TESSA OH Today Online 30 Aug 19;
SINGAPORE — Environment experts believe that the 2030 target to reduce the amount of waste sent daily to the Semakau Landfill by 30 per cent is within reach, but how the plans are executed will determine whether the goals are ultimately achieved.
The waste reduction target was announced by the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) on Friday (Aug 30) as part of its larger Zero Waste Masterplan, which aims to extend the landfill’s lifespan beyond 2035.
Ms Renee Mison, spokesperson for Eco-Wiz, said that she has already seen some of the initiatives recommended for tackling food waste in practice. The company, which specialises in food waste and general waste management technology, has worked with several restaurants, hotels and malls to adopt food waste segregation measures.
Ms Mison has also observed that, increasingly, more companies are introducing food waste segregation measures into their waste management practices.
As such, she believes that the Government’s plan to make food waste segregation treatment mandatory by 2024 is a realistic goal.
EDUCATION, AWARENESS STILL LACKING
Ms Pek Hai Lin, a manager at Zero Waste Singapore, a non-governmental green organisation, said that for recycling rates to improve, the public should be taught more explicitly on how to recycle.
Statistics show that domestic recycling is at a lowly 22 per cent last year. This includes households, shophouses, schools, army camps, petrol kiosks and places of worship, a spokesperson for MEWR said.
Ms Pek believes that more can be done to inculcate good recycling practices among Singaporeans, and this can start at the grassroots level.
“There should be stronger touch points at the grassroots (level) in terms of education. If leaders at the grassroots level are not clear on what should and should not be recycled, it will be hard to instruct the residents to follow suit,” she said, adding that the Government could consider creating tool kits or booklets, or even conduct workshops to disseminate information on recycling.
Agreeing, Mr Ashwin Subramaniam, chief executive officer of GA Circular — which describes itself as research and strategy experts in packaging and food waste — said that awareness of the recycling process, from collection to the processing of materials, can help motivate the public to do their part.
“Many of my friends are sceptical and cynical about the recycling process because they don’t know what happens to the items after they deposit them. It will be helpful if the Government can share successful recycling efforts and what the process looks like, so that people can see the value in recycling,” he said.
When it comes to reducing consumption, Ms Nichol Ng, chief food officer of Food Bank Singapore, said that corporations can be incentivised by the Government to make food donations through tax breaks, just like how they are offered for monetary donations. Food Bank Singapore redistributes food donations to the needy through charitable groups.
Ms Ng said: “Of course, there are corporations that will do it out of the good of their heart, but small incentives here and there can help to motivate more companies to donate rather than get rid of food they cannot sell.”
MORE SPECIFIC TARGETS NEEDED
Mr Subramaniam noted that while there have been a spate of regulatory measures announced to tackle food, packaging and electronic waste, there should be more specific targets.
Creating 2030 targets for these areas can help provide a clearer picture as to how the main objective of extending the landfill’s lifespan is met, he said.
“It’s hard to set national targets for specific materials, of course. But a clear indication in the future, maybe in two years or so, can help to ensure that things are moving along,” he said.
In the same vein, Professor Seeram Ramakrishna of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the National University of Singapore said that he had hoped for “more innovative and customised” plans with regard to plastic and textile waste. This is given that the masterplan shows that 29.6 per cent and 6.7 per cent of the waste disposed last year were plastic and textiles respectively.
WASTE MANAGEMENT NOT THE ONLY SOLUTION
Assistant Professor Fei Xunchang of the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Nanyang Technological University is optimistic about reaching the targets because there is “more than one way” to reach the goal of reducing the waste sent to Semakau Landfill.
He pointed to the Government’s plans to promote NEWSand — which turns incineration ash into construction material — as a key way in which waste can be diverted away from the landfill.
“We are currently working with the National Environment Agency on some projects, for example, reusing IBA (incinerated bottom ash) in road construction. If the project is proven successful, I think it will be very promising as there is a big market in Singapore,” he said.
Singapore aims to cut daily waste sent to landfill by 30% by 2030 to extend Semakau’s lifespan
TESSA OH Today Online 30 Aug 19;
SINGAPORE — With the Semakau Landfill set to run out of space by 2035, the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) has set a new waste reduction target to extend its lifespan.
