Yahoo Finance More avenues to get cashback for recycling items in Singapore: Grace Fu
SINGAPORE — In the near future, there will be more avenues for Singaporeans to get cashback for recycling items such as beverage containers.
The government is set to introduce the legislative framework for the Deposit Refund Scheme (DRS) by next year, and implement it in 2023, said Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) Grace Fu on Thursday (4 March) in Parliament.
A transition period will be provided thereafter before implementation of the DRS system to allow time for consumers and industry to adjust, such as to set up the collection and recycling infrastructure.
The DRS has been implemented in several countries such as Norway, Sweden and Germany, with a recycling rate of beverage containers of over 80 per cent.
Generally, under the DRS for beverage containers, producers would finance the take-back of the used beverage containers with refunds offered to consumers when they return them to designated return points.
"We will continue to engage stakeholders and welcome all to participate in shaping Singapore's own DRS framework," Fu said.
In the area of electrical and electronic waste management, the National Environment Agency (NEA) in February appointed Alba Group, an international waste management company, as a producer responsibility scheme (PRS) operator.
To be implemented from 1 July with more collection points islandwide, the scheme aims to tackle the 60,000 tonnes of e-waste generated by Singapore annually.
Under the Zero Waste Masterplan, Singapore aims to increase its overall recycling rate to 70 per cent and reduce waste to landfill per capita per day by 30 per cent by 2030.
The goal will be frontloaded to achieve a 20 per cent reduction in waste-to-landfill per capita per day within the next five years. The recycling measures form part of the government's targets under Singapore Green Plan 2030.
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