Louis asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources whether the Ministry will consider imposing a charge on plastic bags at supermarkets. 

Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan (for the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources): In Singapore, households generally re-use plastic bags to dispose their waste in a hygienic manner. In addition, plastic bags which are thrown away are incinerated safely at our waste-to-energy plants before they are landfilled as ash. This is in contrast to many other countries where waste is directly landfilled. In these countries, plastic bags, which are not biodegradable, may remain in the landfills for a long time or find their way into the seas.

Even though Singapore manages the disposal of plastic bags well, there is room for us to cut down on excessive usage. The recent discussions on the plastic bag issue reflect a greater environmental awareness among Singaporeans. I commend environmental groups for raising awareness on the need to curb the excessive use of plastic bags. For instance, ZeroWasteSG conducted a survey among supermarket shoppers and found that only 15% of shoppers were using reusable bags or trolleys without taking plastic bags. I am heartened by recent media reports that major supermarket players in Singapore are open to considering measures to reduce plastic bag usage, such as a voluntary charge on plastic bags if imposed across the industry.

However, some concerns have been raised on implementing a plastic bag charge. For example, will there be unintended consequences, such as the substitution of plastic bags with paper bags or even wastage of re-usable bags? Additionally, how can sufficient educational and enforcement measures be put in place to complement the charge and reduce demand for plastic bags by shoppers?

My Ministry and the National Environment Agency (NEA) are looking into the responses to ZeroWasteSG's survey and are engaging supermarket operators to explore potential solutions to reduce the excessive use of plastic bags. NEA has also recently published a tender to study the different types of single-use carriers and how they compare in terms of cost and impact on the environment. These will help in our formulation of any future policies on the use of different types of bags.

Ultimately, the excessive use of plastic bags can only be curbed with the support and participation of the community and retailers. Shoppers can play their part by taking just enough plastic bags for their needs and re-using them for bagging household refuse. They can also utilise re-usable bags as much as possible. With a strong partnership between the public, private and people sectors, I am confident that we can create a more sustainable Singapore together.

Louis: Thank you, Madam. I thank the Senior Minister of State for the response. I thank her also for considering imposing a plastic bag charge but is there a timeframe before a decision is going to be made?

Secondly, the Senior Minister of State had given some of the survey results from ZeroWasteSG but whether the Ministry can also consider the other part of the survey which showed that 65% of shoppers would reduce the number of plastic bags they take from supermarkets, or 58% would actually bring their own reusable bag if there is a 10-cent charge that is imposed by the supermarkets?

What we are calling for here is not a ban on plastic bags which we know we need to use to bag our rubbish, but I think this is a pretty good middle ground. It is win-win because it is asking people to reduce the wastage, and the survey results so far shows that people would reduce the wastage if there is just a 10-cent charge. 

Dr Amy Khor: I want to thank the Member for his supplementary question and comments. Let me first note that we recognise the importance and the benefits of curbing the excessive use of plastic bags. In fact, we are looking at further measures to see how we can achieve this, as I have noted in my reply. But let me also note that we need to recognise that our national circumstances are quite unique and different from those of many other countries. Together with the municipal waste, the plastic bags which are thrown away are actually incinerated and not directly landfilled. So, concerns, for instance, regarding the non-biodegradability of plastic bags, which is really the key reason used to justify a levy on plastic bags in many other countries, really is not applicable in our context.

Moreover, we need to also recognise that the large majority of Singaporeans live in apartments and they dispose their refuse through the refuse chute and they use plastic bags to dispose their rubbish in a hygienic manner. It has taken us quite a long time to get this habit going.

The other thing is that if you look at the views on this issue, which is imposing a charge on plastic bags, it is actually quite mixed. Through our consultation as well as through the media and even social media, many are supportive of this, citing, for example, excessive use of plastic bags, as well as the fact that for countries that have used it, there is a significant reduction in the number of plastic bags used.

But there are also others who have objected, citing reasons like hygiene, in terms of disposing food in used plastic bags, as well as some unintended consequences that may arise. For instance, actually substituting the use of plastic bag with paper bags, which is also a resource. In addition, wastage of reusable bags and such.

There are merits in the arguments on both sides. We really need to do a study on this. We need to engage the stakeholders which we are doing. We are also looking at the experiences of other countries, as well as a life cycle assessment study that we are conducting, which will look at the cost and environmental impact on the different types of bags used. This will help us to formulate policies including on the use of plastic bags.

I think we need to do this in order to come to a decision and we will share with Members the results and outcome of our studies and the decision on whether to implement a charge on plastic bags. If so, in what manner? For instance, is it just major supermarkets or major retailers as well. We need to do this before we come to a decision.

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

Louis asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (a) for each year in the past three years, what is the number of plastic bags used in Singapore; and (b) if such data is not available, whether the Ministry intends to collect such data so as to measure the effectiveness of the current retailer schemes.

Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M (MEWR): The National Environment Agency (NEA) currently does not monitor the number of plastic bags used in Singapore. Based on NEA’s waste characterisation study, it is estimated that plastic bags constitute a fifth of the plastic waste disposed of by weight. This trend has remained fairly constant, with the weight of the plastic waste disposed of in 2015, 2016 and 2017 estimated to be 766,800, 762,700 and 763,400 tonnes respectively.

Under the mandatory reporting framework for packaging waste, which will be implemented by 2021, businesses will be required to report the type and amount of packaging they put on the market and their packaging waste reduction plans. The number of single-use plastic bags used may be included under the framework. NEA will start industry consultations on the framework this year.

We will also continue to support initiatives by the private sector and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and step up engagement with stakeholders to reduce the excessive use of plastic bags. For example, NEA will work with retailers to explore initiatives such as training cashiers to ask customers at payment counters if plastic bags are needed, and putting up visual cues in stores to serve as reminders.

