Speech by Minister for the Environment and Water Resources at Committee of Supply Debate 2009

The Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, gave his speech at the annual Committee of Supply Debate yesterday in Parliament. He covered the following topics:

• Sustainable Development & Resource Efficiency
• Climate Change, Energy Efficiency & Solar Energy
• Managing Water Demand
• Recycling
• Enhancing Capabilities and Building Long-Term Competitiveness
• Air Quality
• Noise
• Dengue & Chikungunya
• Public Cleanliness and Littering
• Hawker Centres
• Cleanliness of Food Outlets, Toilets and Waste Collection
• ABC Waters Programme & Marina Barrage

Summary of Key Issues

Given the global downturn, the ability to grow the economy in a sustainable way has become more, not less, relevant. Continuing to achieve good growth while maintaining a good environment will require first, the prudent use of natural resources, second, building capability in the environmental sector, and third, protecting our environment to ensure environmental standards do not slip, and even improve.

The Inter-Ministerial Committee on Sustainable Development (IMCSD) will release its report in March, including the $1 billion budget for sustainable development.

The preliminary results of the 2-year study by NEA to understand the long-term effects of climate change, indicate that Singapore’s existing infrastructure is sufficient to address the risks in the short to medium term.

The 10% Energy Challenge campaign has helped to reduce the average monthly household electricity consumption from May to August 2008 by 4% compared to the same period in 2007.

Companies are already implementing energy efficiency measures with funding such as the Design for Efficiency scheme to co-fund workshops to design energy efficient facilities, and the Grant for Energy Efficient Technologies to co-fund up to 50% of the cost of energy efficient equipment or technology.

The government is taking the lead on energy efficiency and is on track to meet its goal of conducting energy audits for all government buildings with more than 15,000 square metres of air-conditioned floor area by March 2010.

NEA will implement Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) for household air-conditioners and refrigerators by 2011 to remove the least efficient models (1-tick and 2-tick range) from the market.

Solar energy is still more costly than conventional grid electricity generated from fossil fuels, but prices are expected to come down as the technology matures. To build up our capabilities for future adoption when it is cost-effective to do so, we will continue to research and test-bed such new technologies.

The Four National Taps strategy provides Singapore with NEWater and desalinated water options during dry weather, thus improving the drought resilience of the water supply system. But it is still important for Singaporeans to conserve water and use it efficiently.

The domestic water consumption per person per day has decreased from 157 litres in 2007 to 156 litres in 2008.

Taps, urinals and dual-flush low capacity flushing cisterns (LCFCs) installed in new developments and existing premises undergoing renovation from July 2009 must have at least a one-tick water efficiency rating. In addition, all new domestic premises and existing ones undergoing renovation have to use dual-flush LCFCs from July 2009.

PUB is helping needy households with above average water consumption to install water-saving devices so that they can save water and cut costs.

For water efficiency projects under the Water Efficiency Fund, PUB has increased the co-funding for SMEs from 50% to 80% of the cost of qualifying projects. PUB will also help SMEs to defray part of the retrofitting costs involved in switching to NEWater, and help them reduce their water bills by providing free constant flow regulators and spray nozzles.

The participation rate in the National Recycling Programme (NRP) has increased from 15% in 2001 to 63% in 2008.

Since 2007, there are 1,600 centralized recycling bins at HDB estates and one for every five blocks of HDB flats. The average amount of recyclables collected from each set of bins increased from 65 kg per month in 2007 to 103 kg per month for 2008.

NEA targets to achieve full implementation for the mandatory provision of recycling receptacles in condominium and private apartments by the end of 2009.

Singapore’s recycling rate has improved from 40% in 2000 to 56% in 2008 and we are on track to meet the Singapore Green Plan 2012 target of 60%.

NEA will be launching a $8 million 3R Fund to co-fund new waste minimisation and recycling projects. The fund will co-fund up to 80% of qualifying costs and subject to a cap of $1 million per project.

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.

The Ministry is developing a plan to turn Semakau landfill into an Eco Park, where companies can conduct field testing of renewable and clean technologies.

