Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, Singapore

Date Published: 09 Feb 2009

(i) Recycling

2-1 As I mentioned, sustainable development requires the prudent use of natural resources. We agree that efforts to recycle should be emphasised in this downturn. Improving resource efficiency through recycling and minimising waste will save costs. It also reduces the demand for waste disposal infrastructure, freeing up land for other uses.

2-2 NEA has spearheaded many initiatives to promote recycling and waste minimisation. These include recycling programmes for sectors such as households and industries, and public education on proper recycling habits. Public education is important, and these efforts will continue. NEA also collaborated with the food and beverage sector on the voluntary Singapore Packaging Agreement to reduce packaging waste. Results are encouraging with a total of 850 tonnes of packaging waste avoided in the first year. On the "Bring Your Own Bag Day" initiative introduced by the Singapore Environment Council, we will let the participating retailers determine if the frequency needs to be increased.

2-3 The NEA launched the National Recycling Programme or NRP in 2001. Under the NRP, the Public Waste Collectors or PWCs serving HDB and private landed estates provide door-to-door collection of recyclables once a fortnight. The participation rate in the NRP increased from 15% in 2001 to 63% in 2008.

2-4 Since 2007, the PWCs have also provided 1,600 centralized recycling bins in the common areas of HDB estates. There is a set of bins for every five blocks of HDB flats and the majority of residents need not walk more than 150 m from their blocks to use them.

2-5 The response from residents has been encouraging. The average amount of recyclables collected from each set of bins increased by 58% from 65 kg per month in 2007 to 103 kg per month for 2008. However, there is still room for improvement and I encourage all residents to make full use of the recycling facilities, but in a responsible manner. NEA's data shows that there are enough centralised recycling bins. For locations where the bins are filled up more quickly, NEA has been working with the PWCs to increase the collection frequency from the usual once per week to twice per week. NEA will continue to monitor the usage of the recycling facilities and review their adequacy on an ongoing basis.

2-6 Last year, I announced that NEA will mandate the provision of recycling receptacles in condominium and private apartments by 2009. Implementation has been ongoing in phases to give the management councils and waste management companies sufficient time for compliance. NEA targets to achieve full implementation by the end of 2009. All households in Singapore will then have convenient access to recycling facilities.

2-7 Our recycling rate improved steadily from 40% in 2000 to 56% in 2008 and we are on track to meet the Singapore Green Plan 2012 target of 60%. We also achieved high recycling rates for waste streams such as used slag (99%), construction debris (98%) and ferrous metals (94%). While these results are encouraging, it will become increasingly challenging to sustain this progress as the remaining waste that is disposed is not easy to segregate and recycle. We agree that additional measures will be needed to further increase our overall recycling rate and the recycling rate of waste streams with lower recycling rates such as food waste (12%) and plastic waste (8%).

2-8 I am pleased to inform the House that NEA will be launching an S$8mil 3R Fund over 2 years to co-fund new waste minimisation and recycling projects. The fund will co-fund up to 80% of qualifying costs, subject to a cap of S$1 mil per project. NEA has received several preliminary proposals from its industry consultations. These include the separate collection and recycling of food and garden waste, glass and batteries. More details on the Fund will be provided by NEA when it is launched within the next 2 months.

2-9 As part of the government's efforts to help businesses tide over the current downturn, my Ministry will give a 15% monthly rental rebate from January to December this year to the recycling companies located at the Sarimbun Recycling Park.

2-10 We are aware that some developed countries have used legislation to mandate recycling. In view of the current economic downturn, we are not looking at introducing legislation in the near future as it would likely increase costs for businesses and households. However, in the longer term, we will study the use of legislation to further improve our recycling rate.We will also review our gate fee regularly taking into consideration the need to appropriately price our waste disposal operations and the cost impact on businesses and households.

2-11 Located off mainland Singapore, Semakau landfill is clean and free from smell. In fact, it is open to the public for them to enjoy its rich biodiversity. That said, we hope to achieve even more with Semakau. We are developing a plan to turn it into an Eco Park, where companies can conduct field testing of renewable and clean technologies such as wind and solar energy. More details will be announced when the concept plan has been finalised.

(ii) Enhancing Capabilities and Building Long-Term Competitiveness

Environment and Water Technologies

2-12 I have spoken about resource efficiency and how this supports sustainable development. Our second key thrust to ensure sustainable development is to build capability in the environment and water sector.

