Singapore has started to involve producers in efforts to reduce packaging waste since 2007 through the signing of the Singapore Packaging Agreement (SPA) between the National Environment Agency (NEA), industry actors, and non-governmental organizations. Under the voluntary agreement, companies pledge to make improvements to their packaging designs and practices across the supply chain.
In 2015, the Government of Singapore set the target of becoming a Zero Waste Nation through the launch of the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint. One of the targets under the blueprint is to increase the national recycling rate to 70% by 2030. This target encompasses a domestic waste recycling rate of 30%, and a non-domestic waste recycling rate of 81%.
Building upon this, Singapore established the Zero Waste Masterplan in 2019 to further assist the transition from a “take, make, waste” economy to a circular economy. The masterplan aims to expand the lifespan of Singapore’s only landfill, Semakau Landfill, by reducing the amount of waste sent thereto and increasing the overall recycling rate. One of the measures laid out to increase the recycling rate of packaging waste is through the introduction of an EPR system.
The culmination of the legal framework of the Singaporean EPR was the enactment of the Resource Sustainability Act 2019 which came into force on 4 October 2019. Part 4 of the Act governs the implementation of the Mandatory Packaging Reporting (MPR) Framework, laying the foundation for an EPR framework for managing packaging waste. Through an amendment bill to the Act in 2023, Singapore introduced the Beverage Container Return Scheme, forming the first phase of the EPR implementation. This scheme is planned to commence in 2025.
Table 1. Summary of policies, plans, and regulations regarding EPR for packaging in Singapore.
Policies, Plans, and Regulations | Promulgation Date | Status |
Singapore Packaging Agreement | 5 June 2007 | Ended on 30 June 2020 |
Sustainable Singapore Blueprint | 8 November 2014 | In effect |
Zero Waste Masterplan | 30 August 2019 | In effect |
Resource Sustainability Act 2019 | 4 October 2019 | In effect |
Resource Sustainability (Amendment) Bill | 6 February 2023 | In effect |
Within the framework of the MPR Scheme, obligated producers are required to submit information on the packaging they produce or import into Singapore each year, accompanied by a 3R (reduce, reuse, recycle) plan aimed to reduce packaging. This scheme serves a dual purpose: promoting the benefits and motivating companies to reduce packaging usage. The comprehensive packaging data collected will play a crucial role in shaping future policies and programmes on the efficient management of packaging waste, including through EPR.
Companies mandated to comply with the EPR scheme are producers supplying regulated goods in Singapore who:
import regulated goods packed with specified packaging, or
use specified packaging for the regulated goods (including retailer),
and have an annual turnover exceeding S$10 million.
Regulated goods include all items except those specifically prescribed as excluded (i.e. arms and explosives, machines, equipment, appliances, or other devices designed solely for industrial or manufacturing usage and any spare parts, lifts or escalators, sports or recreation equipment, aircrafts, spacecrafts, vessels, and motor vehicles).
Packaging items to be reported include all types of packaging, either composed of a mono-material or combination of materials. Both packaging used for business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) are also covered within the MPR scheme. However, exception applies to:
That is designed to facilitate bulk transportation, and
Which remain in the company's possession to be reused and those designed to be reused by an end-user. Exception applies to food/beverage, vitamin/health supplement, medicinal product, cosmetic product, any personal care or hygiene product, detergent or cleaning agent product packaging.
Compliance with the scheme is performed through actions outlined below.
Registration
Obligated companies need to register in the Waste and Resource Management System (WRMS) MPR portal.
Submission of annual reports
For every year in which the company meets the criteria, they have to submit a report on the specified packaging imported or used during the entire year, complemented with the methodology used in recording the material, weight, and form of specified packaging.
Submission of a 3R plan for packaging
Companies are required to formulate and submit 3R plans for their packaging, with an implementation timeline of 3 years from the submission year. The 3R plan shall be based on any of the following plans:
packaging reduction
collection for reuse
collection for recycling
consumer outreach
industry outreach
use of recycled content in packaging material
improving recyclability of packaging.
The diagram below illustrates the implementation timeline of Singapore’s MPR Scheme.
There are no targets set in the MPR Scheme.
Companies that fail to submit a report on specified packaging, submit a 3R plan, provide incomplete or inaccurate submission as per the Agency's direction, or keep inadequate records, are subject to the following penalties:
Table 2. List of penalties imposed on producers who fail to comply with the MPR Scheme.
Offense | Penalty |
1st offense | Fine not exceeding $5,000. |
2nd and subsequent offense | Fine not exceeding $10,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months or both. |
Continuing offence | Further fine not exceeding $1,000 for every day or part of a day during which the offence continues after that second or subsequent conviction. |
Building upon the MPR Scheme, the beverage container return scheme will represent the first phase of an EPR strategy for packaging waste in Singapore. Set to launch in 2026, the scheme has undergone public consultation since September 2022 and has lapsed into law in the Resource Sustainability (Amendment) Bill 2023 Part 4B. Although it is still in development, some information on the scheme has been disclosed.
