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

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 ... EnvironmentUpdatedInSingapore,wheretrashbecomesash,plasticsarestillaproblemByJohnGeddie5MinReadSINGAPORE(Reuters)-AscountriesaroundSoutheastAsiastruggletocopewithgrowingpilesofplasticandotherwasteonlandandintheirwaters,Singaporeisonecountryintheregionthatappearstohavethingsfiguredout.PlasticbagsandbottlesaregivenoutduringaneventinSingapore,April28,2018.PicturetakenApril28,2018.REUTERS/FelineLimSingapore’sstreetsareglisteningclean,itsparksandbeachesmostlyfreefromthetrashthatplaguesneighboringcountrieslikeMalaysiaandIndonesia.AlmostallofSingapore’snon-recyclablewasteisincinerated,withtheashandsomesolidwasteshippedtoaman-madeislandnearbythatdoublesasanaturereserve.Butthatsolutionlooksasifitisrunningshortontime.ThetiponSemakauislandwassupposedtomeetSingapore’sdumpingneedsuntilaslateas2045,accordingtoenvironmentministrydocuments.Butwiththeuseofdisposableproductsgrowingatarapidrate,theministry’smostrecentestimatesshowthatSemakaucouldbefulladecadeearlier.PlasticswasthelargestcategoryofwastedisposedofinSingaporelastyear-763,400tonnes-accordingtodatafromtheNationalEnvironmentAgency(NEA).Only6percentofthe815,200ofplasticwastegeneratedwasrecycled.AnalysisoftheNEAdatabyReutersshowsthatplasticwastepercapitahasincreasednearly20percentoverthelast15years.AreportbythelocalStraitsTimesnewspaperinMarchsaideachpersoninSingaporethrewawayanaverageof13bagsadayin2016.Sofar,thegovernmenthasnotadoptedanybansorchargesonplasticbagsorsingle-useplasticitemslikestrawsandplates.IthasalsonotdisclosedanyplanstoreplacetheSemakaudump.“MoreneedstobedonetoprolongthelifeofSemakaulandfillbeyond2035,”theNEAsaidinanemailwhenaskedaboutplansforthedump.Theagencysaidthatrecyclinginitiativeshadhelpedstabilizetheamountoftrashsentforincineration,despiteincreasesinwastegenerationcausedbypopulationandeconomicgrowth.Slideshow(6images)HARDERLINESoutheastAsiaishometofouroftheworld’stopmarineplasticpolluters,atrendsomethinkwillbeexacerbatedbylastyear’swasteimportbaninChina,whichusedtobetheworld’stopdestinationforrecyclabletrash.TherecentdeathofapilotwhaleinThailandwith80piecesofplasticrubbishinitsstomachhasalsodrawnglobalattentiontotheproblem.Singapore,whichplayshosttothe10-memberAssociationofSoutheastAsianNationsthisyear,isplanningaspecialministerialmeetingonclimateactioninJuly.Butclimategroupshaveurgedthegovernmentofthewealthycity-state,whichenjoysbroadsupportfromitselectorate,tospendmorepoliticalcapitalontacklingwasteinaconvenienceculturewheredeliveriesandtake-outmealsarecommon.Singaporesaysitaimstobecomea“zerowaste”nation,meaningitwilleventuallynotsendanywastetolandfill.However,ithasyettosetadateforachievingthatgoal.TheNEAsaiditwasimplementinginitiativesaimedatincreasingrecyclingratesandreducingwasteatthesource.Thesehaveincludedincreasingthenumberofrecyclingbinsandawarenesscampaigns.ItsaidSingaporewasofferingresearchgrantsforcompaniesandorganizationstodevelopsustainablewastemanagementtechnologies,andplannedtomakeitmandatoryforlargegeneratorsofpackagingwastetoreportthetypesandquantitiestheyuseandtheirreductionplansby2021.ThelocalrecyclingindustryhasyettofeelthepinchofChina’swasteban,theNEAsaid,addingthatfornowitwasstillabletofindoverseasmarketsforrecyclables.KimStengert,chiefcommunicationsofficerforWWFSingapore,saidthegroupwouldliketoseeSingaporeadoptmeasureslikemandatorychargesforplasticbagsorrequiringfirmstoeitherpayfororparticipateinthecollectionandrecyclingofplastics.Singapore’sseniorministerofstatefortheenvironmentandwaterresources,AmyKhor,saidinMarchthatunlikeothercountrieswithmandatoryplasticbagcharges,Singaporeincineratesplasticwastebeforeputtingitinlandfills.“Wedonotfacethelandandwaterpollutionissuesthatplaguethosecountries,”shesaid.Sheaddedthatplasticbagswere“necessaryforresponsibleandhygienicbaggingofwaste”inSingapore’shotandhumidclimate.NeighboringMalaysiahassaiditaimstointroduceanationwidebanonplasticbagswithinayear,whilesomelocalauthoritiesinthePhilippinesalreadyregulatetheiruse.“Thereisnorubbishpilingupinthestreets,soSingaporeansdon’tperceiveawasteproblemorfeelpersonallyresponsibletoreducewaste,”saidSonnyBenRosenthal,anacademicwhospecializesinenvironmentalissuesatSingapore’sNanyangTechnologicalUniversity.ReportingbyJohnGeddie,additionalreportingbyDeweySim;EditingbyPhilipMcClellanOurStandards:TheThomsonReutersTrustPrinciples.for-phone-onlyfor-tablet-portrait-upfor-tablet-landscape-upfor-desktop-upfor-wide-desktop-up