Singapore records lower waste levels in 2024

The overall recycling rate continued to hover around 50%.

Singapore generated less waste in 2024, with the daily domestic waste generated per capita declining to 0.85 kilogram from 0.88 kg in 2023, the National Environment Agency (NEA).

The daily non-domestic waste also declined, with about 23 tonnes generated per billion dollars of GDP, down from 25 tonnes the year before.

Over the past decade, daily domestic waste generated per capita decreased by more than 20%, and daily non-domestic waste generated per billion-dollar GDP decreased by more than 30%.

Moreover, the overall recycling rate dipped to 50% from 52% in 2023, driven by the reduction in the amount of Construction & Demolition (C&D) waste (by 122,000 tonnes) and used slag (by 63,000 tonnes) generated, which are almost completely recycled.

There was also a reduction in the amount of wood waste recycled, by 49,000 tonnes, due to a short-term reduction in wood waste processing capacity in 2024 as a result of the closure of one biomass plant and prolonged maintenance of another.

NEA says it plans to focus more on cutting food, paper, and plastic waste, which make up the bulk of unrecycled material.

All new large commercial and industrial food waste generators have been required since March 2024 to segregate, treat, and report their food waste.

These rules will be extended to existing large commercial and industrial food waste generators in tandem when the Food Waste Treatment Facility becomes operational and as the Integrated Waste Management Facility is completed from 2027 onwards.

In the paper sector, NEA introduced packaging guidelines in March 2025 targeting e-commerce businesses.

For plastics, a bottle return scheme, which is set to launch in April 2026, will offer a 10-cent refund for returned beverage containers in a bid to boost plastic recycling.

NEA is working with the licensed scheme operator, Beverage Container Return Scheme Ltd., on the return point network and deposit refund options to provide a convenient return and refund for consumers.