The beverage container return scheme is mandatory for all producers of pre-packaged beverages that supply beverages in Singapore.
The scheme aims to increase the recycling rate and reduce the amount of waste of all pre-packaged beverages, both in plastic bottles and metal cans, with sizes ranging from 150 milliliters to 3 liters.
Together with existing recycling initiatives such as the National Recycling Programme, the beverage container return scheme will be implemented by applying a refundable deposit of 10 cents on all pre-packaged beverages in Singapore. The deposit will be circulated from beverage producers, scheme operators, designated return points, consumers, retailers, and back to the producers.
From a life cycle perspective, the implementation starts with beverage producers registering with a licensed scheme operator. Each beverage product supplied by the producers needs to be affixed with a deposit mark and listed to the scheme operator, forming the basis for calculating the deposit provided by producers.
Upon purchase, consumers pay the 10 cents deposit, which will be refunded upon returning the container waste to designated return points. Most of these return points will be located in large supermarkets which serve as the major sales channels of pre-packaged beverages.
Scheme operators, on behalf of producers, collect the empty beverage containers and transfer it to recyclers where it will be recycled and circulated back into the value chain. The financial cost of this process (collection and recycling) is borne by producers, while any profits made by recyclers (material revenue) are paid back to the scheme operator.
The implementation timeline for Singapore’s beverage container return scheme is not yet defined, but expected to commence in 2025.
There are no targets yet defined under the beverage container return scheme.
As a component of law enforcement, fines are levied on beverage producers who fail to adhere to the scheme. The table below delineates the penalty imposed for each offence.
Table 3. List of penalties imposed on producers who fail to comply with Singapore’s Beverage Container Return Scheme.
Offences | Penalty |
| A fine not exceeding $10,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months or both. |
|
|
Table 4. Roles and Responsibilities under Singapore’s Beverage Container Return Scheme.
Responsibility | Upstream | Downstream | |
Product Design | Collection | Recycling | |
Physical responsibility | Producers | Scheme operators, return point operators | Scheme operators, recyclers |
Financial responsibility | Producers | Producers | Producers |
Product and financial flows
Singapore has started to involve producers in efforts to reduce packaging waste since 2007 through the signing of the Singapore Packaging Agreement (SPA) between the National Environment Agency (NEA), industry actors, and non-governmental organizations. Under the voluntary agreement, companies pledge to make improvements to their packaging designs and practices across the supply chain.
In 2015, the Government of Singapore set the target of becoming a Zero Waste Nation through the launch of the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint. One of the targets under the blueprint is to increase the national recycling rate to 70% by 2030. This target encompasses a domestic waste recycling rate of 30%, and a non-domestic waste recycling rate of 81%.
Building upon this, Singapore established the Zero Waste Masterplan in 2019 to further assist the transition from a “take, make, waste” economy to a circular economy. The masterplan aims to expand the lifespan of Singapore’s only landfill, Semakau Landfill, by reducing the amount of waste sent thereto and increasing the overall recycling rate. One of the measures laid out to increase the recycling rate of packaging waste is through the introduction of an EPR system.
The culmination of the legal framework of the Singaporean EPR was the enactment of the Resource Sustainability Act 2019 which came into force on 4 October 2019. Part 4 of the Act governs the implementation of the Mandatory Packaging Reporting (MPR) Framework, laying the foundation for an EPR framework for managing packaging waste. Through an amendment bill to the Act in 2023, Singapore introduced the Beverage Container Return Scheme, forming the first phase of the EPR implementation. This scheme is planned to commence in 2025.
Table 1. Summary of policies, plans, and regulations regarding EPR for packaging in Singapore.
Policies, Plans, and Regulations | Promulgation Date | Status |
Singapore Packaging Agreement | 5 June 2007 | Ended on 30 June 2020 |
Sustainable Singapore Blueprint | 8 November 2014 | In effect |
Zero Waste Masterplan | 30 August 2019 | In effect |
Resource Sustainability Act 2019 | 4 October 2019 | In effect |
Resource Sustainability (Amendment) Bill | 6 February 2023 | In effect |
Within the framework of the MPR Scheme, obligated producers are required to submit information on the packaging they produce or import into Singapore each year, accompanied by a 3R (reduce, reuse, recycle) plan aimed to reduce packaging. This scheme serves a dual purpose: promoting the benefits and motivating companies to reduce packaging usage. The comprehensive packaging data collected will play a crucial role in shaping future policies and programmes on the efficient management of packaging waste, including through EPR.