Singapore continued to enjoy good air quality in 2008 with the Pollutant Standards Index in the “good” range for 96% of the year. The key pollutant levels were within the standards set by the United States Environmental Protection Authority with the exception of very fine particulate matter or PM2.5.

The Green Vehicle Rebate (GVR) Scheme will be extended by another 2 years till 31 December 2011. Through the GVR scheme, the number of green vehicles such as CNG and hybrid vehicles has increased to more than 5,400 as at end 2008. This is about 1% of the total car population.

There are now 3 CNG refuelling stations and this is expected to increase to 5 by the end of this year with the opening of stations at Serangoon North and Toh Tuck.

The number of complaints on construction noise increased from about 9,200 in 2007 to about 14,100 in 2008. This could be due to the rise in construction activities and the higher expectations from the public.

There was a 20% decline in dengue cases from about 8,800 cases in 2007 to about 7,000 in 2008. The first local transmission of chikungunya fever was detected in 2008 and a total of 718 cases were reported.

Littering remains a concern in Singapore as the number of offenders caught increased from about 4,000 in 2005 to 33,000 in 2008.

Under the ABC Waters Programme, 27 projects will be carried out across Singapore by 2012 to transform our drains, canals and reservoirs into beautiful and clean streams, rivers and lakes integrated into our neighbourhoods.

The Marina Barrage was completed last year and officially opened in October, allowing the collection of rainwater in the Marina Reservoir and serving as a lifestyle, recreational and educational destination.

We have a shared responsibility to ensure sustainable development. Companies can develop and deploy technologies and products that are more environmentally- friendly than today, and incorporate environmental considerations into their operations and procedures. Citizens must embrace a lifestyle that considers the environment and limits resource consumption in their daily lives. Government will promote sustainability by setting an example, demonstrating our commitment, and involving people.

Sustainable development is a long-term process with long-term objectives. It means focusing on the horizon, rather than quick fixes; targeting prevention now, rather than putting right later; caring for the environment as part of our choices today, rather than dealing with the consequences of neglect down the line.

Source: Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources

Doing Simple Things for the Planet

(This article is contributed by our guest writer, Irene Rafer, and was first published in The Shape of My Life.)

“Wastes segregation begins at home.”

Practicing proper waste segregation reduced our household waste to 20% – the rest being recycled.

Metro Manila disposes tons of garbage everyday and time will come that its landfills can no longer accommodate all its wastes.

Our household trash is ordinarily composed of old news papers and scrap papers; cartoons and card boards; plastic bottles and plastic scraps; Styrofoam and the inedible parts of fruits and vegetables that we consume. Instead that those trashes end up to the garbage collectors we managed to segregate and recycle. We piled the scrap papers and card boards in a big cartoon then we allocated a separate sack for our plastic bottles and plastic scraps. Our lifestyle here sometimes demands for the consumption of plastic bottled drinks. Nevertheless, we are trying to be responsible consumer by properly disposing our plastic trash. Read more

Recycling Day 2008

November 15, 2008
9:00 am	to	7:00 pm

Recycling Day is an annual event where residents can learn more about the 3Rs through exhibition booths, exchange their recyclables for gifts, and take part in various games and contests. This year’s Recycling Day will be held at the main site, Blk 252, Yu Hua Village, and three other satellite sites at Hougang Central, Blk 123 Bukit Merah View, and Yio Chu Kang Secondary School. Visit the Clean and Green Singapore 2009 website for more details.

Recycling at Commercial Buildings and Industrial Estates

General waste from commercial and industrial premises are collected by licensed general waste collectors and sent to the incineration plants or landfill. For commercial buildings and industrial estates with recycling programmes, recycling bins or skips are placed at certain locations and the recyclables are collected by a recycling collector (usually the recycling service is provided by the same general waste collector). It is not mandatory for commercial buildings and industrial estates to have recycling programmes.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) has worked with the JTC Corporation to implement recycling programmes for JTC industrial estates. NEA has also published the Guidebook on Waste Minimisation for Industries to help companies reduce their waste and practise recycling through a waste minimisation plan, tips and case studies. The guidebook is available for download at the NEA website.