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

Louis asked the Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry monitors health effects from exposure to phthalates and plasticizers that are linked to hormone disruption and reproductive harm, particularly in male infants; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider putting in place regulations for consumer goods that contain harmful plasticizers.

Mr Gan Kim Yong (MOH): Phthalates are common substances added to plastics to improve their flexibility and durability. MOH does not routinely monitor the health effects from exposure to phthalate among male infants, but we monitor global data and studies on the impact of exposure to phthalates on an ongoing basis. The findings of some studies have suggested that there is some potential for harm in humans, particularly when ingested, although the evidence is not conclusive. Nevertheless, Singapore has established regulations, based on international standards, to reduce exposure to phthalates as a precautionary measure.

Enterprise Singapore regulates the use of phthalates in general consumer goods under the Consumer Protection (Consumer Goods Safety Requirements) Regulations (CGSR). The Regulations are aligned with applicable international, regional or national safety standards, and Enterprise Singapore monitors compliance through post-market surveillance. Additional regulatory requirements are imposed for toys and childcare articles in particular, including that on allowable concentrations of specified phthalates.

The Health Sciences Authority administers the Health Products (Cosmetic Products – ASEAN Cosmetic Directive) Regulations and bans the use of plasticizers that are harmful to consumers in cosmetic products.

The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore administers the Food Regulations to ensure the safety of plastic food packaging, including plastic milk bottles. Through routine surveillance, any food with phthalate amounts above allowable limits would not be allowed for sale.

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

Louis asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources what plans does the Ministry have to encourage more businesses to reduce usage of single-use plastic.

Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan (for the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources): Thank you. My Ministry takes the issue of marine plastic pollution seriously, and measures are in place to prevent marine pollution from land-based sources. For example, we have strict anti-littering measures and dispose of all general waste at our waste-to-energy plants. Any litter that enters our waterways is removed using litter traps and flotsam removal craft before it reaches the sea. Beach and underwater clean-ups are also conducted.

However, tackling marine plastic pollution will require international and regional cooperation because of its transboundary nature. There has been positive momentum. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14 emphasises the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans, seas and marine resources. Singapore actively participates in regional and global discussions to address marine litter and microplastics. Singapore also contributes to international capacity building efforts under the Singapore Cooperation Programme. Last October, the National Environment Agency (NEA) organised a joint Third Country Training Programme with Norway on waste management and reduction of marine litter for government officials from our region.

Our only landfill at Semakau will run out of space by 2035 based on our current waste disposal trends. Waste, including single-use plastics, are already incinerated where possible as this reduces the volume of waste by up to 90%. To prolong the lifespan of Semakau Landfill, my Ministry has been developing measures that addresses the entire waste value chain and across different waste streams – by encouraging businesses and producers to reduce waste and recycle, engaging and partnering the public and private sector and supporting research and development.

Regarding single-use plastics, a recent NEA life-cycle assessment study found that available alternatives to plastics, including biodegradable bags, also have an environmental impact. For example, they consume water during production or they result in forest destruction. Substituting plastics with these alternatives is not likely to improve the environmental outcome. This is especially so in Singapore where we incinerate our waste instead of landfilling it. Our approach, thus, is focused on reducing the use of single-use plastics and packaging.

To encourage businesses to minimise their contribution to plastic waste, my Ministry recently announced that the implementation of mandatory reporting of packaging data and packaging reduction plans will be brought forward by one year, to 2020. This will include single-use plastic packaging. We are also studying the feasibility of implementing an Extended Producer Responsibility framework for certain single-use packaging and plastics. We have already taken the lead by disallowing the use of disposables in our new hawker centres for dine-ins.

NEA provides funding support to organisations with initiatives to reduce the use of single-use disposables or promote plastic recycling. These include the 3R Fund, 3P Partnership Fund or the Call for Ideas Fund. For instance, Zero Waste SG received funding for their Bring-Your-Own Campaign in 2017, where they partnered retailers to encourage consumers to use reusable containers, bottles and bags through educational tips, resources and incentives. We will continue to engage, educate and support businesses and the public in reducing the use of single-use plastics.

The private sector has also taken steps to discourage the excessive consumption of single-use plastics. For example, KFC has stopped providing plastic lids and straws for dine-in. Start-ups like UnPackt are also promoting packaging-free shopping by requiring customers to bring their own reusable containers for groceries.

To support research and development in waste reduction, recycling and the recovery of valuable fractions, NEA has embarked on the Closing the Waste Loop Initiative. The Initiative encourages collaboration between institutes of higher learning, research institutes and private sector partners to develop technologies and solutions to tackle challenges in waste management. As part of the Initiative, NEA has solicited and is evaluating research proposals on the sustainable design of plastic materials, reducing the use of plastic materials and packaging, making plastics more reusable and easier to recycle, and recovering value from waste plastics.

Ultimately, the issue of marine plastic litter and excessive use of single-use plastics will require everyone to play his or her part. This can be done by properly disposing of waste into litter bins and using reusable bags and containers, instead of disposables. Individuals can find information on other ways to reduce and reuse on our NEA's website and the myENV mobile app.

Louis: I thank the Senior Minister of State for the reply and I am glad that the mandatory reporting is going to be brought forward. Can I ask whether we will consider providing some incentives to these businesses or companies that are promoting environmentally friendly practices? Such as for, what the Senior Minister of State had mentioned, the companies that are not giving out straws and plastic lids, or even the packaging-free companies.

The second is, the plastic bag charge. I have brought this up previously. I know that on the grounds, some of the concerns is how we re-use plastic bags when it was used to contain frozen food or meat and seafood. So, can MEWR consider a selective plastic bag charge so that if you are using it not for frozen food or meat or seafood, then there will be a charge involved.

