Cross-border passage of certain plastic waste to be regulated

Exporters of contaminated, non-recyclable or mixed plastics need consent from recipients

More than 180 parties to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal agreed last year to better regulate the movement of certain plastic waste.
More than 180 parties to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal agreed last year to better regulate the movement of certain plastic waste. LIANHE ZAOBAO FILE PHOTO

The movement of certain categories of plastic waste across Singapore's borders will come under stricter regulation under a new law passed in Parliament yesterday.

The changes to the legislation require those seeking to export contaminated, mixed or non-recyclable plastics to obtain consent from the countries receiving them.

This had previously not been required under the Hazardous Waste (Control of Export, Import and Transit) Act.

The new law also updates the National Environment Agency's (NEA) powers for more effective administration and enforcement, said Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources Amy Khor.

For instance, the NEA's enforcement powers will be expanded to cover vehicles suspected of carrying hazardous or other waste into or out of Singapore via land checkpoints, she added.

This is on top of its powers to control the movement of vessels or aircraft if there are reasonable grounds for suspecting they are carrying hazardous or other waste that will transit in Singapore or will be exported from or imported into the country.

The new Act is in line with changes to an international waste treaty that Singapore backs.

More than 180 parties to the United Nations-backed Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal agreed last year to better regulate the movement of certain categories of plastic waste that are harder to recycle.

Dr Khor told Parliament: "Singapore joins the international community in supporting the amendments to the Basel Convention which will strengthen control of the transboundary movement of plastic waste."

Singapore fulfils its obligations to the Basel Convention through the amended Hazardous Waste (Control of Export, Import and Transit) Act.

The Convention controls the international movement of hazardous and certain categories of non-hazardous waste - such as household waste - via the Prior Informed Consent procedure.

This requires exporters of waste covered by the Convention to obtain prior consent from the countries or states receiving the waste, as well as the countries or states through which it transits.

Last year, the Convention was expanded to include contaminated, mixed or non-recyclable plastics. The changes will take effect on Jan 1 next year.

All five MPs who spoke during yesterday's debate, including Mr Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC), called for Singapore to do more to reduce the amount of plastics it generates.

Dr Khor said packaging waste, which includes plastic, is a priority waste stream for Singapore. Efforts are under way to see how this can be recycled so resources can be extracted, she added, pointing to the Resource Sustainability Act.

Mr Louis Ng (Nee Soon GRC) also wanted to know if the amendments would have any impact on companies in Singapore.

Dr Khor said the NEA consulted the industry before introducing the changes.

"We do not expect these amendments to disrupt the operations of our plastic recyclers and traders.

"There will not be additional regulations on the movement of most clean and homogeneous plastic recyclables as these are not subjected to prior informed consent under the Basel Convention."

Dr Khor also said Singapore did not contribute significantly to the global ocean plastic problem, but is investing in plastic recycling capability to create new opportunities for local companies.

Amendments to the National Environment Agency Act were also passed yesterday.

These will provide the NEA with wider funding options, thereby optimising financing costs.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on February 04, 2020, with the headline Cross-border passage of certain plastic waste to be regulated. Subscribe