(This article was first published in SG Recycle.)

Recycling at Condominiums and Private Apartments

Condominiums and private apartments are not covered under the National Recycling Programme (NRP). But the National Environment Agency (NEA) are working with the Managing Agents and Management Councils of the condominiums and private apartments to introduce recycling programmes. Similar to the National Recycling Programme, recycling bags would be given to residents for their recyclables or recycling bins would be placed at selected locations.

As of Dec 2007, there are 353 condominiums and private apartments with recycling programmes. Recently, the ministry has also announced that it will make it mandatory to have recycling facilities in condominiums and private apartments. This mean that soon all the residential premises (HDB estates, landed properties, condominiums and private apartments) in Singapore will have some form of recycling programme and all residents have the opportunity to recycle.

(This article was first published in SG Recycle.)

Recycling at Home through the National Recycling Programme

The National Environment Agency (NEA) has implemented the National Recycling Programme (NRP) since 2001, where recycling bags or bins are given to residents living in HDB housing estates and landed properties. These recycling bags and bins are provided by appointed recycling contractors and the recyclables are collected fortnightly under the NRP.

You can make use of the recycling programme to recycle items such as paper, plastic and glass bottles, metal cans and old clothing, instead of throwing them away.

In addition, there are recycling bins placed at housing estates (one set of recycling bins placed for every five blocks), and also public recycling bins placed at train stations and high traffic locations. Check out the locations of the nearest recycling bins at the NEA website.

With all these recycling programmes and facilities in place, it’s easy to recycle and there’s no more excuses not to.

Images source: NRP brochure.

(This article was first published in SG Recycle.)

Waste Management and Recycling in Singapore

The public waste collection in Singapore is divided into nine sectors managed by four licensed Public Waste Collectors (PWCs) as shown below.

1. Pasir Ris-Tampines; Bedok; Tanglin-Bukit Merah (by Altvater Jakob Pte Ltd
2. Jurong (by Colex Holdings Ltd)
3. Clementi; City; Hougang-Punggol; Woodlands-Yishun (by SembWaste Pte Ltd)
4. Ang Mo Kio-Toa Payoh (by 800 Super Waste Management Pte Ltd)

The PWCs are responsible for the collection of waste from residential and trade premises in Singapore. They are also required to provide recycling services under the National Recycling Programme (NRP). For commercial and industrial premises, the waste are collected separately by licensed general waste collectors.

The waste collected by the PWCs and general waste collectors are disposed of at the four incineration plants (Tuas, Tuas South, Senoko and Ulu Pandan) and the offshore Semakau landfill. Waste that are incinerable are sent to the incineration plants while non-incinerable waste and incineration ashes are sent to the landfill. About 90% of waste are incinerated and 10% are landfilled.

In 2007, about 2.57 million tonnes of waste was disposed – 58% was generated from residential premises, food centres and markets; and 42% was generated from commercial and industrial premises. Each person generated about 0.88 kg of domestic waste per day.

Waste that are not disposed of are sent for recycling. In 2007, about 3.03 million tonnes of waste was recycled and an overall recycling rate of 54% was achieved. The quantity and recycling rate for each type of waste are shown in the table below:

Image credit: pakalakamino. Table source: National Environment Agency.

(This article was first published in SG Recycle.)

For more tips on how to reduce, reuse and recycle your waste, visit the Zero Waste Singapore website.

What is Recycling?

Recycling refers to the processing of used and waste materials into new materials and products. This helps to prevent the disposal of the waste materials and reduce the use of virgin raw materials to manufacture products. Using existing waste material to manufacture products also tends to consume less energy and water resources as compared to using virgin material. The different types of materials that can be recycled includes paper, plastic, metal, glass, wood, horticultural, tyres, food, etc.

