As part of efforts to safeguard public health and the environment, NEA started licensing general waste disposal facilities from 1 August 2017. Effective 1 August 2018, all general waste disposal facilities must either obtain their licence or submit an exemption declaration.
General waste disposal facilities are defined as facilities that receive, store, process or treat general waste, and include recycling facilities.
Licensing criteria
The licensing criteria are shown in Table 1.
| Table 1: Licensing Requirements by Waste Stream |
|---|
| Waste Stream | Licensing Requirements |
| Mixed general waste |
Disposal facilities which receive, store, process, or treat any of these waste streams must obtain a licence. |
| Food Waste |
Electrical and electronic waste (e-waste), defined as: - Waste generated from the manufacture of electrical and electronic products.
- Discarded electrical and/or electronic products that cannot be reused and are to be dismantled for recycling.
|
| Spent copper slag |
| Used cooking oil |
| Waste Stream |
Design Capacity BELOW 5 tonnes/day |
Design Capacity of 5 or more tonnes/day |
Any other waste streams including:
- Paper
- Plastic
- Scrap metal
- Textile waste
- Glass waste
- Horticultural waste
- Wood waste
- Tyre / Rubber waste
- Biomass waste
- Construction and demolition waste
|
These facilities must submit an Exemption Declaration. |
These facilities must obtain a licence. |
Refuse bin centres, residential premises and machinery/apparatus used solely for the processing or treatment of waste generated at the premises they are located (e.g. food waste digesters) are exempted from licensing. Owners/operators of such premises/machinery do not need to submit an Exemption Declaration.
How to apply for a general waste disposal facility licence
Submission of the GWDF licence application and Exemption Declaration is done on the
LicenceOne Portal. The GWDF licence fee is $300 and the validity period is two years. Application instructions for the GWDF licence are found here [pdf 1.3 Mb].
Important documents
The following table contains important documents that apply to general waste disposal facilities:
* All licensed general waste disposal facilities must maintain a daily register that records the following information:
a) The source, type and quantity of all general waste received;
b) The type and quantity of all products recovered or produced;
c) The type and quantity of all general waste stored;
d) The type and quantity of all residual waste recovered or produced and disposed of; and
e) The method by which such residue was disposed of.
List of general waste disposal facilities
A list of general waste disposal facilities is found in the attachment below.
| S/N |
Description |
Document |
| 1 |
List of General Waste Disposal Facilities by Waste Stream |
List of licensed GWDFs [XLSX, 71.64 KB] |
List of advisories/guidelines
A list of advisories/guidelines for general waste disposal facility licensees is found in the table below.
For queries relating to the general waste disposal facility licence, please fill in the online feedback form or call our hotline at 6225 5632.