Waste Statistics and Overall Recycling - NEA

The overall recycling rate improved from 52 per cent in 2020 to 55 per cent in 2021. The recycling rate of the non-domestic sector increased ... Skiptomain WasteManagement TheNationalEnvironmentAgency OurServices WasteManagement WasteStatisticsandOverallRecycling Overview 3RProgrammesandResources WasteMinimisationandRecycling AtHome AtSchool AtWork E-WasteManagement WheretoRecycleE-Waste NationalVoluntaryPartnershipforE-WasteRecycling SS587 ExtendedProducerResponsibility(EPR)SystemforE-wasteManagementSystem FoodWasteManagement FoodWasteManagementStrategies FoodDistributionOrganisations,LocalRecyclingFacilitiesandSuppliers FoodWasteFund FoodWasteValorisation FoodResourceValorisationAwards SingaporePackagingAgreement Recycling/CollectionPoints NationalRecyclingProgramme TypesofRecyclablesandRecyclingProcesses 3RAwardsforShoppingMalls 3RGuidebooks 3RFund WasteManagementInfrastructure TuasMarineTransferStation SemakauLandfill Waste-To-EnergyIncinerationPlants SarimbunRecyclingPark IntegratedWasteManagementFacility SolidWasteManagementInfrastructure RefuseDisposalFacility WasteDisposal GeneralWasteDisposalFacility IllegalDumping DisposalofBulkyItems,GardenWasteandDeadPets WasteCollectionSystems MandatoryWasteReporting WasteStatisticsandOverallRecycling ReverseVendingMachines MandatoryPackagingReporting Donation,ResaleandRepairChannels Youarenowreading: Overview 3RProgrammesandResources WasteMinimisationandRecycling AtHome AtSchool AtWork E-WasteManagement WheretoRecycleE-Waste NationalVoluntaryPartnershipforE-WasteRecycling SS587 ExtendedProducerResponsibility(EPR)SystemforE-wasteManagementSystem FoodWasteManagement FoodWasteManagementStrategies FoodDistributionOrganisations,LocalRecyclingFacilitiesandSuppliers FoodWasteFund FoodWasteValorisation FoodResourceValorisationAwards SingaporePackagingAgreement Recycling/CollectionPoints NationalRecyclingProgramme TypesofRecyclablesandRecyclingProcesses 3RAwardsforShoppingMalls 3RGuidebooks 3RFund WasteManagementInfrastructure TuasMarineTransferStation SemakauLandfill Waste-To-EnergyIncinerationPlants SarimbunRecyclingPark IntegratedWasteManagementFacility SolidWasteManagementInfrastructure RefuseDisposalFacility WasteDisposal GeneralWasteDisposalFacility IllegalDumping DisposalofBulkyItems,GardenWasteandDeadPets WasteCollectionSystems MandatoryWasteReporting WasteStatisticsandOverallRecycling ReverseVendingMachines MandatoryPackagingReporting Donation,ResaleandRepairChannels WasteStatisticsandOverallRecycling KeyHighlightsofthe2021WasteandRecyclingStatisticsIn2021,about6.94milliontonnesofsolidwastewasgenerated,ofwhich3.83milliontonneswererecycled. Wastegeneratedbythenon-domesticanddomesticsectorsbothincreasedin2021,from4.12milliontonnesand1.77milliontonnesrespectivelyin2020,to5.12milliontonnesand1.82milliontonnesrespectivelyin2021.Recycledwasteattributedtothenon-domesticanddomesticsectorslikewiseincreased,from2.81milliontonnesand0.23milliontonnesrespectivelyin2020,to3.58milliontonnesand0.24milliontonnesrespectivelyin2021. Economicactivitypickedupin2021,resultinginmorewastegeneratedandrecycled2020wasananomalousyearwithlowerwastegenerationandrecyclingratesduetotheimpactofCOVID-19,particularlyduringtheCircuitBreakerperiod(ApriltoMay2020)whenactivitieswerecurtailed.Thepickupineconomicactivity,andresumptionofbusinessandsocialactivitiesin2021haveledtoa10percentincreaseinwastedisposal,while26percentmorewastewasrecycled. ComparedtotheperiodbeforeCOVID-19pandemicin2019,2021saw5percentlesswastegeneratedand5percentmorewastedisposed,withtheamountofwasterecycledbeinglowerby11percent.Duetolowerconstructionactivityandexportmarketdemandsforrecyclablesin2021,theamountofwasterecycledislowerthanthepre-COVID-19levels,especiallyforwastestreamssuchasConstructionandDemolition,WoodandNon-Ferrousmetal.Theoverallrecyclingrateimprovedfrom52percentin2020to55percentin2021.Therecyclingrateofthenon-domesticsectorincreasedfrom68percentin2020to70percentin2021,whilethatofthedomesticsectorremainedunchangedat13percentin2021.Therecyclingratesofmostwastestreams,includingthatforPlasticandFoodwaste,werehigherthanin2019.However,therecyclingrateofPaper/Cardboard,whichisalsoamajorwastestream,islowerthanthe2019level.Withwastegenerationgrowingaseconomicactivitiesrampup,thereisgreaterurgencytoshiftfromalineartoacirculareconomy,whichisakeypartoftheZeroWasteMasterplanandtheSingaporeGreenPlan.Itwilltakeawhole-of-nationefforttoachieveourvisionofaZeroWasteNation.NEAwillcontinuetoengagebusinessesandconsumerstoputinplacemoresustainablepractices. Plastic,Horticultural,Wood,andPaper&CardboardwasterecyclingratesTherecyclingrateofPlasticwasteincreasedfrom4percentin2020to6percentin2021.Therewasa60percentincreaseintheamountofPlasticwasterecycledwithmoreprocessedlocallyandexported.MoreneedstobedonetoimprovetherecyclingrateofPlasticwasteasitremainslowdespitetheincrease.TherecyclingrateofHorticulturalandWoodwasteincreasedfrom80percentand64percentin2020to83percentand76percentrespectivelyin2021.WastegeneratorssentmoreofsuchwastestobiomassandcompostingfacilitiesforrecyclinginsteadoftheWaste-to-Energyplants.TherecyclingrateofPaper/Cardboardedgedupmarginallyfrom38percentin2020to39percentin2021.Itremainsbelow2019’s44percentaslessPaper/Cardboardrecyclablesareexportedthanin2019whilethereisanincreaseinPaper/Cardboardwastedisposedof.IncreaseinhouseholdwasterecycledMorewastewasbeingdisposedofbythedomesticsectorasthework-from-hometrendcontinuedinto2021.ThiswasmatchedbyacorrespondingincreaseintheamountofrecyclablescollectedundertheNationalRecyclingProgramme(NRP)by14percent,contributingto40percentoftheincreaseintheamountofwasterecycledbythedomesticsector.Overall,thedomesticrecyclingrateremainedunchangedat13percentin2021.ThroughoutreachsuchastheRecycleRightcampaign,NEAwillcontinuetoencouragehouseholdstorecyclemoreandrecycleright.Tocultivategoodrecyclingpractices,educationalanduser-friendlycontenthasbeendevelopedtoguidethepubliconitemsthatcanandcannotberecycled.EncouragingsustainabilitypracticesinbusinessesandconsumersWhiletherecyclingratesofmostwastestreamsin2021werehigherthanthepre-COVID-19levelsof2019,thereremainsroomforimprovementasweworktowardsrealisingthevisionofbeingaZeroWasteNation.Apartfromimplementingadisposablecarrierbagchargeatsupermarketsfrommid-2023,NEAisalsoworkingtointroduceaBeverageContainerReturnSchemetosupportplasticsrecyclingandcultivaterecyclinghabitsamongconsumers.ToencouragesustainablepackagingwastemanagementpracticesandsupportcompaniesinfulfillingtheMandatoryPackagingReporting(MPR)requirement,NEApartnerstheSingaporeManufacturingFederationinthePackagingPartnershipProgramme(PPP)tobuildcapability.Throughwebinarsandresources,thePPPfacilitatestheexchangeofsustainablepackagingbestpracticesandtrends,tosupportthereductionofpackagingwhichincludestheuseofPaper/Cardboardine-commerce.NEAengagesthepremiseoperatorsofvarioustypesregularlytoencouragetheadoptionofcirculareconomypractices.NEAhaspublished3Rguidebooks,whichcanbedownloadedfromNEA’swebsite.Theseincludeguidebooksforfoodwasteminimisationandsegregationforrecycling,andsustainablepackagingpractices.ThroughtheSayYEStoWasteLessandRecycleRightcampaigns,NEAencouragesthepublictomakeenvironmentallyfriendlychoicesintheirdailylivesandencouragingfamiliesandfriendstodothesame.2021WasteStatisticsandOverallRecycling WasteType TotalGenerated('000tonnes) Total Recycled('000tonnes) RecyclingRate TotalDisposed('000tonnes) Ferrousmetal1,3121,30699%6 Paper/Cardboard1,13643739%699 Construction&Demolition1,0131,01199%2 Plastics982586%924 Food817154 19%663 Horticultural33227783%55 Wood31023476%76 Ash&sludge249229%227 Textile/Leather18974%182 Usedslag18218199%1 Non-ferrousmetal888798%1 Glass74913%65 Scraptyres272695%1 Others(stones,ceramics,etc.)233188%214 Overall 6,9443,82655% 3,118Note:      Figuresareroundedtothenearestthousandtonnesandpercentagepoint.Metalrecoveredfromincinerationbottomashforrecyclingisexcludedfromwastedisposedof.Woodandhorticulturalwastesrecycledinclude435,000tonnessenttofacilities(e.g.biomasspowerplantsandSembcorpEnergyfromWasteplant)foruseasfuel.Pleaserefertothe documentWasteandRecyclingStatistics2017to2020 forthewasteandrecyclingstatisticsfrom2017to2020.PleaserefertothiswebsiteStatisticsontheEnvironmentformorestatistics,reportsandpublications(e.g.KeyEnvironmentalStatistics).  AskJamie@NEA QuickLinks E-Services ContactUs ShareonFacebook ShareonTwitter ShareonWhatsapp ShareonLinkedin Shareviaemail