2-13 This will not only generate new solutions for Singapore, but create economic opportunities. Environmental goods and services are expected to have a global market worth over USS$500 billion per year. New materials, energy technologies, and applications to minimize waste and conserve resources will be important in future. By building up our capabilities in sustainable development, we can secure a long-term competitive advantage for Singapore in this sector.

2-14 I am pleased to share that we are making good progress on efforts to build up Singapore's capabilities in environment and water technologies.

2-15 In 2008, the Environment and Water Industry Development Council or EWI injected another S$21mil into the R&D ecosystem through the award of 14 R&D projects to companies and Institutes of Higher Learning based in Singapore. This contributed to a high level of R&D activities, and attracted global ideas and talents into Singapore.

2-16 To grow the local pool of talent in water technologies, EWI supports promising candidates to pursue Masters or PhDs through scholarships. In 2008, EWI widened its outreach to overseas-based applicants and this saw the award of 8 PhD scholarships, up from 2 in 2007. The 3rd round of PhD scholarship applications just closed in January with more than 60 applications received.

2-17 EWI regularly reviews our schemes to develop the water industry. In 2008, the TechPioneer scheme was enhanced by removing the need for grant repayment, to encourage more companies to adopt new technologies early. One project that has benefited from the enhancement is Keppel's membrane distillation project which is scheduled to commence in the first quarter of this year.

2-18 Singapore's vibrant water industry continues to attract reputable water R&D institutes and companies. For instance, Nitto Denko will be the first Japanese enterprise to set up a water R&D centre in Singapore. It will invest S$6mil to focus on R&D in membrane applications for desalination and water reuse. Another example is Marmon Water, a US-based company, which is investing S$24mil to set up a water filter manufacturing facility in Singapore employing a hundred staff.

2-19 EWI also made progress in grooming local SMEs and encouraging them to develop capabilities and proprietary technologies that can be exported. For example, PUB is working with a local company, Optiqua to test and validate sensor applications to detect organic and biological contaminants in water.

2-20 More Singapore water companies have started to export their expertise and expand their overseas presence. In 2008, our water companies continued to internationalise, securing a total value of more than S$1.3bil of contracts. While most projects came from the key markets of China and the Middle East, Singapore companies are also enjoying some success in regions such as North Africa. For instance, Hyflux secured a S$630mil Algerian desalination contract.

Singapore International Water Week (SIWW)

2-21 The Singapore International Water Week or SIWW 2008 held in June 2008 received strong global support with more than 8,500 participants from 79 countries. Business deals in excess of S$367mil were inked. Extensive local and international media coverage profiled Singapore as a global water hub to the world.

2-22 SIWW 2009 will ride on this success and aim for greater participation from China, Middle East, India and South East Asia, which are key markets for our water technologies.

2-23 This year's event will focus on water infrastructure and technologies with the theme 'Sustainable Cities - Infrastructure and Technologies for Water'. To further bolster this theme, the 7th Ministers' Forum on Infrastructure Development in the Asia Pacific Region will be one of the key events to co-locate with SIWW. Drawing from industry feedback, SIWW 2009 will feature a larger exhibition area, more networking opportunities, and environment technologies and companies.

Clean Environment Research

2-24 Beyond the water sector, my Ministry, together with the EDB and IE Singapore, has been studying market drivers, technology trends and Singapore's competitive strengths and value propositions in the environment sector. Our study assessed that clean environment technologies will be an important growth area for Singapore's environment and water sector.

2-25 My Ministry will therefore be working with our research institutions and industry to build up Singapore's research and development capability in clean environment technologies over the next few years. Possible focus areas being considered include waste management which has been assessed to have good market potential. This new effort will complement the existing Clean Water and Clean Energy programmes, and enhance Singapore's position as a hub for environmental solutions and technologies.

Helping Mid-Career Professionals

2-26 Notwithstanding the economic downturn, MEWR will sustain efforts to develop Singapore's capabilities in environmental and water technologies. We are offering courses to build up specialised competencies in the environment and water sector. For example, NEA's Singapore Certified Energy Manager or SCEM programme that I spoke of earlier will provide the foundation for engineers to become professionals in the promotion of energy efficiency. In the water sector, PUB has worked with the Singapore Water Association to roll out competency programmes for membrane technologies employed in the production of water.

2-27 These programmes will not only augment our pool of skilled manpower, but are also timely for mid-career professionals, such as engineers and plant managers, who want to re-skill themselves, particularly in this downturn. There are opportunities in the environment and water sector for mid-career professionals, both in the public and private sector.