Dr Amy Khor: On the first question relating to giving incentives to companies, as I have alluded to, we do provide support to companies that have initiatives to promote recycling, reduce the use of single use plastics, and waste minimisation projects. So, an example would be the 3R Fund, which I have talked about, that was launched in 2009. It is a co-funding scheme for companies. Since then, we have disbursed about $1.36 million for such projects and have diverted 11,000 tonnes of waste from the incineration plants.

There are also other incentives to acknowledge companies who have put in effort to reduce packaging waste. There is the Singapore Packaging Agreement Award that we give out. This year, we have awarded Australian Fruit Juice (S) Pte Ltd because they have put in effort to reduce their packaging waste like reducing the packaging material for their 2-litre bottles.

We also have the 3R awards for hotels and shopping malls to recognise their achievements. And there are other funds like the Call for Ideas Fund and the 3P Partnership Fund. We will continue to see and look into ways to support companies who promote waste minimisation and help us in our efforts to achieve a Zero Waste vision.

Regarding the second question about plastic bag charge, as I have said earlier, the NEA life-cycle assessment study has shown that different types of disposables – whether it is single-use plastics or other types of bags – have an impact and cost on the environment, even biodegradable bags, because you need lots of water for production, for instance, or there will be forest destruction and greenhouse gas emissions in the process.

What we are really looking at is how we can do this in a holistic manner. In fact, a city like San Francisco, for instance, is now imposing a charge not just on single-use plastic bags, but all kinds of disposable bags, paper as well as plastics. We are monitoring this closely to see the effectiveness of the policy. 

Having said that, what is important is, we need to look at our local context, to adopt a rational and discerning approach to design policies suited to our unique needs and circumstances. In Singapore, for instance, the SEC study, the recent survey has shown that two-thirds of the respondents who take single-use plastic bags from supermarkets, say that they use these bags to bag and dispose their garbage. In fact, many of us stay in high-rise apartments and we use plastic bags to bag and dispose our garbage. It has taken us many years from the 1970s to get Singaporeans to do this. It is a key way for hygienic disposal of waste. Therefore, we cannot take this for granted. We need to carefully consider how imposing a mandatory charge on single-use plastics will impact on such behaviour.

Secondly, we have proactive measures in place to tackle the harmful effects of plastic in the oceans and landfills, which are actually the subject of discussion by many other countries and internationally. We have a safe and efficient waste management and disposal system. All our plastic bags that are disposed properly will be incinerated. They do not go directly into the landfill. Even for those that may get into our waterways, we have measures in place – litter traps for instance and flotsam removal craft – to retrieve these bags before they go into the sea.

Notwithstanding this, we recognise that plastic waste is a key waste stream. As I have noted, we will not hesitate to implement legislation and policies where they are appropriate. So, we are bringing forward our mandatory packaging waste reporting and waste reduction plans, including for plastics, by a year.

Louis: I thank the Senior Minister of State for the reply. May I just confirm MEWR is going to review this plastic bag charge or is this a "case closed"?

Dr Amy Khor: As I have said, I think what we want to do is to adopt a holistic approach and to tackle this upstream. So, by bringing forward the mandatory reporting of packaging waste and waste reduction plans, we are working on addressing the issue of excessive consumption of disposables, not just plastics, but all kinds of disposables. Currently, we do not plan to implement a charge on single-use plastics. But we continue to monitor the effectiveness of various policies that are implemented overseas.

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

Adjournment Motion: Towards a Plastic-lite Singapore

Louis: Sir, 1.8 not million, not billion but trillion. A recent study found 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic, weighing a total of 80,000 tonnes, currently floating in a stretch of ocean between California and Hawaii. And researchers estimate that humans dump eight million tonnes of plastic in the ocean every year. The facts and statistics are beyond horrifying. As I looked into the problem further, I found video after video of people diving in ASEAN waters full of plastic trash. It was truly disheartening.     

Sir, I believe that we have reached a turning point for this issue of plastic waste. If we do not do anything about it, there will be more plastic than fish in our ocean by 2050. The plastic does not just stay in the sea. It breaks down, releasing greenhouse gases that worsen global warming. It chokes and kills a million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals every year. And ultimately, it breaks down into microplastics and is eaten by fish, crabs, and mussels. This comes back to us on our plates, in our food. It comes back a full circle and our own plastic trash harms us directly. Plastic can no longer be seen just as an environmental problem. It is also a danger to our own health. It must be addressed as an urgent public safety issue. 

Speaking at the G7 Summit earlier this year, the UN Secretary General told world leaders that we are facing a "global emergency" over the plastic in our oceans, and that "leadership is needed now, more than ever" to protect "our collective future and security". Thus, I am heartened to see that Singapore is taking the initiative in organising international cooperation on this issue, through the 13th East Asia Summit. This November, Singapore will host officials from ASEAN countries along with several non-ASEAN countries, to discuss several issues, including a Statement on a Regional Plan of Action on Combatting Marine Plastic Debris. Sir, many of the nations who will gather for this Summit have already demonstrated a firm commitment to action against plastics waste. Indonesia has pledged US$1 billion per year to various initiatives targeting plastic consumption and pollution. Malaysia has just announced their zero-waste plan that aims to abolish single-use plastic by 2030. The whole country or some cities in the United States, India, Myanmar, Australia, South Korea, Cambodia and China have either implemented some form of plastic bag charge or banned plastic bags or other single-use plastic items – soon, Brunei and New Zealand will join them. 

Given that much of the world’s ocean plastic originates from here, in this region, our actions can have a truly global impact. Singapore's platform as a regional leader and host of the East Asia Summit gives us the ability and responsibility to step up our own plastic reduction efforts at home, and call on every member nation to do the same. Sir, Singapore is doing our part but I feel we need to, we can and we must do more. We are doing well at tackling the symptoms of the problem. Singapore’s efficient waste management system ensures that litter in our waterways is removed with litter traps before it reaches the sea. 

