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Singapore's domestic recycling rate decreased by one per cent in 2021 to 2022, resulting in roughly 1.6 million tonnes of domestically-generated waste disposed of.

This is the lowest domestic recycling rate in more than a decade.

According to the National Environment Agency (NEA)'s latest waste and recycling statistics for 2022, 7.39 million tonnes of solid waste were generated, of which 4.19 million tonnes were recycled.

5.53 million tonnes of waste were generated by the non-domestic sector and 1.86 million tonnes of waste were generated by the domestic sector in 2022.

This was an increase from the amount of waste generated in 2021, where non-domestic and domestic sectors generated 5.12 million tonnes and 1.82 million tonnes respectively.

Of the waste generated in 2022, around 3.2 million tonnes were disposed of.

Non-domestic waste is waste collected from industries and commercial premises, and domestic waste is waste collected from households and trade premises such as hawker centres and educational institutions.

More waste generated in 2022

NEA said that more waste was generated in 2022 due to the increase in economic activity.

The pick-up in construction and demolition activities last year contributed greatly to the increase in overall waste generation, namely via construction and demolition waste and ferrous materials.

However, the amounts of construction and demolition waste and ferrous metals recycled increased by 40 per cent and two per cent respectively.

Meanwhile, the recycling rates of paper, cardboard, leather and textile decreased as less waste was exported out of Singapore for recycling as a result of high freight costs compared to pre-Covid-19 levels.

NEA shared that this largely contributed to the decrease in domestic recycling rate.

Additionally, only two per cent of textile and leather was recycled, and only six per cent of plastics were recycled in 2022.

The recycling rate of wood waste was also lower as the amount of wood waste disposed of increased, which followed the trend of increasing construction and industrial activities.

Overall recycling rate increased in 2022

However, Singapore's overall recycling rate increased by two per cent from 55 per cent in 2021 to 57 per cent in 2022.

Although the domestic recycling rate decreased by one per cent in the past two years, the non-domestic recycling rate increased from 70 per cent in 2021 to 72 per cent in 2022.

According to NEA, the entry of new recycling companies in Singapore helped to raise the recycling rate of some waste streams.

"With more waste generated, there is greater urgency to shift from a linear to a circular economy, build a more sustainable culture where we reduce, reuse, and recycle," NEA said.

"By reducing waste and recycling right, we can do our part to combat climate change and ensure that Singapore remains clean, green, and liveable."

Top photo via KorangOrder KitaAntar / FB