	Date Published: 09 Feb 2009 (i) Recycling 2-1 As I mentioned, sustainable development requires the prudent use of natural resources. We agree that efforts to recycle should be emphasised in this downturn. Improving resource efficiency through recycling and minimising waste will save costs. It also reduces the demand for waste disposal infrastructure, freeing up land for other uses. 2-2 NEA has spearheaded many initiatives to promote recycling and waste minimisation. These include recycling programmes for sectors such as households and industries, and public education on proper recycling habits. Public education is important, and these efforts will continue. NEA also collaborated with the food and beverage sector on the voluntary Singapore Packaging Agreement to reduce packaging waste. Results are encouraging with a total of 850 tonnes of packaging waste avoided in the first year. On the "Bring Your Own Bag Day" initiative introduced by the Singapore Environment Council, we will let the participating retailers determine if the frequency needs to be increased. 2-3 The NEA launched the National Recycling Programme or NRP in 2001. Under the NRP, the Public Waste Collectors or PWCs serving HDB and private landed estates provide door-to-door collection of recyclables once a fortnight. The participation rate in the NRP increased from 15% in 2001 to 63% in 2008. 2-4 Since 2007, the PWCs have also provided 1,600 centralized recycling bins in the common areas of HDB estates. There is a set of bins for every five blocks of HDB flats and the majority of residents need not walk more than 150 m from their blocks to use them. 2-5 The response from residents has been encouraging. The average amount of recyclables collected from each set of bins increased by 58% from 65 kg per month in 2007 to 103 kg per month for 2008. However, there is still room for improvement and I encourage all residents to make full use of the recycling facilities, but in a responsible manner. NEA's data shows that there are enough centralised recycling bins. For locations where the bins are filled up more quickly, NEA has been working with the PWCs to increase the collection frequency from the usual once per week to twice per week. NEA will continue to monitor the usage of the recycling facilities and review their adequacy on an ongoing basis. 2-6 Last year, I announced that NEA will mandate the provision of recycling receptacles in condominium and private apartments by 2009. Implementation has been ongoing in phases to give the management councils and waste management companies sufficient time for compliance. NEA targets to achieve full implementation by the end of 2009. All households in Singapore will then have convenient access to recycling facilities. 2-7 Our recycling rate improved steadily from 40% in 2000 to 56% in 2008 and we are on track to meet the Singapore Green Plan 2012 target of 60%. We also achieved high recycling rates for waste streams such as used slag (99%), construction debris (98%) and ferrous metals (94%). While these results are encouraging, it will become increasingly challenging to sustain this progress as the remaining waste that is disposed is not easy to segregate and recycle. We agree that additional measures will be needed to further increase our overall recycling rate and the recycling rate of waste streams with lower recycling rates such as food waste (12%) and plastic waste (8%). 2-8 I am pleased to inform the House that NEA will be launching an S$8mil 3R Fund over 2 years to co-fund new waste minimisation and recycling projects. The fund will co-fund up to 80% of qualifying costs, subject to a cap of S$1 mil per project. NEA has received several preliminary proposals from its industry consultations. These include the separate collection and recycling of food and garden waste, glass and batteries. More details on the Fund will be provided by NEA when it is launched within the next 2 months. 2-9 As part of the government's efforts to help businesses tide over the current downturn, my Ministry will give a 15% monthly rental rebate from January to December this year to the recycling companies located at the Sarimbun Recycling Park. 2-10 We are aware that some developed countries have used legislation to mandate recycling. In view of the current economic downturn, we are not looking at introducing legislation in the near future as it would likely increase costs for businesses and households. However, in the longer term, we will study the use of legislation to further improve our recycling rate.We will also review our gate fee regularly taking into consideration the need to appropriately price our waste disposal operations and the cost impact on businesses and households. 2-11 Located off mainland Singapore, Semakau landfill is clean and free from smell. In fact, it is open to the public for them to enjoy its rich biodiversity. That said, we hope to achieve even more with Semakau. We are developing a plan to turn it into an Eco Park, where companies can conduct field testing of renewable and clean technologies such as wind and solar energy. More details will be announced when the concept plan has been finalised. (ii) Enhancing Capabilities and Building Long-Term Competitiveness Environment and Water Technologies 2-12 I have spoken about resource efficiency and how this supports sustainable development. Our second key thrust to ensure sustainable development is to build capability in the environment and water sector. 