But oceans do not follow national borders. Whether the marine litter comes from us here in Singapore or other countries, it still ends up in our food and still washes up on Singapore's shores. And there is a lot of it. Just two weeks ago, Jo Teo shared on Facebook about her experience at an International Coastal Cleanup organised by Little Green Men: "Today was an eye-opening experience for me. Having done beach cleanups with students, I’ve always thought that our beaches were ok. Not too dirty, maybe an odd piece of litter here and there. Perhaps we’ve always gone to "cleaned" stretches of beaches."

Today, we were at a small stretch of Chek Jawa that is a little away from the boardwalk area where people typically visit. At first glance, it seemed to be fairly clean, yet in less than two hours, 30 plus of us collected well over 200 kilos of plastic! Plastic is really a HUGE problem! Imagine! We were only cleaning a tiny stretch of coastline perhaps just 50 metres long! What about those still in the water?”

We can continue cleaning our shores and continue trapping litter before it enters our waters but we need to move beyond addressing symptoms of the problem. In August, at the Foreign Minister's meeting in advance of the East Asia Summit, the Ministers noted that one of the root causes of marine plastic debris is the excessive use of plastic bags. That is the root of the problem, which we must tackle in order to successfully combat Marine Plastic Debris. If every country just focuses on trapping waste before it enters the waters, we will be combating Marine Plastic Debris problem forever. We need to tackle the excessive use of plastic and I hope that Singapore will take the lead on this.

In 2016, Singapore discarded 27 billion plastic bags, an average of 13 bags per person per day. This throwaway culture is so deeply ingrained. Even when I bring my own reusable bag to the supermarket, the cashier sometimes puts my groceries first into a plastic bag, and then into my reusable bag. We really need to start thinking about our plastic bag use. Senior Minister of State Amy Khor previously said, "Unlike many of the countries that have imposed a ban or mandatory plastic charge, plastic bag charge, we do not directly landfill our plastic disposables but incinerate them. As such, we do not face the land and water pollution issues that plague those countries." 

But Sir, is it okay to waste so much plastic, simply because our waste will be burned or removed from sewage discharge into the ocean? Or phrased differently, is it alright to litter just because someone else will clean up after? Burning the excessive number of plastic bags we throw away is again addressing the symptoms of the problem. Again, we need to tackle the root of the problem. And we all agree on this. As Senior Minister of State Amy Khor has stated, we must "adopt a holistic approach and tackle this upstream". 

We should go to the source of the problem, and cut plastic waste by cutting plastic use. Minister Masagos has also recently pointed this out, "the issue with plastic waste here [is] not about improper disposal, but about reducing the demand", and "everyone [should work] together instead of waiting for someone else to take action". 

There are lots of people taking action in Singapore. Sir, many people have formed groups like Plastic-Lite SG, Zero Waste SG, Tingkat Heroes, and Straw-Free Singapore, organising campaigns and outreach efforts to educate others about how to fight our throw-away culture. This groundswell has also rippled through the private sector. Multinational brands like Hyatt Hotels, KFC, and IKEA as well as local businesses like Unpackt, The Green Collective, Plain Vanilla, and Muthu's Curry – have taken the initiative to reduce or eliminate plastics in their operations. And just last month, DBS launched #recycle more waste less, a nationwide campaign to discourage the use of single-use plastics.

In the public sector, the Government is engaging stakeholders to voluntarily reduce all types of packaging waste and cut the use of single-use plastic items. Soon, we will mandate businesses report on the type and amount of packaging they put on the market and their plans for reduction.

We also have the Singapore Packaging Agreement, which encourages businesses to minimise packaging waste.

At our new hawker centres, we have also disallowed the use of disposables for dine-ins. And lastly, MEWR will be developing an inaugural Zero Waste Masterplan to be released next year.

But the Government can and should do more. Sir, I propose two policy changes.

Firstly, we need to review the public sector’s own waste generation practices.

In our Public Sector Sustainability Plan 2017 to 2020, the word "plastic" is only mentioned once, in the paragraph on recycling.

The plan does talk about waste reduction but I hope we can add the word "plastic waste reduction" to be more specific.

I hope we can put a stronger emphasis on the reduction component rather than the recycling otherwise we are again focusing on the symptoms of the problem.

Senior Minister of State had previously stated that we ought to consider encouraging all Ministries and agencies to eliminate single-use plastics from their catering and events.

This is really what our Government ought to do in order to walk the talk and lead by example.

And I hope we start this practice at Singapore's biggest party, our National Day Parade. This year's NDP fun pack contained many plastic items individually wrapped in plastic, and even a NDP 2018 plastic bag for each person to bag their waste.

If NDP 2019 next year were to use only reusable items with minimal packaging, it would send a strong signal that our nation is committed to building a sustainable world.

Secondly, we must cut the demand for single-use plastic bags by implementing a charge for single-use carrier bags of all materials.

As Senior Minister of State Amy Khor had recently pointed out, substituting plastic bags with paper or other biodegradable plastic bags may have negative environmental outcomes, as the latter have higher carbon footprints.

I agree with Senior Minister of State that we should ensure consumers do not substitute carrier bags but instead make the switch to bringing their own reusable bags.

Using one reusable bag a year can save 125 plastic bags from being littered or incinerated and the reduced demand for plastic would drastically decrease plastic production.

Let me stress that this is about reduction and not replacement. This motion is about a plastic-lite Singapore, not a plastic-free Singapore.

And I do understand the public concern that plastic bags are necessary to bag household trash. I, too, use plastic bags to throw my rubbish down the rubbish chute.

To make sure that the plastic bag charge policy is tailored to Singapore's unique situation, bags used to carry fresh produce should be exempted from this charge. 

