Waste Minimisation and Recycling Programmes

The Resource Conservation Department has initiated several recycling programmes to promote waste minimisation and recycling in the homes, condominiums, private apartment estates, schools, industrial estates, offices, hotels, etc.

Some examples of recycling programmes:

1. Recycling @ Home - National Recycling Programme

The National Recycling Programme was launched in April 2001. Under this programme, the public waste collectors licensed by NEA are required to tie up with recycling companies to implement door-to-door collection of recyclable material in both HDB estates and landed properties within their servicing sectors.

Residents are given recycling bags for HDB dwellers and trays or bins for landed properties, where they can put in paper, plastic and glass bottles, old clothing, metal cans, drink cartons etc. The recycling companies will collect them from their doorsteps fortnightly on a predetermined collection date.

Please click here for more details on the National Recycling Programme and here to find out what items are acceptable or unacceptable for recycling.

2. Recycling @ Condominiums / Private Apartment Estates

Since 2002, NEA has been working with the Managing Agents, Management Councils of condominiums/private apartment estates and the public waste collectors to introduce recycling programmes in condominiums/private apartment estates. Under the recycling programme, recycling bins would be placed at strategic locations within the estates or residents would be given recycling bags to deposit their recyclables for recycling.

From 1 Nov 2008, it is mandatory for condominiums/private apartments to provide receptacles for recycling within their estate. Recyclables collected in these receptacles shall also be sent to recycling facilities.

Managing Agents and Management Councils of condominiums/private apartment estates are encouraged to refer to the online guidebook on Setting Up Structured Waste Recycling Programme in Condominiums and Private Apartments as attached here to help with the implementation and to set up a sustainable recycling programme.

Does your condominium have a recycling programme?
Click here for the list of condonminiums/private apartments that have successfully set up recycling programme within their estate.

3. Recycling @ Schools

A structured waste recycling programme at schools was launched by NEA together with the public waste collectors/recyclers and the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) on 12 Sep 2002. The aim of the recycling programme is to educate and inculcate the recycling habit among the students. The students would also bring the recycling message home and encourage their family members to recycle under the National Recycling Programme.

The recycling programme involves the setting up of a Recycling Corner in the school where recycling bins for paper, cans and plastic bottles as well as educational materials such as posters and booklets, are made available to the students. Monthly tonnage of recyclables collected is feedback to the school to enable monitoring of the recycling programme.

4. Recycling @ Preschools

In order to inculcate the good habits of 3R in our young, NEA will be working with kindergartens, childcare centers and the public waste collectors to introduce recycling programmes in preschools. Under this programme, preschools can utilise nearby centralised recycling depositories or would be given recycling bags to deposit their recyclables for recycling.

NEA has developed a set of Preschool 3R Awareness Kit to assist the teachers to plan for activities to arouse the preschooler' interest in 3R and to reinforce their 3R awareness.

Please click here to download Preschool 3R Awareness Kit - Teacher's Guide 

Please click here to download Preschool 3R Awareness Kit - Pictocards

(For high resolution version of the materials, please contact Mr Kok Shui Hong at 6731 9768 or Kok_Shui_ Hong@nea.gov.sg). Currently out of stock

5. Recycling @ Industrial Estates

Industries generate a large quantity of recyclable materials that are currently disposed as waste. To raise awareness of waste minimisation in industries and recover as much recyclables as possible for reuse or recycling, NEA has worked closely with the JTC Corporation (JTC) on seminars, exhibitions and the introduction of recycling pilot projects to JTC estates.

A JTC-NEA Joint Committee on Waste Minimisation has also been formed to enhance the joint efforts, and its JTC-NEA Recycling Programme for JTC Industrial Estates was launched on 28 Nov 2003.

For estates that currently have the recycling programmes in place, designated corners have been set up in bin centres to collect wood waste for reuse. Recycling bins have been provided in strategic locations for the collection of paper, aluminium cans, plastic, metal and glass.

A 'Guidebook on Waste Minimisation for Industries' was also produced to help companies reduce waste through more efficient and effective use of resources, reusing and recycling. It aims to provide companies with practical tips on planning and implementing a waste minimisation plan and recycling programme. The Guidebook also contains case studies to show what some companies have achieved in minimising waste generation and cost savings. A draft of the Guidebook has been completed and is attached here.