2-13 This will not only generate new solutions for Singapore, but create economic opportunities. Environmental goods and services are expected to have a global market worth over USS$500 billion per year. New materials, energy technologies, and applications to minimize waste and conserve resources will be important in future. By building up our capabilities in sustainable development, we can secure a long-term competitive advantage for Singapore in this sector. 2-14 I am pleased to share that we are making good progress on efforts to build up Singapore's capabilities in environment and water technologies. 2-15 In 2008, the Environment and Water Industry Development Council or EWI injected another S$21mil into the R&D ecosystem through the award of 14 R&D projects to companies and Institutes of Higher Learning based in Singapore. This contributed to a high level of R&D activities, and attracted global ideas and talents into Singapore. 2-16 To grow the local pool of talent in water technologies, EWI supports promising candidates to pursue Masters or PhDs through scholarships. In 2008, EWI widened its outreach to overseas-based applicants and this saw the award of 8 PhD scholarships, up from 2 in 2007. The 3rd round of PhD scholarship applications just closed in January with more than 60 applications received. 2-17 EWI regularly reviews our schemes to develop the water industry. In 2008, the TechPioneer scheme was enhanced by removing the need for grant repayment, to encourage more companies to adopt new technologies early. One project that has benefited from the enhancement is Keppel's membrane distillation project which is scheduled to commence in the first quarter of this year. 2-18 Singapore's vibrant water industry continues to attract reputable water R&D institutes and companies. For instance, Nitto Denko will be the first Japanese enterprise to set up a water R&D centre in Singapore. It will invest S$6mil to focus on R&D in membrane applications for desalination and water reuse. Another example is Marmon Water, a US-based company, which is investing S$24mil to set up a water filter manufacturing facility in Singapore employing a hundred staff. 2-19 EWI also made progress in grooming local SMEs and encouraging them to develop capabilities and proprietary technologies that can be exported. For example, PUB is working with a local company, Optiqua to test and validate sensor applications to detect organic and biological contaminants in water. 2-20 More Singapore water companies have started to export their expertise and expand their overseas presence. In 2008, our water companies continued to internationalise, securing a total value of more than S$1.3bil of contracts. While most projects came from the key markets of China and the Middle East, Singapore companies are also enjoying some success in regions such as North Africa. For instance, Hyflux secured a S$630mil Algerian desalination contract. Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) 2-21 The Singapore International Water Week or SIWW 2008 held in June 2008 received strong global support with more than 8,500 participants from 79 countries. Business deals in excess of S$367mil were inked. Extensive local and international media coverage profiled Singapore as a global water hub to the world. 2-22 SIWW 2009 will ride on this success and aim for greater participation from China, Middle East, India and South East Asia, which are key markets for our water technologies. 2-23 This year's event will focus on water infrastructure and technologies with the theme 'Sustainable Cities - Infrastructure and Technologies for Water'. To further bolster this theme, the 7th Ministers' Forum on Infrastructure Development in the Asia Pacific Region will be one of the key events to co-locate with SIWW. Drawing from industry feedback, SIWW 2009 will feature a larger exhibition area, more networking opportunities, and environment technologies and companies. Clean Environment Research 2-24 Beyond the water sector, my Ministry, together with the EDB and IE Singapore, has been studying market drivers, technology trends and Singapore's competitive strengths and value propositions in the environment sector. Our study assessed that clean environment technologies will be an important growth area for Singapore's environment and water sector. 2-25 My Ministry will therefore be working with our research institutions and industry to build up Singapore's research and development capability in clean environment technologies over the next few years. Possible focus areas being considered include waste management which has been assessed to have good market potential. This new effort will complement the existing Clean Water and Clean Energy programmes, and enhance Singapore's position as a hub for environmental solutions and technologies. Helping Mid-Career Professionals 2-26 Notwithstanding the economic downturn, MEWR will sustain efforts to develop Singapore's capabilities in environmental and water technologies. We are offering courses to build up specialised competencies in the environment and water sector. For example, NEA's Singapore Certified Energy Manager or SCEM programme that I spoke of earlier will provide the foundation for engineers to become professionals in the promotion of energy efficiency. In the water sector, PUB has worked with the Singapore Water Association to roll out competency programmes for membrane technologies employed in the production of water. 2-27 These programmes will not only augment our pool of skilled manpower, but are also timely for mid-career professionals, such as engineers and plant managers, who want to re-skill themselves, particularly in this downturn. There are opportunities in the environment and water sector for mid-career professionals, both in the public and private sector.