Using reusable bags to carry fresh produce, raw meat, or seafood may be unhygienic, so plastic bags should be given out for free for such items. I understand that Hong Kong is already doing this.

In this way, people can still obtain some free bags to bin their trash, maintaining the cleanliness and safety of our rubbish chutes and waste disposal system.

There are, of course, critiques of what Hong Kong is doing, how people are gaming the system because of this free bag exemption, how enforcement is difficult – and if I may add, the media asked me about this yesterday – and how compliant rate is only about 50%. But at least Hong Kong is trying and I rather be optimistic and say, "Not bad, 50% of retailers are compliant; good start!"

A plastic bag charge has proven to be effective in Singapore. After implementing a 10-cent plastic bag charge in 2017, lifestyle brand Miniso reported that customers’ plastic bag usage dropped by 75%.

As IKEA Singapore demonstrated, this charge can also be a stepping stone to comprehensively eliminate use of all disposable plastic items. In 2007, they implemented a 10-cent plastic bag charge; in 2013, they stopped offering disposable bags entirely. Today, they are working to remove all single-use plastic products from the IKEA range and restaurants by 2020. 

Based on the survey by zero-waste Singapore, many Singaporeans have responded positively to the possibility of a plastic bag charge. This may benefit retailers as well as customers. When we receive plastic bags from shops, we often think we are getting them for free. But, in fact, carrier bags may be a significant cost to retailers. Yi Hong Minimart spends $2,000 to $3,000 on plastic bags each month, or one month alone. These costs are obviously passed on to consumers, raising product prices. Hence, we are already paying for these plastic bags.

A shift towards plastic-lite practice throughout the retail industry will give customers more choice in whether to pay for plastic bags, and also help retailers save money and the environment. As such, while a plastic bag charge looks like it will increase cost for everyone, in fact, it will do the opposite and might help to bring cost down for everyone.

Sir, in conclusion, environmentalist Robert Swan said, "The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it".

Let us not play the waiting game. Although we live on this planet as if we had another one to go to, we do just have this planet we call home and we all need to save it, together and urgently.

Sir, just two days ago, my daughter Ella and I were at the opening of the Turtle Hatchery at Sisters' Island. On the boat ride there, Ella exclaimed, "Look daddy, there is so much rubbish in the sea, we need to pick them up to save the animals". 

There really was so much plastic trash. It was shocking and painful to see so many plastic bags and bottles in the oceans, in Singapore waters. I shared this on Facebook on Saturday night and you can see over 80 plastic bottles in the oceans in one of the photos I took. 

Sir, a four-year-old knows that this wrong. A four-year-old knows that we must do something to combat this plastic problem. Surely, we as a Government should take the lead and do more.

Singapore has done a lot but I hope Senior Minister of State's reply to my speech will not focus on what we have done and what we are currently doing. Those are already publicly available. I hope her speech will focus on what more we can do, beyond incinerating the plastic, recycling plastic waste, trapping the waste before it enters our waters, the packaging agreement and the mandatory reporting.

Lastly, Sir, I hope Senior Minister of State can address these questions.

One, will we be putting more emphasis on plastic waste reduction in our public sector's sustainability plan?

Two, will the Public Service be eliminating single-use plastic from their catering any events?

Three, will NDP 2019 use only reusable items with minimal packaging?

Lastly and four, will the Government implement a charge for single-use carrier bags of all materials and not just plastic bags?

Sir, this Wednesday, Ella and her schoolmates will be doing a coastal clean-up. I am sure she is going to find lots of plastic on our shores. I sincerely hope that when my two other daughters Katie and Poppy grow up, there will no longer be a need to do coastal clean-ups.

Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan (The Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources): Mr Deputy Speaker, managing plastic and packaging waste is one of the key priorities of my Ministry. I thank Mr Louis Ng for speaking in support of my Ministry’s work, and encouraging everyone to strive for a plastic-lite Singapore.

My Ministry believes the long-term approach is to engage Singaporeans on the importance of sustainability. Quick fixes address the symptoms but not the root of the problem.

Hence, our aim is to build a national consciousness to care for the environment, so that Singaporeans and businesses will take action, even beyond what the regulations require. This process may take longer but that is the right way; the positive effects will go beyond plastic bags, beyond packaging, beyond waste management to areas including climate action.

We can succeed. We see growing numbers of businesses and Singaporeans who go the extra mile to care for the environment. Mr Louis Ng himself is one such example. He has also cited many other examples and I notice that many of them are in the House today.

Let me share with Members the holistic approach my Ministry is undertaking to reduce plastic use and manage plastic waste. This goes beyond plastic bags to include packaging such as bottles and containers. One third of domestic waste comes from packaging.

Even as we seek to reduce plastic usage, we recognise that plastics have their uses; substituting them with other materials may not be more environmentally friendly as some may perceive. For example, the British Government estimated that a cotton tote bag must be used 173 times before its greenhouse gas emission impact improves beyond the plastic bags we use to line our bins. Our life-cycle assessment of common carrier bags had the same conclusion. Hence, our approach is to reduce excessive consumption of all types of packaging, including plastics used by businesses and individuals.

We started the Singapore Packaging Agreement in 2007. This voluntary initiative is well-supported by companies and has collectively reduced some 46,000 tonnes of packaging.

We are now moving to a regulatory system to tackle packaging waste systematically on a large scale.

Hence, we brought forward the requirement for businesses to report the type and amount of packaging they are putting on the market and their plans for reduction, by one year to 2020. This will focus management’s attention on the amount of packaging used, and raise awareness of the potential to reduce packaging.

We are also studying the feasibility of adopting the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) approach for packaging waste. This will impose collection targets on businesses who use or produce packaging. It incentivises businesses to reduce their packaging upstream, and ensures the proper recycling of packaging downstream.

