Singapore's recycling rate falls to 10-year low - Eco-Business ...

Singapore's domestic recycling rate dropped from 17 per cent in 2019 to just 13 per cent in 2020. That compares to a domestic recycling rate of ... 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ArecyclingbininSingapore. Singapore'sdomesticrecyclingratedroppedfrom17percentin2019tojust13percentin2020.Image:RobinHicks/Eco-Business https://eb.news/O9lgl5wNS96A Copy By RobinHicks 3minuteread April23,2021 Singapore’srecyclingratehasfallentoa10-yearlow,withthecountry’senvironmentagencyblamingtheCovid-19pandemicforlowwastecollection,processingandrecycling. Thecity-state’soverallrecyclingratein2020was52percent,downfrom59percentin2019,whichwasthelowestpointsince2011. Thoughhouseholdsdisposedofmorepackagingwastefromonlinefooddeliveriesandshoppingduringlockdownperiods, recyclablescollectionsfromthedomesticsectorwereputonhold atthepeakofthepandemicin2020 andonlyrestartedlaterintheyear,the NationalEnvironmentAgency(NEA)reported. Singapore’sdomesticrecyclingratedroppedfrom 17percentin2019tojust13percentin2020.Thatcomparestoadomesticrecyclingrateof32percentintheUnitedStates,aEuropeanUnionaverageof46percent,and67percentinGermany. Singapore’soverallrecyclingrate,2011-2020.Image:Eco-Business ThebiggestdropinrecyclingrateinSingaporewasforpaperandcardboard—downfrom 44percentin2019to38percentin2020,whichthe NEAattributestothehaltingofdoor-to-doorcollectionbykarangguni,Singapore’sinformal wastecollectors, andthesuspensionofCash-for-Trash,aschemethatrewardsrecyclers. Therecyclingrateforplasticwas4percentin2020,thesameas2019. Abrightspotinthe NEA’sfindingswastheincreaseinrecyclingrateforfood—oneofSingapore’sbiggestdomesticwastestreams—whichincreasedslightly, to19percent,from18percentin2019. AkeyfactorinthefallinSingapore’soverallrecyclingratewasthesuspensionofasectorwithtraditionallyhighrecyclingrates —contructionanddemolition,the NEAsaid.Lesscollectionofrecyclable ferrousmetalscrapmeantthatlesswasrecycled. Therecyclingrateinthenon-domesticsectorfellto68percentin2020from73percentin2019. Singapore’srecyclingstatitisticsin2020:Source:NationalEnvironmentAgency Thoughrecyclingratesweredown,the volumeofwastegeneratedalsofellsignificantlyinSingapore,whichtheNEAattributesto thepauseinnon-essentialeconomicactivitiesduringlockdown,lowerdemandforgoods,andtherestrictioninthemovementofpeople.About5.88milliontonnesofsolidwastewasgenerated,19percentlessthanthe7.23milliontonnesgenerated in2019.Ofthewasteamountgeneratedin2020,3.04milliontonneswasrecycled.  Wastegeneratedbythenon-domesticanddomesticsectors bothfellin2020–from5.37milliontonnesand1.87milliontonnes,respectively,in2019,to4.12milliontonnesand1.76milliontonnes,respectively,in2020. ThoughthismeantlesswastesenttoSingapore’sonlylandfillsite,SemakauIsland,whichisexpectedtobefullby2035orearlier,fallingrecyclingrateshave putadentinSingapore’snationalwasteambitions whichare toincreasetheoverallrecyclingrate—whichhasbeenlargelyflatsince2012—from60percentin2018to70percentby2030. Thegovernmentalsohopestoincreasethedomesticrecyclingrateto30percentby2030,andthenon-domesticrecyclingrateto81percentby2030.However,lastyearSingapore’srecyclingratesalsofell,withtheoverallrecyclingratefallingfrom61percentin2018to59percentin2019. TheintroductionofExtendedProducerResponsibilitylaws,whichmakecompaniesresponsibleforthematerialtheyproduceanduse,forelectronicwastethisyear,andforpackagingwasteby2025,areexpectedtohelpSingaporeincreaseitsrecyclingrates.Currently,mostofSingapore’sunrecycledwasteisincinerated. Didyoufindthisarticleuseful?Helpuskeepourjournalismfreetoread. Wehaveateamofjournalistsdedicatedtoprovidingindependent,well-researchedstoriesfromaroundtheregiononthetopicsthatmattertoyou.ConsidersupportingourbrandofpurposefuljournalismwithadonationandkeepEco-Businessfreeforalltoread.Thankyou. 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