While Singaporeans are generating less waste, recycling rates have simultaneously fallen over the past decade.

The findings were shared by Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu at the joint opening of the Singapore International Water Week and CleanEnviro Summit Singapore.

A Jun. 19 press release by the National Environment Agency (NEA) also noted that more can be done for recycling in particular.

Less waste, less recycling

Daily domestic waste generated per capita fell from 1.08kg in 2013 to 0.88kg in 2023, while non-domestic waste generated per dollar GDP fell from 40 tonnes to 26 tonnes.

Domestic waste comprises waste collected from households and trade premises like schools and hawker centres.

However, the overall recycling rate also saw a decline, particularly for paper and cardboard.

Paper recycling dropped significantly from over 50 per cent to 31 per cent — largely due to "structural factors such as freight costs and commodity prices", NEA said.

In total, the recycling rate fell from 62 per cent to 52 per cent over the last 10 years.

This is despite an uptrend in household recycling, with 72 per cent of households engaging in recycling last year as compared to 64 per cent in 2021.

Of the wastes recycled, about 12 per cent are processed domestically — a figure that has remained roughly the same for the past decade.

The rest are exported for overseas processing.

Studying new ways

To normalise the 3Rs — reduce, reuse, recycle — in Singapore, NEA has launched a slew of initiatives to shift attitudes and behaviours.

These include providing Singapore residents with a free household recycling box — dubbed "Bloobox" — and a continuing educational campaign on how to recycle right.

A recent survey found that more people becoming more aware of what can be recycled instead of thrown away, NEA said.

The agency is also studying and developing new ways to close resource loops, it said.

This includes potentially making use of mixed materials, such as incineration ashes and other waste materials, from Semakau Landfill.

Top image from NEA Singapore/YouTube