Singapore’s solid waste output has increased significantly over the years. The amount of waste sent for disposal rose from 1,260 tonnes per day in 1970 to 8,559 tonnes per day in 2016. This amount would have been significantly higher if Singapore had not recycled more than half of its waste! Click here for more solid waste statistics.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) plans, develops and manages Singapore’s advanced waste management system. An efficient waste collection and disposal system is critical, given Singapore's limited land area and densely populated living environment.

NEA's responsibilities include the licensing and regulation of solid waste collection and enforcement of illegal dumping in Singapore. Explore the following sections to learn more about Singapore's waste management system.

• Public Waste Collection Scheme
• General Waste Collection System
• Solid Waste Disposal Infrastructure
• Illegal Dumping

Public Waste Collection Scheme

NEA appoints public waste collectors (PWCs) through open tenders to serve domestic and trade premises in Singapore by geographical sectors. The tenders are open to companies that meet the pre-qualification criteria. Successful bidders are awarded licenses to provide waste and recyclables collection services for the respective sectors over contract periods of seven to eight years.

Currently, there are four PWCs operating in Singapore. The sectors they serve are indicated on the map below. The seven sectors will be further consolidated into six sectors when the new contracts for Pasir Ris-Tampines and Bedok commence in 2018.

The customer hotlines of the PWCs for feedback and enquires are as follows:

Veolia ES Singapore Pte Ltd

Pasir Ris-Tampines and Clementi-Bukit Merah sectors: 6865 3140

Colex Environmental Pte Ltd

Jurong sector: 6268 4775

SembWaste Pte Ltd

Bedok, City-Punggol and Woodlands-Yishun sectors: 1800-278-6135

800 Super Waste Management Pte Ltd

Ang Mo Kio-Toa Payoh Sector: 6366 3800

Waste collection fees for the seven sectors are available here.

Click here for tips on the disposal of bulky items and garden wastes.

Strata-titled developments

Strata-titled private developments (i.e. Condominiums, private apartments) with constituted Management Corporation in the Pasir Ris – Tampines and Bedok sectors are given the option to opt into the Public Waste Collection scheme for refuse and recycling collection services. The option forms for the Pasir Ris – Tampines and Bedok sector can be found here.

With effect from April 2013, strata- titled developments in the Jurong, Clementi – Bukit Merah, City – Punggol, Ang Mo Kio – Toa Payoh and Woodlands – Yishun sectors are included into the Public Waste Collection scheme, unless they opt to engage the services of a licensed General Waste Collector. The option forms for Jurong, Clementi – Bukit Merah, City – Punggol, Ang Mo Kio – Toa Payoh and Woodlands – Yishun sectors can be found here.

Developments will not be allowed to change their decision for the entire period of the Public Waste Collection period once they have exercised their option. New developments with constituted Management Corporations can join the Public Waste Collection scheme by submitting a copy of their signed option form to contact_nea@nea.gov.sg.

General Waste Collection System

NEA licenses general waste collectors (GWCs) in Singapore as well. GWCs primarily serve commercial and industrial premises.

The type of waste handled by each class of GWC is as follows:

Collection of Used Cooking Oil

Effective 1 June 2017, all Used Cooking Oil (UCO) Collectors must possess a Class B.1 GWC licence. Food retail establishments and food manufacturers are required to have their UCO collected by licensed collectors only. A list of licensed UCO collectors can be found below.

How to Apply for a GWC Licence

Application/Renewal for a GWC licence is done here. The annual GWC licence fee is $175 and the validity period is 1 year. Applicants are required to fulfill the criteria listed here. Specific application instructions for UCO collectors are found here.

How to Apply for a Disposal Account and an Account on iWMS

Class A and B GWCs are encouraged to open a disposal account with NEA for the disposal of waste at the four waste-to-energy plants in Tuas and Senoko and Tuas Marine Transfer Station.  With a disposal account, the general waste collector will be billed fortnightly or monthly for the general waste disposed of at the disposal facilities. Statistics can be tracked at the integrated waste management system (iWMS), a free e-service. Application details can be found below.

• Application for Opening of Disposal Accounts at: http://nea.gov.sg/docs/default-source/energy-waste/waste-management/application-for-disposal-account-updated-on-jan-2017.pdf
• Applications for Registration/Deregistration of Vehicles for Refuse Collection is found at: http://nea.gov.sg/docs/default-source/energy-waste/waste-management/vehicle-registeration-form-updated-on-jan-2017.pdf
• Applications for iWMS at: https://e-services.nea.gov.sg/IWMS/Home.aspx 

Important Documents

The following table contains important documents that apply to General Waste Collectors:

Safe Practices in the Waste Collection Industry

Workplace safety is of paramount importance in the waste collection industry. NEA specifies mandatory inspection of vehicles and equipment, as well as safety guidelines.

Hooklifts and open-top containers must be inspected annually by accredited workshops and adhere to NEA’s inspection checklist, found here. Refuse compactors, tankers, and intermediate bilk containers (IBCs) must also be inspected by accredited workshops and have valid inspection certificates. Each tanker must pass a hydrostatic test and obtain certification for the hose and air filtering system.  A list of accredited workshops can be found here.

NEA does not tolerate overfilling or overloading of waste in open-top containers (OTCs). Such acts may compromise the safety of the driver and other road users. Advisories to GWCs addressing overfilling and overloading are available here and here, respectively­.

List of Waste Collectors

For specific waste collection services, please click the appropriate link below.

Contact

Please contact the following should you require clarification on:

• GWC licensing matters - Mr Justin Tay at DID: 6708 6078 or email: justin_tay@nea.gov.sg.
• Disposal Accounts and iWMS - Mr David Tang / Ms Teng Guat Hwa at DID: 6731 9310, fax: 6731 9731 or email: david_tang@nea.gov.sg / teng_guat_hwa@nea.gov.sg.
• Other matters - 24-hour NEA hotline 1800-2255-632 after office hours or if the officers are not available.

Solid Waste Disposal Infrastructure

In the 1960s and 1970s, waste was sent to various landfills around the island. However, in the late 1970s, NEA decided to adopt waste-to-energy (WTE) incineration as it is able to reduce waste volume by 90% and reduce landfill space. The first WTE plant was commissioned in 1979. Today, there are four WTE plants located at Tuas and Senoko, as well as an offshore landfill, Semakau Landfill which receives non-incinerable waste and incineration ash via the Tuas Marine Transfer Station. Waste collectors sending waste to the four WTE plants and Tuas Marine Transfer Station must be accompanied by a waybill to indicate the type and source of waste.

For more information on the solid waste disposal infrastructure, please click here.

Further details on the location, fees charged and waybill used at these facilities can be found here.

Visits to the Semakau Landfill or one of the waste-to-energy plants can be arranged by sending us a request.

Illegal Dumping

The illegal dumping of waste of any kind is a serious offence. It pollutes the environment and can be a hazard to public health. Members of the public can report illegal dumping cases by contacting the NEA Call Centre at 1800-CALL-NEA (18002255632) and providing the following information:

• Date, time and location of dumping
• Vehicle registration number
• Your name and contact number

All calls are treated with the strictest of confidence.

Additional information on waste management can be found at the following links:

• Details about waste minimisation and recycling
• Toxic and biohazardous waste collection and disposal (licensing and arranging for disposal)