will reduce plastic waste and they don't need to play their part)

9. Lack of cheap alternatives, inability to avoid plastics.

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1) work with consumers in a responsible manner such that total waste reduces
2) get mandate so that we can maintain our profits as well as our people

3) logo to show consumers whether the plastic. product can be recycled

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what NEA can do

Make recycling more convenient

Collection dates? (unfeasible due to high manpower)

Incentives (for every certain amt of waste recycled, give incentive, might be difficult due to high manpower needed, eg. 3r rewarding system to ensure compliance towards recycling (for private sector) through recognising business sectors who have contributed significantly to reducing waste eg. having a solid waste policy, have they used the 3Rs. eg. vouchers ) better option as make recycling easier doesn't solve the root cause in the long run.

More recycling bins placed ard neighbourhood

Ineffective as people have abused recycling bins

what are the benefits of these suggestions

what are the trade-offs of these suggest

Raising public awareness through education

Forcing consumers to pay for plastic bags

- ineffective as people abuse employees as they are unwilling to pay, or just pay anyway cos its not a big issue to them, which does not help reduce wastage

Incentives. (may not work as people may value convenience over the incentive)

Fines (eg, tax on plastic)

Vouchers

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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. Lack of concern for long term impacts  (doesn't affect them now so it doesn't matter)

2. People tend not to look at long term consequences

3. Ageing Population - Conventional Culture.

4. People are unwilling to take the effort to recycle - convenience.

5. People are unaware of the large extent of plastic used in Singapore

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- grants from the government so that consumers & business owners are not required to absorb the cost when transitioning to more eco-friendly options
- charging consumers fees for using plastic
- promoting eco-friendly stores (with reduced plastic packaging, using recyclable packaging) & reduction of plastic through education of the public

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- plastic recycling education: extend education and awareness such that less items are contaminated and more can be recycled
- food takeaway: more eco-friendly alternatives at no cost on the consumers
- business initiative: reusable bags provided at no cost on the consumers + plastic bags if really needed
- if consumers use recyclable bags/do not ask for plastic bags they get a discount
- awareness: big sign to encourage consumers to buy a recyclable bag at the cashier
- at supermarkets etc. boxes to pack their food / box where excess reusable bags are placed such that whoever needs it can just take

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- cost of replacing plastic packaging with eco-friendly options: businesses may have to absorb the cost and this reduces profit
- impact of reducing plastic waste on consumers: will consumers still be willing to buy things from the business if there are marked up prices as a result of eco-friendly options, do consumers still prefer plastic (from our discussion majority yes for convenience)
- incorporating eco-friendly options into businesses: viability in the long run (since plastic packaging has benefits like reducing food waste, longer shelf life)

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- cost of eco-friendly alternatives to plastic on consumers
- convenience of single-use plastic products

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Briefly describe the policy:

1. the components of the policy option

2. How the option addresses the issue identified

3. The benefits/drawbacks of the option if implemented

4. Ways to mitigate the negative impact

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Evaluate the policy using appropriate criteria. The assessment of the options should be rigourous:

able to identify benefits

able to identify drawbacks/trade offs

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State the parties involved in the implementation

How will the party/parties involved implement the policy?

What is the implementation timeline?

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If you have time to propose more than one policy, recommend which should be implemented and explain why it is a better policy.