Singapore's new Zero Waste Masterplan, launched in late August, is a comprehensive initiative that should see the Republic take the lead as a prime mover of governmental standards for sustainability, as well as propel it to the front lines of the discussion on circular economy in Asia. It can't come any sooner, given the crisis of waste management the world is now in.

As part of the masterplan, the recently passed Resource Sustainability Bill regulatory framework targets three waste streams: electronic, packaging and food. The Bill is far-reaching on all three areas, but especially for the mandatory reporting of packaging data and plans to reduce, reuse or recycle packaging.