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Global Briefing
A Look Inside the Zero Waste Masterplan
The plan to defuse Semakau Landfill’s ticking timebomb.
Goh Ping Yao, Waste & Resource Management Department, National Environment Agency
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Singapore, commonly referred to as the little red dot, is home to almost 6 million residents. With its ever-growing population and rise in disposable income levels, the amount of waste generated and disposal have been on the rise. How do we manage our daily waste efficiently such that Singapore continues to be a vibrant, liveable and prosperous home for us? Currently, about 37% of waste generated in Singapore is incinerated at the waste- to-energy incineration plants. Another 60% is recycled, while the remaining 3% of non-incinerable waste is landfilled directly. Incineration has allowed us to reduce the volume of waste by 90% and generate electricity to partially meet some of Singapore’s total electricity demand.
The Zero Waste Masterplan
The race for economic development is not without repercussions – resources are being depleted at a quicker rate than they can be replenished. Such growth is not sustainable and the following drivers have prompted Singapore to re-think its development and pursue a vision of a Zero Waste Nation.
1. Climate Change
Singapore, a low-lying state, is vulnerable to
sea level rise and extreme weather brought about by climate change. There is a critical need for Singapore to address the existential threat of climate change, which also affects our water and food supply, as well as spread diseases such as dengue.
2. Unsustainable Consumption
As an affluent and convenience-oriented country, how Singaporeans consume is greatly influenced by social norms, such as the ubiquity of food delivery options that encourage the use of disposables, keeping up with the social media trends, or getting their hands on the latest gadgets. The pervasive throwaway culture in Singapore has contributed to the seven-fold increase in the amount of waste disposal over the past 40 years to 21,083 tonnes per day.
3. Land Constraints
At this rate of waste disposal, Semakau Landfill, Singapore’s only existing landfill, will be fully filled up by 2035. With only 721.5km2 of land space in this little red dot, there is insufficient land space to build new incineration plants or landfills in Singapore.
4. Global Push Towards Zero Waste
There has been a shift towards sustainable