The Zero Waste Masterplan launched on Friday (Aug 30) aims to reduce the waste sent to the landfill each day by 30 per cent by 2030.
It also outlines plans to achieve a 70 per cent overall recycling rate by 2030.
The masterplan maps out Singapore’s key strategies to build a sustainable, resource-efficient and climate-resilient nation.
This includes adopting a circular economy approach to waste and resource management practices, and shifting towards more sustainable production and consumption. A circular economy is one which maximises the value of resources by keeping them in use for as long as possible.
Here is a look at some of the steps laid out in the masterplan:
EXTENDING SEMAKAU’S LIFESPAN
The amount of waste disposed in Singapore has increased seven-fold in the last 40 years, MEWR said.
According to the masterplan, at current waste disposal rates, Singapore would need to build a new incineration plant every seven to 10 years. By 2035, the ash generated from incineration may have nowhere to go as Singapore’s only landfill, Semakau Landfill, is projected to run out of space by then.
To reach the target of reducing the waste sent to the landfill each day by 30 per cent by 2030, it would mean having to cut down from 0.36kg per capita in 2018 to 0.25kg per capita in 2030.
Today, each person disposes of 800g of waste per day, the masterplan notes. To achieve this waste-to-landfill reduction target of 30 per cent, each person needs to reduce the total amount of waste they dispose of per day to 640g by 2030.
This adds up to a reduction of about 30 bananas or 15 glass bottles per month.
IMPROVING RECYCLING RATES
MEWR unveiled a new design for the blue recycling bins that are located in housing estates, as part of its plan to achieve a 70 per cent overall recycling rate by 2030.
Since 2012, 60 per cent of waste is recycled in Singapore. However, this is in large part due to the high recycling rates for non-domestic waste, such as that produced on construction sites. The masterplan reported that close to all of the waste produced during construction and development is recycled.
Meanwhile, last year only 22 per cent of Singapore’s domestic waste — waste from households and small businesses — was recycled.
The new recycling labels will convey more explicitly what can and cannot be placed in the bins. For example, the labels will make clear that paper, metal, plastic and glass products are permitted, while styrofoam, food-stained items and bulky items are not.
Banners stating “No Food. No Liquids.” will also be placed in prominent positions to remind the public to keep the bins free from food and liquid waste.
Currently, about 40 per cent of what is thrown into the blue recycling bins is contaminated. This includes items that cannot be recycled — such as toys, clothes and shoes — and contaminated recyclables like plastic containers that still contain remnants of food or liquid.
The labels will be progressively rolled out and all blue bins are expected to have them by the middle of next year.
Get TODAY's headlines delivered to your mobile device! Join our Telegram channel here:
MEWR also announced that all recycling trucks in Singapore will be refreshed with a new and identical design. The trucks, which have been painted blue since August, will help the public to readily identify and differentiate them from the waste collection vehicles.
To accompany this, MEWR and the National Environment Agency (NEA) will also focus on improving the public’s knowledge on how to recycle properly. In 2019, they launched the #RecycleRight campaign as part of efforts to push Singapore towards a zero-waste future.
Meanwhile, NEA is exploring a plan to establish local e-waste recycling facilities for large household appliances, household batteries and lamps.
BETTER MANAGEMENT OF WASTE
Ultimately, achieving the waste reduction target will require the successful implementation of the various measures outlined in the masterplan, MEWR said, including those to better manage food waste, electronic waste and packaging waste, including plastics.
These waste streams will be regulated under the Resource Sustainability Bill, which will be debated in Parliament next week.
If passed, the new laws will set the following targets:
Mandatory packaging reporting by 2020
Extended producer responsibility for electronic waste by 2021
Mandatory food waste segregation treatment by 2024
Extended producer responsibility for packaging, including plastics, before 2025
Details of these measures were announced earlier by Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources Amy Khor in March.
