Science Talk: Looking beyond the recycling rate – at the other half of Singapore’s waste story

SINGAPORE – Singapore’s overall recycling rate fell to 50 per cent in 2024. With half of the total waste generated here being recycled, this figure is the lowest level in over a decade. This decline in recycling rate, from 60 per cent in 2014, may raise concerns over the progress of Singapore’s waste management system.

However, while the recycling rate often captures headlines, it tells only part of the story. An equally important but less widely discussed indicator is the amount of waste generated in Singapore. 

The total waste produced – recycled and non-recycled – reached a record low in the past decade. In 2014, Singapore generated 7.5 million tonnes of waste. In 2024, the figure fell to 6.7 million tonnes – this despite the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and population growing over the decade.

In the same period, 

domestic waste generated per person per day dropped

 from 1.08kg to 850g. This means that the average Singaporean today generates one-fifth less waste than 10 years ago. This is equivalent to each person throwing away 14 fewer plastic bottles every day.

As for the non-domestic sector in Singapore, there have also been substantial reductions in waste generation relative to the GDP – from around 35 tonnes per day per billion dollars GDP in 2014, to around 24 tonnes per day per billion dollars GDP. 

The numbers in Singapore point to a quiet but potentially powerful shift in consumption patterns. They suggest that Singaporeans and businesses are achieving better material efficiency and generating less waste. If sustained, this would be a successful decoupling of waste generation from both population growth and economic output, a crucial enabler of long-term sustainability. 

Waste generation versus recycling 

Singapore’s waste generation rate deserves more public attention. In 2024, the 850g of domestic waste thrown out by each Singaporean a day was the same amount as in Japan. However, Japan has a higher domestic waste recycling rate at 20 per cent, compared with 11 per cent in Singapore. 

While the performance of different waste management regimes is often compared on their recycling rates, it bears reminding that recycling begins only after waste has been created. A high recycling rate may reflect effective downstream systems, but it does not address the environmental costs associated with producing, transporting and consuming those materials in the first place, not to mention the resources expended in recycling the materials. 

In contrast, lower waste generation points to successful upstream interventions, including reduced consumption, better product design, possibly improved product durability, and more sustainable business operations. These changes are often harder to achieve, and require the involvement of more stakeholders, but are far more impactful in the long term. 

Singapore’s recycling rates tend to be more volatile than those in other countries. This is because the country does not generate enough recyclables for recycling facilities to be viable – the recyclables have to be exported for recycling. Hence, the actual amount of waste recycled varies with factors such as the prevailing freight rates, foreign market prices for the materials, and countries’ domestic policies on the import of recyclables. 

For instance, higher freight rates may deter recycling firms from shipping recyclables overseas if the shipping costs outweigh potential profits. 

Similarly, a fall in global market prices for certain recyclables can make their recovery economically unviable, leading to lower recycling volumes.

Changes in import policies, such as China’s 2018 National Sword policy restricting contaminated recyclables, can also sharply reduce export opportunities.

At the end of the day, Singapore’s recycling rate reflects the actual quantities of recyclables that are successfully processed or exported, rather than the amounts initially placed in recycling bins. Hence, a change in recycling rate may not necessarily reflect Singaporean households’ recycling performance. 

In contrast, waste generation data better reflects the consequences of consumer choices: How much we buy, going for products with minimal or sustainable packaging, selecting goods made with better materials, and deciding how long we keep and use our products. 

The waste hierarchy (that is, prevent, reduce, reuse, recycle, recover, and finally dispose) posits that higher-up actions are more impactful. Avoiding and reducing waste through conscious choices, better design, and reuse bring the greatest environmental benefits. 

Moreover, some critics warn against the use of recycling to justify over-consumption. Successful recycling does not make it acceptable to be wasteful in how we consume. Reducing waste has to be the priority. 

Notwithstanding the progress in overall waste generation, there are several waste streams of concern. One of them is paper and cardboard. Over the past decade, the amount of paper and cardboard waste generated in Singapore increased by around 3 per cent. 

