The number of households that recycle in Singapore have increased from 2021.
More households are recycling
A survey done by the National Environment Agency (NEA) this year revealed that 72 per cent of households recycle in 2023, an increase from 64 per cent in 2021.
The survey had 2,180 respondents and was conducted from April to June 2023.
NEA also quizzed respondents on which items can or cannot be recycled.
A higher proportion of respondents were aware of the common items that can be deposited into the recycling bins and chutes, as compared to in 2021.
For example, 89 per cent of respondents were aware that a rinsed shampoo or detergent bottle can be recycled, compared to 71 per cent in 2021.
Image via NEA.
In general, more respondents in 2023 were also aware of common items that cannot be deposited into recycling bins or chutes.
However, there was a decrease in the awareness for three items:
- Unwanted fruit or vegetable parts
- Soiled plastic food containers
- Small electronic appliances
When recyclables are contaminated with food or liquid waste, they are considered general waste, and will have to be incinerated and landfilled.
Image via NEA.
New Recycle Right campaign
Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and the Environment Baey Yam Keng, launched NEA’s latest Recycle Right campaign at Anchor Green Primary School today (Sep. 14).
The new campaign continues to encourage Singaporeans to recycle right by featuring Bloobin, NEA's blue recycling mascot.
It includes an online game and bite-sized educational videos that demonstrate that recycling can be easily incorporated into aspects of daily life such as buying takeaways and making online purchases.
Town councils with dual-chute estates are also installing chute stickers to remind residents what can be recycled to lower contamination rates as part of the campaign
Under the Zero Waste Masterplan and the Singapore Green Plan 2030, Singapore aims to achieve a 70 per cent overall recycling rate by 2030.
Recycling resources
NEA distributed free home recycling boxes known as Bloobox from March to April 2023. By the end of the distribution period, about 530,000 boxes were distributed.
You can find out whether an item is recyclable via NEA's recycling search engine or by referring to NEA's recycling guide.
Singapore's domestic recycling rate stood at 12 per cent in 2022, the lowest in more than a decade.
The domestic recycling rate refers to waste collected from households and trade premises such as shophouses, educational institutions, petrol stations, hawker centres and places of worship.
Top image via Kow Zi Shan.