Here is a summary of the key initiatives under the proposed laws:
Food waste
From 2024, sizeable food-waste generators — including large hotels and malls, as well as industrial developments housing food manufacturers, caterers and food-storage warehouses — will have to segregate such waste for treatment on or off site.
The Government is also working with large public-sector buildings that generate considerable amounts of food waste to take the lead in segregating the waste from 2021.
From 2021, developers of new premises that are expected to be large food-waste generators will also have to set aside space for food-waste treatment systems and treat such waste on site from 2024.
Electronic waste
From 2021, producers of electronic waste will have to be responsible for the end-of-life treatment of their products. This means that they will have to collect and ensure that the products are recycled by licensed companies.
Producers of consumer electronic products — such as laptops, mobile phones and household appliances — have to join a Producer Responsibility Scheme (PRS).
Under the scheme, the operator of the PRS, appointed by the NEA, will have to develop and implement a collection and recycling system for consumer electronic waste.
This includes scheduling collection drives, providing e-waste bins, transporting the e-waste to licensed recyclers, and reporting the tonnage of e-waste collected and recycled to the NEA.
Large retailers with sales areas of over 300sqm for such consumer equipment will have to set up in-store e-waste collection points for information and communications technology equipment, lamps and batteries. They also have to ensure licensed e-waste recyclers or collectors treat the e-waste properly.
As for commercial and industrial electrical and electronic equipment, such as data servers and solar panels, producers will have to take back equipment that have reached the end of their lifespans for free, at their clients’ request.
Packaging waste
Producers of packaging and packaged products, such as supermarkets, brand owners, manufacturers and importers, will have to collect data and report to the NEA from 2021 on the types and amount of packaging they introduce to the market.
They will also have to set out and report their plans to reduce the amount of packaging which will end up as waste.
For a start, the rule will apply only to firms with an annual turnover exceeding S$10 million.
They will have to register with the NEA when the framework is rolled out in 2020 and submit their first reports from 2021.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
The ministry has ramped up investments in research and development to tackle the mounting problems of climate change and mounting waste.
Since 2017, S$45 million has been invested in the Closing the Waste Loop initiative. To date, this programme has funded eight projects worth almost S$20 million.
Among these projects are initiatives to help recycle packaging waste — specifically plastic-embedded multilayer films, such as those used to carry potato chips — and research into converting debris and waste from the Semakau Landfill into useful materials.
An additional S$25 million has gone into the Waste-to-Energy programme, which aims to build Singapore’s capabilities in energy and value recovery from waste. The programme was launched in 2014.
Singapore aims to send one-third less waste to Semakau Landfill by 2030: Amy Khor
Audrey Tan Straits Times 30 Aug 19;
SINGAPORE - The lifespan of Singapore's one and only offshore landfill is shortening, and to help extend it, the Government has set new waste reduction targets for the nation and an action plan on how to achieve it.
By 2030, Singapore wants to send about one-third, or 30 per cent, less waste to Semakau Landfill in a bid to help it last longer than the projected 2035, said Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources Amy Khor on Friday (Aug 30).
Already, the Semakau Landfill has seen its lifespan shorten from the initial 2045 to the current projection of 2035.
Currently, about 2,100 tonnes is sent to the landfill daily. This comprises 600 tonnes of non-incinerable waste, and 1,500 tonnes of ash.
Achieving this "ambitious" target would require a revamp in how people, businesses and industry practise the 3Rs (reduce, reuse and recycle).
This requires regulatory teeth, new infrastructure, continued research and development, as well as nudges to encourage people to recycle more - solutions laid out in Singapore's first zero waste masterplan.
In explaining the importance of tackling waste during the launch of the masterplan, Dr Khor said reducing waste is one way of supporting climate mitigation efforts.
Scarce resources are depleted when people produce, consume and throw away, said Dr Khor.
Where does your rubbish go? | Singapore Works | The Straits Times
"The associated activities - be it mining, manufacturing or shipping - also emits greenhouse gases. These gases trap heat in the atmosphere and contributes to climate change," she added.
Urgent action is needed, and the new masterplan would help guide Singapore as it strives to become a zero-waste nation, Dr Khor said.