We will publish the details of these initiatives to address packaging waste, and other measures for e-waste, food waste and so forth in the inaugural Zero Waste Masterplan to be launched next year. We will not hesitate to legislate where necessary. But we will do so by taking a pragmatic and considered approach that suits our local context.

While we will always seek to learn from others, it is never our practice in policy-making to simply follow what other countries have done.

Our efforts to address plastic waste go beyond our borders. We take the issue of marine plastic pollution seriously. Singapore participates actively in regional and international discussions to address marine litter and microplastics. We also contribute to international capacity building efforts. For example, under the Singapore-Norway Third Country Training Programme, NEA partnered experts from UNEP and our Norwegian counterparts to share our expertise on waste management and pollution control, as well as the management of plastics waste and microplastics.

We are heartened by the efforts of various countries to tackle marine plastic pollution as highlighted by Mr Louis Ng. Singapore is also doing our part. We have strict anti-littering measures and dispose of most general waste at our waste-to-energy plants to prevent marine pollution from land-based sources. Any litter that enters our waterways is removed using litter traps and flotsam removal craft before it reaches the sea.

Let us be clear. Marine pollution is caused by the improper disposal of plastic waste, and not the use of plastics per se. A 3 March Economist article entitled "The known unknowns of plastic pollution" reached the same conclusion. Hence, our measures deal with the root cause of marine pollution and are not merely addressing symptoms as Mr Louis Ng posited. 

The result is that Singapore is acknowledged as one of the smallest contributors to marine plastic pollution in the world, according to studies including a 2015 University of Georgia study on "Plastic Waste Inputs from Land into the Ocean" and the UN Environment’s 2016 report on marine plastic debris and microplastics.

Notwithstanding, we will continue to address the issue of marine plastics pollution through our stringent anti-littering measures, educating the public against littering and excessive consumption of plastics and introducing regulatory measures to minimise plastic and packaging waste upstream.

The public sector is also doing its part to promote green practices among its agencies. We have published a Best Practice Guide to guide agencies to organise environmentally-friendly events. For example, we avoid the use of plastic bottled water and disposables by providing water dispensers and reusable crockery and cutlery where possible. We will also continue to improve our Public Sector Sustainability Plan, where waste reduction is a key thrust, and I will try to make sure that "plastics" is mentioned more than once. Under the plan, we require large buildings to report the amount of waste disposed and will set waste reduction targets for the public sector.

I am happy to share that my Ministry is definitely taking the lead. We do not serve bottled water for meetings. Our staff bring their own plates and cutlery for events to avoid the use of disposables. We are encouraging other public sector agencies to do the same for their meetings and events such as the the National Day Parade (NDP) as well as community activities to minimise the use of plastics.

Beyond what the public sector is doing, I am encouraged that many passionate groups and individuals like Plastic-Lite SG, UnPackt and Tabao Girl are moving the ground in their own ways. Companies such as KFC and IKEA have similarly done so. I welcome more to join them. NEA will support them if required, such as through the 3P Partnership Fund.

Last year, NEA supported Zero Waste SG’s Bring-Your-Own Campaign that brought 430 retailers and F&B companies together to incentivise consumers to bring their own reusable containers and bags. Not only did it raise awareness, it also averted the use of two million pieces of plastic disposables. This shows how we can multiply our impact if we all work in partnership.

On the proposed carrier bag charge, we will continue to monitor developments in this area. Mr Louis Ng referred to the Hong Kong system of giving free bags for hygiene purposes. This addresses the issue of providing some bags to households for bagging their waste. But as he also noted, this complicates the system, making enforcement even more difficult. I understand from reports, as Mr Louis Ng also pointed out, that the non-compliance rate in Hong Kong is about a third to half.

The Singapore Environment Council's latest survey showed that two-thirds of respondents use their plastic bags for bagging waste. An equal proportion of respondents ranked a plastic bag charge as their most and their least preferred option.

There is still more we can do to persuade consumers not to take more than they need, and to bring their own reusable bags. As the same Economist article puts it, even though plastics is not at the top of environmental ills, it is highly visible, and I would say, emotional. This gives us the opening to encourage Singaporeans to form the right habits.

I believe this is one area where we can work with our 3P partners to engage and educate Singaporeans and change their habits.

Sir, to sum up, the key shift my Ministry is working on is to develop in Singapore a national consciousness to care for the environment. Let us give the policies that we have and will be putting in place time to take effect and for people to change habits. I would like to thank as well as urge the many passionate individuals like Mr Louis Ng, and the passionate groups, including the many who are here today, to continue to partner us to shape our nation's values. Only then will our efforts be sustainable.

Louis: Sir, I have three clarifications. I think the Senior Minister of State mentioned about encouraging but can I confirm whether the Public Service is planning to eliminate single use plastic in our catering of events?

Same for the NDP, I think the Senior Minister of State mentioned that we are going to encourage but I think planning would have probably started for 2019. So can I confirm that NDP 2019 will only use reusable items with minimal packaging?

Lastly, for the proposed carrier bag charge, can I ask whether MEWR can at least do a study on this issue and whether they can report back to this House once the study is completed.

Dr Amy Khor: I thank the Member for his further clarifications.

Firstly, in terms of getting the public sector to reduce its use of disposables, as I have said, we have a Best Practice Guide, and actually in the Best Practice Guide, we mentioned "plastics" many times. So, we have encouraged them to reduce the use of plastic bottles, plastic bags, as much as possible, as well as reduce packaging of their collaterals. And, I think, what we can say is that we will encourage them to do this as much as possible because for some events, including NDP and major events, it may not be possible to entirely do away with bottled water, and just use water dispensers, because of the large number of people. So, as far as practicable and applicable, we will encourage them to do so.

With regard to NDP 2019, we will encourage the NDP organisers to do this also as much as it is practicable.

