Forum: Digital ‘passport’ to track plastic use not a silver bullet to curb consumption
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I read with interest the article on introducing a digital passport for plastics in Singapore ( S’pore makes digital ‘passport’ to track plastic items to boost recycling, extend Semakau’s lifespan
The greatest danger is complacency. If society believes that simply “tracking” plastics makes them sustainable, we risk legitimising continued production and consumption.
This would directly undermine Singapore’s Zero Waste Masterplan and climate goals.
Plastics are fundamentally a carbon and waste challenge. The first priorities must be reduction and reuse. Only then should recycling and digital traceability come into play. A digital passport should be framed strictly as an enforcement tool – helping regulators and consumers hold producers accountable, not granting plastics a social licence to continue unchecked.
To avoid greenwashing, Singapore should ensure that any digital passport roll-out is tied to these suggested guidelines:
Strong reduction targets and bans on unnecessary single-use plastics;
Mandatory recycled content quotas for industry; and
Transparent reporting that measures success in terms of absolute reductions in plastic use and emissions, not just the number of items tracked.
Technology can help, but it cannot replace hard choices.
A digital passport must shine a light on plastics to accelerate their phase-down, not make us feel comfortable with business as usual.
Kheng Lim Goh