REGULATION
Singapore's first Zero Waste Masterplan provides steps on how the target of 30 per cent waste reduction by 2030 can be achieved.
In terms of legislation, Dr Khor said the Resource Sustainability Bill will be passed in Parliament next week.
The Bill will provide regulatory teeth for the Government to implement measures to reduce waste from three key streams: electronic waste (e-waste), food waste and packaging waste.
Food waste and packaging waste are generated in large quantities in Singapore, but the rates at which they are recycled are dismal.
Tackling e-waste is also important for Singapore so toxic substances do not leach into the landfill or into waterways, and so useful materials such as metals can be extracted from them.
On the Resource Sustainability Bill, Dr Khor said: "We have decided to enact a new Act, rather than amend existing ones, to demonstrate and emphasise the new paradigm to view waste as a resource."
INFRASTRUCTURE
In terms of infrastructure, Singapore is exploring the establishment of local recycling capabilities, as well as local e-waste recycling facilities for large household appliances, household batteries and lamps.
China's recent ban on plastic recyclables has shifted the trade patterns of this material, Dr Khor said.
"We believe that closing the plastics loop domestically, to extract treasure from trash, is an area where both economic and environmental opportunities lie," she said.
MP Lee Bee Wah sharing her thoughts on the masterplan
This could include mechanical recycling to turn waste plastics into plastic pellets for manufacturing new products, or chemical recycling to turn plastic waste into chemical feedstock or fuel.
An industry consultation session will be conducted on Friday.
Research and development is also a key thrust of the masterplan.
To this end, the National Environment Agency is looking into solutions such as how incineration bottom ash can be turned into a construction material, and not landfill fodder.
BEHAVIOURAL NUDGES
Highlighting the importance of individual action, Dr Khor on Friday unveiled new recycling bin labels, which is meant to nudge people into recycling right.
A spokesman for the National Environment Agency said the cost of the new labels was “a very small fraction of the value of the public waste collectors’ contracts”.
She added: “If residents follow the illustration... the domestic recycling rate will improve, and this will increase the ease and efficiency of the public waste collectors’ work.”
Singapore's domestic recycling rate has fared poorly, hovering in the region of 20 per cent over the past few years.
Among the reasons for this is the contamination of recyclables, which happens when food is thrown into recycling bins. These contaminate the recyclables.
The new labels prominently state how no food or liquids are allowed in the ubiquitous big blue recycling bins, and is meant to remind users to keep recyclables clean.
Chairman of the Waste Management and Recycling Association of Singapore Melissa Tan welcomed the introduction of the re-designed labels, and said that it could help boost domestic recycling rates.
She said: “It’s not that the public is unaware about recycling. It’s just that they are confused with what they can recycle and what they cannot. The new labels make that clear.”
The Year 2019 has been designated as Singapore’s Year toward Zero Waste.
Asked why the masterplan was launched so late in the year, a spokesman from the Ministry for the Environment and Water Resources said it had been carrying out consultations with stakeholders on the masterplan earlier this year.
Moreover, he emphasised that the masterplan is a constantly being reviewed to help Singapore meet its long-term waste reduction goals.
During Friday’s event, Dr Khor urged people to step up.
She said: “Our Pioneer generation worked hard to leave us with the clean and liveable Singapore that we enjoy today. It is now our turn to take action together to ensure our children and grandchildren will inherit the shining jewel that is Singapore.”
Singapore to reduce Semakau waste by 30% under first Zero Waste Master Plan
Ang Hwee Min Channel NewsAsia 30 Aug 19;
SINGAPORE: Singapore plans to reduce the waste sent to its only landfill by 30 per cent each day, under the country’s first Zero Waste Master Plan.
The Pulau Semakau landfill is the world’s first offshore landfill created entirely from sea space. The landfill was opened in 1999 and is expected to run out of space by 2035.
Reducing the waste being dumped at Semakau by 30 per cent by the year 2030 will extend the landfill’s lifespan beyond 2035, said Senior Minister of State for the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources Amy Khor on Friday (Aug 30).
According to the ministry, the amount of waste disposed of in Singapore has increased seven-fold over the last 40 years.