With regard to the study, actually we have already done an extensive study on single-use carrier bags and disposables, and we have shared in this House and with the Member too the results of the study where it showed it is not necessarily true that using other types of disposables versus plastics will give you a better environmental outcome or impact. As I also noted earlier in this speech, even the British study has shown that for a reusable tote bag to benefit in terms of greenhouse gas emission reduction, you have to use it 173 times. So, what you really want to do is to go upstream. And I suppose I will be disappointing the Member by reiterating and repeating what I have said in this House before and what I will be saying again on the same issues that you have also raised in this House that really, what we want to do is move upstream. And we will not hesitate to implement and take regulatory measures to manage waste and to protect the environment where we think it is practicable, effective and useful to do so. So, we will be implementing carbon tax, as well as EPR on e-waste, as well as mandatory reporting for packaging waste and the reduction plans.

As far as carrier bags are concerned, we think that it is more practicable, more sustainable, to take the long-term approach. It may take a longer time, but it is really to change habits, educate and encourage the public to reduce the use of disposables and all types of packaging.

Louis: I will use the two minutes, Sir.

I know we have the guidelines; I know this will not happen overnight as well. Malaysia has announced that they are going to do it by 2030. So, I am just wondering if MEWR has a long-term plan of eliminating single-use plastics in public-sector events. Can we at least commit to, say, we will eliminate this by 2030? So, maybe not NDP 2019, but NDP 2030? Can we do this?

Dr Amy Khor: We will leave it to whoever the Minister for Environment is at that point in time to decide on NDP 2030.

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

Monitoring Amounts of Microbeads in Water Resources

Louis asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (a) whether the Ministry monitors the amounts of microbeads in reservoirs, tap water, and discharge into the ocean; (b) what percentage of microbeads is removed during the water treatment process; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider banning cosmetics that contain microbeads. 

Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M (MEWR): PUB has in place a comprehensive water quality monitoring programme to ensure that our potable water supply complies with regulations and international standards, and is safe for drinking. Microplastics, which include microbeads, are removed at our waterworks that treat water for potable supply. At our NEWater and desalination plants, microplastics are removed using reverse osmosis membranes. Monitoring by PUB shows that our drinking water is free from microplastics.  

PUB also ensures that all used water is collected and treated at water reclamation plants to internationally recognised discharge standards. During the treatment process, microplastics in used water will be substantially removed as sludge and incinerated. The bulk of the treated used water is further processed and reclaimed as NEWater. As a result of these processes, only a miniscule amount of microplastics is discharged into the sea. Nevertheless, PUB is looking into incorporating membrane bioreactor technology in our used water treatment process to further improve the microplastics removal rate.

We are monitoring international developments on microplastics, including microbeads in cosmetics. The National Environment Agency encourages businesses to reduce the use of microbeads in their products. Multinational corporations, such as Johnson & Johnson, Unilever, L'Oreal Group, Colgate-Palmolive, and Estee Lauder Company, have voluntarily phased out microbeads in their products. Major local retailers such as Guardian Singapore, Watsons and NTUC Fairprice, have also indicated that they have phased out microbeads in their house-brand products.

We are committed to keeping our watercourses free from pollution, and will continue to review the effectiveness of our regulatory and monitoring regime in safeguarding our water resources and the environment.

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

Louis asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources whether there are plans to build a complete plastic recycling infrastructure in Singapore to cope with all our recyclable plastic waste instead of having to export it overseas.

Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M (MEWR): NEA is in close contact with the waste and recycling companies in Singapore, and understands that our recycling industry is able to sell their plastics and paper to overseas markets. Some of the recyclables collected in Singapore are processed locally by recyclers, such as TES and Cimelia which treat e-waste. Some local companies are also processing our plastic waste, for example A~Star Plastics and Plaspulp Union Company. We will continue to monitor the developments relating to China’s ban on imports of certain unprocessed waste.

Meanwhile, we are building up the local recycling industry. Where possible, we want to better extract resources from waste and close the waste loop domestically. NEA is currently studying e-waste and plastics recycling solutions and technologies available in the market, and assessing their suitability for adoption in Singapore. The findings will help us further develop Singapore’s recycling capability as part of our Environmental Services industry transformation efforts. 

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

Louis asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (a) in each year of the past five years, how much plastic waste did Singapore produce; and (b) of this amount, how much were (i) incinerated (ii) recycled locally and (iii) exported to recyclers overseas respectively.

Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M (MEWR): Singapore generated 832,200 tonnes of plastic waste in 2013, 869,000 tonnes in 2014, 824,600 tonnes in 2015, 822,200 tonnes in 2016 and 815,200 tonnes in 2017.

Of the plastic waste generated, Singapore recycled 6% to 11% of it across the different years, with the rest being incinerated.

In 2017, about 4% of the plastics collected for recycling were processed in our local plastic recycling facilities. The rest are sorted and exported for recycling.

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

Louis asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources what are the countries that Singapore's plastic waste that are meant for recycling exported to in 2017, 2018 and this year respectively.

Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M (MEWR): Across all three years, plastics collected for recycling that were not processed in our local plastic recycling facilities were sorted and exported to countries in Southeast Asia and the wider Asian region, such as China, India, Pakistan, Australia and South Korea.

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

Louis delivered his budget cut on Reducing Packaging Waste at Committee of Supply 2019.

Louis: A few months ago, I delivered an Adjournment Motion, calling for us to move Towards a Plastic-Lite Singapore. In that speech, I shared that a recent study found 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic, weighing a total of 80,000 tonnes, currently floating in a stretch of ocean between California and Hawaii. If we do not do anything about it, there will be more plastics than fish in our ocean by 2050. Part of the problem is packaging waste and this clearly needs to be addressed.

