Government studying how to increase yield of clean, segregated recyclables
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Industry observers have long suggested that Singapore’s use of commingled recycling bins be re-examined, given the contamination rates of these blue bins.
ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
- The Government is studying the use of segregated recycling infrastructure as part of the review of its master plan for managing waste.
- The Republic's overall recycling rates dropped from 59% in 2019, when the plan was released, to 52% in 2025.
- The use of metal cages to collect cardboard show promise.
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SINGAPORE – The Government is studying how to increase the yield of clean, segregated recyclables, making it easier for recyclers to meet regulatory requirements, Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Janil Puthucheary told Parliament on July 7.
He was responding to Ms Lee Hui Ying (Nee Soon GRC) who had asked if the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment plans to implement nationwide clean-stream recycling bins that segregate recyclables and minimise cross-contamination at the source.
He said the use of segregated recycling systems is being considered as part of the recently announced review of Singapore’s 2019 Zero Waste Masterplan.
The plan had set 2030 targets for Singapore to raise its overall recycling rate to 70 per cent and reduce the daily amount of landfill waste per resident by 30 per cent. However, the recycling rates have remained lacklustre, falling from 59 per cent in 2019 to 52 per cent in 2025.
The review, which is due for completion in 2027, will examine whether the plan’s targets should be adjusted, as well as seek to understand how to improve the economics of recycling by obtaining cleaner, less contaminated recyclables.
Five PAP MPs had filed questions on recycling rates and Singapore’s review of the Zero Waste Masterplan.
Elaborating on the review, Janil said the goals will be reviewed for their relevance, given the changing waste and recycling landscape.
He cited various challenges that have affected Singapore’s recycling rates. These are the rising logistics, freight and energy costs, increasingly stringent requirements for export markets for recyclables, as well as the contamination of recyclables.
He added: “For the targets to be meaningful, we will address the challenges associated with recycling of both domestic and non-domestic waste.”
These include engaging waste generators to explore better ways to segregate waste upstream in the process of waste management.
Industry observers have long suggested that Singapore’s use of commingled recycling bins be re-examined, given the contamination rates of these blue bins.
In a departure from the practice under the National Recycling Programme, where all households are encouraged to put all recyclables into big blue bins, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said in July 2025 that it will study the use of metal cages to collect used cardboard boxes.
Janil said the NEA has worked with public waste collectors to offer dedicated collection of paper and cardboard boxes since December 2025.
Five out of 19 town councils have also come forward to be partners on such collection, he added, noting that the Government has seen encouraging results in collecting paper and cardboard with lower contamination rates. He called for more town councils and community stakeholders to partner the waste collectors.
Said Janil: “Moving forward, we will explore more ways to enhance the (National Recycling Programme), to reduce contamination and improve the volume of clean recyclables recovered from households, building up on ground-up recycling initiatives.
“This could include the use of source-segregated bins.”