“There is limited land for building new incineration plants or landfills in Singapore. Further, the incineration of waste, while efficient and avoids the problems of land and marine contamination, generates carbon emissions, which contribute to climate change,” it said.
Dr Khor said Singapore needs to move towards a sustainable economy “that is good for both businesses and the environment”.
“We can no longer afford to operate ‘business-as-usual’,” she added.
As part of the master plan, Dr Khor also outlined a new regulatory framework as part of the Resource Sustainability Bill targeting electronic waste, packaging waste and food waste. The Bill is due for a second reading in Parliament next month.
ELECTRONICS PRODUCERS TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR E-WASTE
An extended producer responsibility framework for e-waste will be launched by 2021, said Mr Lee Wei Yang, deputy director of the ministry’s environmental policy division.
This will include items like batteries, phones, computers, lamps, large appliances and solar panels, covering about 90 per cent of consumer e-waste in Singapore.
The framework will ensure that producers are responsible for the collection and recycling of electronic products, said Mr Lee.
READ: Most people do not know what to do with e-waste; only a fraction recycle: NEA study
Producers of consumer electronic products must join a producer responsibility scheme, and producers of non-consumer electronic products will be required to provide free take-back services for all end-of-life equipment upon request, he added.
Retailers will also be required to provide free take-back services upon delivery of new products, and large retailers with floor space above 300 sq m must provide in-store collection points, which is already common today, noted Mr Lee.
CLOSING THE PACKAGING LOOP
A similar extended producer responsibility framework for packaging waste will also be launched by 2025, said Mr Lee.
He noted that the voluntary Singapore Packaging Agreement has reduced packaging waste by 54,000 tonnes and saved S$130 million in packaging material costs since its inception in 2007.
From 2021, it will also be mandatory for large food waste generators to segregate and treat their food waste.
Developers of new large commercial and industrial spaces must allocate and set aside space for on-site food waste treatment systems. And from 2024, existing spaces will have to do the same.
READ: Large hotels, malls, caterers will have to segregate food waste from 2024
The Resource Sustainability Bill is a distinct shift in Singapore’s approach towards resource management, said Dr Khor.
The regulatory framework also sends an “economic signal” to producers to take into account their impact on the environment, she added.
NEW LABELS FOR RECYCLING BINS
New labels for the blue recycling bins placed around Singapore have also been launched in a bid to reduce contamination of recyclables.
The new labels aim to make it clearer what can and cannot be deposited in the bins. The current labels will be replaced with the new ones by mid-2020.
All recycling trucks from the public waste collectors will also have new identical livery to help the public identify recycling trucks and differentiate them from waste collection vehicles, said the ministry.
Dr Khor said a citizen’s workgroup will be launched next month to focus on other ways to improve household recycling and reduce contamination in the blue recycling bins.
“Our pioneer generation worked hard to leave us with the clean and liveable Singapore that we enjoy today,” said Dr Khor.
“It is now our turn to take action together to ensure that our children and grandchildren will inherit the shining jewel that is Singapore.”
REDUCING WASTE ON THE INDIVIDUAL LEVEL
Ms Pek Hai Lin, general manager of green group Zero Waste SG, told CNA that while the measures are a step in the right direction, individuals have to do more urgently.
"There's this conundrum that it takes time to implement a certain policy and there are many considerations as well. We definitely would support something like a plastic bag charge or some kind of tax to encourage people to, for personal use at least, to save resources on an individual level," said Ms Pek.
READ: Singapore shoppers take 820 million plastic bags from supermarkets each year
"On our part as Zero Waste SG, we're looking at how we can amplify individual voices and continue to tell people that individual action does make a difference.
"It doesn't mean that we rest on our laurels and wait for the Government to do something."
Founder of packaging-free store Unpackt Florence Tay said many Singaporeans still feel that a sustainable lifestyle is expensive.
Noting that reducing consumption is still key, she added: "There's something that doesn't cost a single cent to students or anyone who is empowered to do so - we can just refuse and say no. Then you're already starting your journey towards sustainability."
Source: CNA/cy