I am glad that we will mandate that businesses report on the type and amount of packaging, including plastics, they put on the market and their plans for reduction. It is even better news that this has been brought forward from 2021 to 2020, next year.

Can Minister share more details about this: whether there will be mandatory reduction targets set and whether there will be any measures to ensure that businesses have significant plans for reduction? 

Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan (The Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources): Packaging waste, including plastics, is another priority for my Ministry. Packaging waste comprised one-third of domestic waste disposed of in 2018.

Mr Ng asked for more details on the mandatory packaging reporting framework for businesses, to be introduced in 2020. We will require producers of packaging and packaged products to report to NEA how much packaging they put-to-market annually. They must also submit their plans to reduce, reuse or recycle packaging waste. For a start, we will exempt micro and small enterprises with an annual turnover of $10 million or less. 

NEA will monitor the companies’ packaging data and 3R plans over the next few years and explore with them ways to reduce packaging waste. NEA will also engage companies to simplify reporting procedures and minimise compliance costs. 

Mandatory reporting is the first step in our plan to introduce an EPR framework for managing packaging waste, including plastics, by 2025. Similar to e-waste, we are studying how producers can assume responsibility in collecting and treating packaging waste. An EPR framework would incentivise upstream reductions in packaging, an outcome similar to what Mr Ng envisaged through setting mandatory reduction targets. 

EPR is a more holistic way of addressing packaging waste, including single-use plastics. For example, by voluntarily changing the packaging design and optimising production practices, Nestlé Singapore has saved 2,000 tonnes of packaging used for its MILO® products. This is not only good for the environment; it also reduces business costs.

We will continue to engage the 3P sector as we develop this EPR framework. Even as we study EPR, we are working with the industry on new initiatives to collect back packaging waste, such as PET bottles and aluminium cans. For instance, we are collaborating with partners to tap on the Towards Zero Waste Grant to roll out 50 reverse vending machines in major malls and the community later this year. 

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

(Supplementary Question) Louis: I also join Er Dr Lee to congratulate MEWR for the good work you are doing, but, I think we are not saying to ban plastic bags or replace plastic bags. We are calling for the plastic bag charge so that we can reduce the use of plastic bags, so that we do not over-consume it. I think if we focus on this, then the "Say YES to Waste Less" campaign will go a lot faster. The Senior Minister of State mentioned about other countries. In the UK, where they have introduced the plastic bag charge, it resulted an over 80% decline in the use of plastic bags. So, it is not about replacing but about reducing.

Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan (The Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources): I thank the Member for his comments. Not to repeat myself again, let me say that we are taking into account our own local unique context. And for the various reasons that I have listed earlier and shared, we are taking the approach of actually not singling out single-use plastics. Charging for single-use plastic bags will be singling out just plastics. Therefore, we are looking at how we can reduce excessive consumption of all types of disposables, including plastics, of course. 

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

Louis delivered his budget cut on Introducing a Single-use Bag Charge at Committee of Supply 2020.

Louis: Sir, in response to Fairprice's trial of reducing the use of plastic bags by charging customers 10 or 20 cents per transaction, Prime Minister said: "It is a sensible approach: to make people conscious of the plastic bags they use, but not to ban plastic bags altogether. Using fewer plastic bags alone will not solve climate change or save the earth, but every bit counts. And making us conscious of our habits, and consider better alternatives, has value in itself."

 I agree with Prime Minister. I have been calling for a plastic bag charge since 2018. Countries around the world have introduced a plastic bag charge, and it works. In England, there was a 90% reduction. It was estimated that every person was using 10 bags in the most recent year, compared with 140 bags in 2014 before the charge was introduced.

For a start and similar to England, will MEWR consider introducing a single-use bag charge and make it mandatory for large retailers and optional for smaller businesses and waive the charge for single-use bags for fresh food and meat items? This is for all single-use bags, not just plastic bags.

Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan (The Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources): Mr Dennis Tan and Mr Louis Ng spoke about reducing disposables through a ban or a charge. We believe that we should take a pragmatic approach and find an inclusive solution that works for Singapore and Singaporeans, taking into account our local context. For example, degradable bags provide little benefits in Singapore as we incinerate all our household waste. On a life cycle basis, single-use paper and degradable bags also consume large amount of resources like water and land. Hence, instead of pursuing a substitution strategy, we should focus on inculcating the right values. Singaporeans' actions could then be motivated by a consciousness to safeguard the environment.

This is why, in the spirit of Singapore Together, NEA will convene a Citizens' Workgroup later this year to address the excessive consumption of all disposables, including Styrofoam and single-use bags. We welcome citizens to deliberate the idea of a nation-wide charge for single-use bags as well as other measures, such as campaigns and education. We will take the Workgroup's recommendations seriously and work with participants to implement them where feasible. I invite Singaporeans to register for the Workgroup later this month.

Among the supermarkets, FairPrice has taken the lead with their plastic bag charge trial last year, complemented with educational efforts. The trial has shown promising results, with majority of FairPrice's customers receptive towards a plastic bag charge. I commend FairPrice for its leadership and welcome this decision to expand the trial to 25 outlets for one year. I am heartened that Prime has also implemented a plastic bag charge in four of their outlets. I call on other supermarkets and retailers to also pilot this and urge Singaporeans to support these efforts.

My Ministry is taking the lead to introduce enabling regulations to transit to a circular economy. Last September, we passed the Resource Sustainability Act to address three priority waste streams – packaging waste, e-waste, and food waste.

Packaging waste makes up a third of the total domestic waste disposed of in Singapore. The amount disposed of will only grow as Singaporeans embrace new trends in online shopping and food delivery. We need to find ways to manage packaging waste more sustainably.

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

Louis conducted the first clean up of Khatib Bongsu Nature Park with some volunteers.

To find out more about these beach clean ups and join Louis and his volunteers, visit his Facebook Page!