Recycling is one of the 3 ‘R’s – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (in order of sequence) in waste management. The sequence is important, as source reduction is usually the best way to minimise waste while recycling still has some impact on the environment and should be done last. Reduce by not creating the waste or minimising the waste in the beginning. Reuse by using the waste several times or for another purpose. Recycle by sending the waste to be processed as a resource.

For example, let’s take a look at a plastic bottle of mineral water. Reduce by not buying the plastic bottle and drink from the tap or use your own water bottle. But if you really have to buy the bottle of water, then reuse it after finishing. Reuse the plastic bottle as your water bottle for refilling, use it as a flower vase, use it for storing other liquids, or use it to make art decorative items. After reusing the plastic bottle for some time and when it becomes dirty or damaged, don’t throw it away. Recycle the plastic bottle by depositing it into the recycling bag or bin under the recycling programmes.

Recycling is not THE solution to our overconsumption and waste problem. Recycling is only ONE of the waste management solutions to reduce the disposal of waste to our incineration plants and landfill, and encourage the reuse of used and waste materials. Recycling has to be practised with other green ideas such as reduce and reuse, sustainable design, design for the environment, cradle to cradle, biomimicry, zero waste, circular economy and sufficiency, in order to solve our waste problems.

Recycling is here to stay. Either you choose to criticise it and don’t practise recycling. Or you can make it work and encourage others to recycle. Whichever choice you make, SG Recycle will give you more information and answer your queries or criticisms on recycling. Stay informed on recycling with our weekly posts.

(This article was first published in SG Recycle.)

Recycling at Schools

Recycling programmes are common in our schools (preschools, primary, secondary and tertiary levels). Recycling bins and recyclables collection are usually provided for free by the public waste collectors who are also in charge of collecting waste from the schools.

Under the 3R Programme for Preschools, children in kindergartens and childcare centers can deposit their recyclables in nearby centralised recycling bins or in recycling bags. There are also fun educational activities for the children to learn more about the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle).

For primary and secondary schools, there is usually a Recycling Corner where students can use the recycling bins and learn more about recycling through the educational materials placed there. Check out the Recycling Corner at Telok Kurau Secondary School and Dunman Secondary School.

For tertiary schools, there are usually several sets of recycling bins placed at strategic locations throughout the campus. For example, there are about 18 sets of recycling bins placed at different locations in the National University of Singapore.

If there are no recycling programme in your school, send a request to your school administration to increase awareness on recycling and install recycling bins. For more information and help on recycling in schools, you can check with the National Environment Agency’s Resource Conservation Department.

(This article was first published in SG Recycle.)

SG Recycle – All you need to know about recycling in Singapore

SG Recycle is a new blog that we set up and it is all about recycling in Singapore. It goes live today and the first post is What is Recycling?. A sneak preview:

Recycling refers to the processing of used and waste materials into new materials and products…. Recycling is one of the 3 ‘R’s – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (in order of sequence) in waste management…. Recycling is not THE solution to our overconsumption and waste problem. Recycling is only ONE of the waste management solutions to reduce the disposal of waste to our incineration plants and landfill, and encourage the reuse of used and waste materials…. Recycling is here to stay. Either you choose to criticise it and don’t practise recycling. Or you can make it work and encourage others to recycle.

Our future articles will allow you to learn about the different types of waste materials that are recycled, how to recycle them, the different recycling programmes, the locations of recycling bins, the various recycling companies, and examples of recycling in other countries.

We decided to have a blog dedicated to recycling because we feel that there are still many people who lack knowledge on recycling in Singapore and some who have misconceptions and criticisms about recycling. Some critics of recycling that we met include:

• Top ex-government official in the environment agency
• Head of a local environmental group
• Karang guni man (rag and bone man) who always complain when he sees our recycling bag and says that it’s a waste of time

Sure, recycling has its flaws and it’s not the best solution for managing our waste. But we think recycling deserves some merit for diverting our waste away from the incineration plants and landfill. There is still much improvement in our recycling habits but it will improve with more education and practise. So SG Recycle is one resource to help you on your recycling journey.

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