The move will require companies to submit an annual report on the weight, volume and type of packaging that has been put on the market. The companies will also be required to submit waste reduction plans.
This takes NEA’s Singapore Packaging Agreement a step further. The agreement was introduced in 2007 and has gathered 177 signatories so far. The initiative has reduced packaging waste by over 32,000 tonnes, amounting to $75 million in material costs.
Zulkifli commended the efforts of the signatories of the agreement.
However, he added that “the amount of packaging waste reduced- about 6,300 tonnes per year – constitutes less than 1 per cent of the annual amount of packaging waste disposed in Singapore.” He said that “more needs to be done.”
One-third of household waste in Singapore comprises of packaging waste.
The NEA engaged more than 140 representatives from 100 organisations from various sectors to come up with the mandatory requirements. The NEA said the response was positive and that it will work with the industry to further work out the details of the requirements.
