In their place are condiment bars with pump dispensers, which do away with the need for the sachets - tens of millions of which are usually dished out a year.

This change comes ahead of the biggest push so far by the National Environment Agency (NEA) to tackle packaging waste at the source. It also brings Singapore towards its 2012 national recycling target of 60 per cent of all waste, said Environment and Water Resources Minister Yaacob Ibrahim yesterday.

To this end, the five-year Singapore Packaging Agreement, which officially takes effect on July 1, was signed yesterday - World Environment Day - by five food and beverage (F&B) industry associations, four public-waste collectors and two environmental groups.

Dr Yaacob said that while little can be done about the packaging for imported goods, efforts can be made to cut back on unnecessary packaging for those made here.

The associations that signed the agreement have made a commitment to relook product packaging and switch to recyclable materials.

These groups represent 500 companies in the F&B industry, including Boncafe International and F&N Coca Cola (Singapore). The industry, partly constrained by food-safety requirements, traditionally has lower recycling rates.

If the drive to cut back on packaging is successful with these F&B businesses, the agreement could cover other industries in as early as a year or two, said NEA chief executive Lee Yuen Hee.

Of the total 7,000 tonnes of waste collected and disposed of at the four incineration plants and Semakau Landfill here, packaging waste - paper, plastics, glass and metal - makes up 1,200 tonnes. It comprises a third of the waste coming out of homes.

Participation in the agreement, modelled on New Zealand's, is voluntary, said Dr Yaacob.

He explained: 'Once you insist on legislation, then what will happen is that it becomes very hard and fast and costs will go up...

'I'd rather see this as a learning curve on our part, and I think, with this method, we can start plucking the low-lying fruits as quickly as possible.'

Changes to the weight of packaging materials are likely to come ahead of modifications to packaging size, because fewer changes to the production process will be needed for the former.

Even small changes to packaging can have a big impact on the environment and production costs.

A case in point: Chinatown Food Corporation, which makes frozen roti prata and glutinous rice balls, is going to bag its products in thinner plastic - 60 microns thick instead of 70 microns, said its group managing director Sunny Koh.

A micron is a millionth of a metre. The reduction by 10 microns will not be felt by the consumer, but will mean a reduction of tonnes of waste for the company, which makes 15 million plastic bags yearly just for its rice balls.

The company ends up saving money on the bags, transport and storage.

The cost savings can be just as alluring to consumers.

Mr Koh reckons that the company's savings of 0.5 to 1 cent per bag could add up to triple that amount in savings for consumers.

One challenge remains: Convincing consumers that lighter or smaller packages do not mean they are getting less value for money.

Mr Koh, who also chairs the Singapore Manufacturers' Federation's F&B Industry Group, said: 'Brand owners will always welcome the reduction in packaging...but they don't want to be viewed by consumers as cutting corners ...It boils down to education.'

arti@sph.com.sg