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72 Per Cent Of Households Recycle In 2023

14 Sep 2023

The Recycle Right campaign encourages all to recycle more and recycle right.

Singapore, 14 September 2023 – Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and the Environment, Mr Baey Yam Keng, launched the National Environment Agency (NEA)’s latest Recycle Right campaign at Anchor Green Primary School today. Featuring recycling mascot, Bloobin, the campaign encourages all Singaporeans to recycle more and recycle right, and to reduce contamination in recycling bins and chutes.

2 Under the Zero Waste Masterplan and the Singapore Green Plan 2030, we aim to achieve a 70 per cent overall recycling rate by 2030. Through recycling, we can not only divert waste from Semakau Landfill, but can also turn trash into treasure and close the resource loop as part of a circular economy.

Higher Proportion of Households Recycle in 2023 Than in 2021

3 NEA’s 2023 survey on household recycling [1] found that 72 per cent of households recycle, compared to 64 per cent in 2021. In addition, a higher proportion of respondents are aware of common items that can be deposited into the recycling bins and chutes. For example, 89 per cent of respondents were aware that a rinsed shampoo or detergent bottle can be recycled, compared to 71 per cent in 2021. However, there was a decline in the awareness that unwanted fruit or vegetable parts, soiled plastic food containers, and small electronic appliances cannot be deposited into recycling bins or chutes.

Doing Our Part to Increase Singapore’s Recycling Rate

4 Contamination arises when items that cannot be recycled, or food and liquid waste, are thrown into the blue recycling bins or chutes. When recyclables are contaminated, they become no different from general waste. They will then have to be disposed of, incinerated, and landfilled.

5 This year’s Recycle Right campaign [2] continues to encourage Singaporeans to recycle right by featuring Bloobin, a blue recycling mascot. With a resounding call to “Treat Bloobin Better”, the campaign includes an online game and bite-sized educational videos showcasing how recycling can easily be incorporated into aspects of daily life such as buying takeaways and making online purchases. To lower contamination rates, town councils with dual-chute estates are installing chute stickers to remind residents what can be recycled.

6 NEA also continues to work with various partners and stakeholders, including schools, the community, non-Governmental organisations, corporate, and industry partners to encourage households to recycle more and recycle right. This is done by making recycling and recycling information more accessible in neighbourhoods and homes.

7 Each HDB block, landed house, and condominium or private apartment block currently has its own recycling bin or chute. These bins, as well as the dedicated recyclables collection trucks, are coloured blue to differentiate them from the general waste bins and refuse collection trucks. In addition, a free home recycling box (Bloobox) was made available to every household from March to April this year to encourage recycling.

8 Let us all do our part to continue increasing Singapore’s recycling rate by following these three simple steps:

a. Check if the items are recyclable. Follow the labels on the blue recycling bin and Bloobox for what can be put inside, or refer to online resources such as our Recycling Search Engine or Bloobin’s Recycling Guide.

b. Clean: Make sure the recyclable items are not contaminated with food or liquids.

c. Recycle your items in the blue recycling bins or recycling chutes.

[1] Details of the 2023 survey on household recycling are available in Annex A.

[2] Visuals of this year’s Recycle Right campaign collaterals can be found in Annex B.

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For more information, please submit your enquiries electronically via the Online Feedback Form or myENV mobile application.

ANNEX A

About NEA’s 2023 Survey on Household Recycling

The latest survey on household recycling was conducted by NEA from April to June 2023, covering 2,180 respondents.

Compared to 2021, a higher proportion of respondents is aware of common items that can be deposited into the recycling bins/chutes. However, only 34 per cent of respondents are aware that Plastic Film/Flexible Packaging can be recycled.
For items that CAN be deposited
2021	2023
Q: Which of these items can be put into the blue recycling bin/chute for recycling?

While more respondents display awareness of common items that cannot be deposited into the recycling bins/chutes, awareness has declined for unwanted fruit or vegetable parts, soiled plastic food container and small electronic appliances.
For items that CANNOT be deposited
2021	2023
Q: Which of these items can be put into the blue recycling bin/chute for recycling?