At first glance, this modest rise might seem acceptable. However, the increase happened against the backdrop of an ongoing shift towards digitalisation, where the increasing use of digital documents and communication over paper ones should reduce paper waste. 

The rise of e-commerce over the past decade, with a corresponding increase in packaging waste, particularly from cardboard boxes and paper-based fillers, could be the reason for the increase in such waste. 

In 2024, the amount of paper and cardboard waste disposed of reached a decade high, with around 400g of paper and cardboard disposed of per person per day in Singapore. This points to room for more measures to limit the generation of paper and cardboard waste. 

The Guidelines on Sustainable E-commerce Packaging is a good start. Developed by the Alliance for Action on Packaging Waste Reduction for the E-commerce Sector, which includes e-commerce players in Singapore, the guidelines provide a wealth of best practices to reduce packaging. These include right-sized packaging to minimise excess material, and incorporating recycled or recyclable materials in delivery boxes and fillers.

Singapore will also study ways to encourage businesses and consumers to shift towards reusable containers and bulk purchasing where feasible, and even packaging-free retail. 

What can Singaporeans do?

Businesses can adopt a range of best practices to reduce waste. This presents both a responsibility and an opportunity to showcase innovation, build brand trust and reduce costs. 

One key strategy is to design products for durability, reuse and repair. Companies can also consider replacing single-use packaging with refillable or reusable alternatives, and adopt take-back schemes that allow customers to return used items for reuse or recycling. 

Within supply chains, companies can minimise waste by reducing over-packaging, improving inventory management and avoiding unnecessary materials. For example, Classic Fine Foods, a chain of food restaurants and retailers, switched from conventional foam boxes to reusable insulated boxes to reduce packaging waste.

For households, waste reduction can start with simple everyday actions such as carrying reusable containers and bags, choosing products with minimal or recyclable packaging, repairing rather than replacing electronics or clothing, and subscribing to sharing or refill services. 

Households can also reduce unnecessary waste by refusing single-use cutlery and straws, planning meals to minimise food waste, and buying only what is needed. 

On this front, the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) has been actively engaging the public on waste reduction through campaigns and practical resources. For example, the Don’t Waste, Reduce Lah! campaign encouraged individuals to use one fewer plastic item a day, highlighting how small daily actions can collectively make a big impact. 

Similarly, the SEC Dabao Guide provides easy-to-follow tips for consumers to reduce waste when ordering takeaway, such as bringing their own containers and saying no to unnecessary disposables. 

Reducing contamination of recyclables

While preventing waste at its source should be the priority, recycling is still important for managing the waste that cannot be avoided. 

Reducing contamination in recycling is essential. The National Environment Agency estimates that 40 per cent of the contents in recycling bins are contaminated and not recyclable.

One common source of contamination comes from plastic food containers that are not rinsed. The food residue from these containers can taint entire batches of recyclables.

Some people also dispose of general waste, including food waste, indiscriminately into recycling bins. There is little social censure or consequence for such anti-social behaviour which renders contents in the bin unsuitable for recycling. In particular, paper that is contaminated by food waste or glass shards has little to no commercial value and cannot be recycled.

In addition to encouraging consumers to recycle right, Singapore needs to explore redesigning the recycling system – from bin design to collection processes – to minimise contamination and improve recovery rates.

The iconic blue recycling bins have been part of Singapore’s recycling system for over 15 years, but their design may no longer be optimal for today’s needs. Trials are under way to improve recycling systems, and the next steps will be to scale them up for broader impact.

The upcoming Beverage Container Return Scheme is also a positive step towards achieving cleaner recyclables.

The move towards cleaner recyclables is pivotal in building a more efficient system that improves the chances of successful recycling, increases the efficiency of sorting and processing, and helps ensure that more materials are actually given a second lease of life. 

As for waste generation, there are promising early signs that Singapore is heading in the right direction. At the heart of this is responsible consumption and production, making conscious choices about what we buy, how much we use and how we dispose of waste. 

Let’s not lose sight of this often-overlooked part of the waste story, which begins long before disposal or recycling. The most effective form of waste management does not begin at the recycling bin. It begins with the decision not to generate waste at all.