Companies mandated to comply with the EPR scheme are producers supplying regulated goods in Singapore who:
import regulated goods packed with specified packaging, or
use specified packaging for the regulated goods (including retailer),
and have an annual turnover exceeding S$10 million.
Regulated goods include all items except those specifically prescribed as excluded (i.e. arms and explosives, machines, equipment, appliances, or other devices designed solely for industrial or manufacturing usage and any spare parts, lifts or escalators, sports or recreation equipment, aircrafts, spacecrafts, vessels, and motor vehicles).
Packaging items to be reported include all types of packaging, either composed of a mono-material or combination of materials. Both packaging used for business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) are also covered within the MPR scheme. However, exception applies to:
That is designed to facilitate bulk transportation, and
Which remain in the company's possession to be reused and those designed to be reused by an end-user. Exception applies to food/beverage, vitamin/health supplement, medicinal product, cosmetic product, any personal care or hygiene product, detergent or cleaning agent product packaging.
Compliance with the scheme is performed through actions outlined below.
Registration
Obligated companies need to register in the Waste and Resource Management System (WRMS) MPR portal.
Submission of annual reports
For every year in which the company meets the criteria, they have to submit a report on the specified packaging imported or used during the entire year, complemented with the methodology used in recording the material, weight, and form of specified packaging.
Submission of a 3R plan for packaging
Companies are required to formulate and submit 3R plans for their packaging, with an implementation timeline of 3 years from the submission year. The 3R plan shall be based on any of the following plans:
packaging reduction
collection for reuse
collection for recycling
consumer outreach
industry outreach
use of recycled content in packaging material
improving recyclability of packaging.
The diagram below illustrates the implementation timeline of Singapore’s MPR Scheme.
There are no targets set in the MPR Scheme.
Companies that fail to submit a report on specified packaging, submit a 3R plan, provide incomplete or inaccurate submission as per the Agency's direction, or keep inadequate records, are subject to the following penalties:
Table 2. List of penalties imposed on producers who fail to comply with the MPR Scheme.
Offense | Penalty |
1st offense | Fine not exceeding $5,000. |
2nd and subsequent offense | Fine not exceeding $10,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months or both. |
Continuing offence | Further fine not exceeding $1,000 for every day or part of a day during which the offence continues after that second or subsequent conviction. |
Building upon the MPR Scheme, the beverage container return scheme will represent the first phase of an EPR strategy for packaging waste in Singapore. Set to launch in 2026, the scheme has undergone public consultation since September 2022 and has lapsed into law in the Resource Sustainability (Amendment) Bill 2023 Part 4B. Although it is still in development, some information on the scheme has been disclosed.
The beverage container return scheme is mandatory for all producers of pre-packaged beverages that supply beverages in Singapore.
The scheme aims to increase the recycling rate and reduce the amount of waste of all pre-packaged beverages, both in plastic bottles and metal cans, with sizes ranging from 150 milliliters to 3 liters.
Together with existing recycling initiatives such as the National Recycling Programme, the beverage container return scheme will be implemented by applying a refundable deposit of 10 cents on all pre-packaged beverages in Singapore. The deposit will be circulated from beverage producers, scheme operators, designated return points, consumers, retailers, and back to the producers.
From a life cycle perspective, the implementation starts with beverage producers registering with a licensed scheme operator. Each beverage product supplied by the producers needs to be affixed with a deposit mark and listed to the scheme operator, forming the basis for calculating the deposit provided by producers.
Upon purchase, consumers pay the 10 cents deposit, which will be refunded upon returning the container waste to designated return points. Most of these return points will be located in large supermarkets which serve as the major sales channels of pre-packaged beverages.
Scheme operators, on behalf of producers, collect the empty beverage containers and transfer it to recyclers where it will be recycled and circulated back into the value chain. The financial cost of this process (collection and recycling) is borne by producers, while any profits made by recyclers (material revenue) are paid back to the scheme operator.
The implementation timeline for Singapore’s beverage container return scheme is not yet defined, but expected to commence in 2025.
There are no targets yet defined under the beverage container return scheme.
As a component of law enforcement, fines are levied on beverage producers who fail to adhere to the scheme. The table below delineates the penalty imposed for each offence.
Table 3. List of penalties imposed on producers who fail to comply with Singapore’s Beverage Container Return Scheme.
Offences | Penalty |
| A fine not exceeding $10,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months or both. |
|
|
Table 4. Roles and Responsibilities under Singapore’s Beverage Container Return Scheme.
Responsibility | Upstream | Downstream | |
Product Design | Collection | Recycling | |
Physical responsibility | Producers | Scheme operators, return point operators | Scheme operators, recyclers |
Financial responsibility | Producers | Producers | Producers |
Product and financial flows
Brunei Darussalam
Cambodia
China
Indonesia
Japan
Republic of Korea
Lao PDR
Malaysia
Myanmar
Philippines
Singapore
Thailand
Viet Nam