Singapore's National Environment Agency is increasing the collection of paper and cardboard from homes and businesses to improve national recycling rates [1].
This initiative comes as the city-state struggles with falling recycling numbers and logistical failures. Addressing these gaps is critical for the government to avoid missing its long-term sustainability benchmarks.
The agency is currently reviewing the Zero Waste Masterplan to identify why recycling rates have dipped [1]. Officials said the review was prompted by recurring problems with overflowing recycling bins and high levels of contamination in collected materials [1]. These issues often render recyclable paper and cardboard unusable, sending them to landfills instead of processing centers.
Under the current Zero Waste Masterplan, Singapore aims to reach a recycling rate of 70% by 2030 [1]. The current push to boost collection focuses on both residential areas and commercial sectors to ensure a steadier flow of clean materials into the recycling stream [1].
By targeting the collection process at the source, the agency hopes to reduce the volume of waste that bypasses the recycling system. The effort involves refining how materials are gathered from households and businesses to prevent the overflow that has plagued public bins [1].
“Singapore aims to reach a recycling rate of 70% by 2030.”
The shift in strategy indicates that Singapore's previous approach to recycling relied too heavily on public compliance without sufficient infrastructure. By focusing on the collection mechanism itself, the government is acknowledging that infrastructure failures—such as overflowing bins—are as significant a barrier to sustainability as individual behavior.
