WHAT THE REVIEW WILL COVER
In this regard, domestic recycling will be a “priority” in the review, said Dr Puthucheary.
A key part of the review will examine how Singapore can recover “cleaner, less contaminated” recyclables, he added.
As part of this focus, the government will be reviewing the National Recycling Programme to improve the effectiveness and volume of recyclables recovered from households.
The programme was launched in 2001 and involves a network of recycling bins and collection services provided at residential areas under the public waste collection scheme.
The recycling bins, also known as the blue bins, will be part of the review, NEA said during a briefing for reporters.
The contamination rate for recycling bins and chutes has remained at around 40 per cent, according to a parliamentary reply in Feb 2026.
Dr Puthucheary spoke of the familiar sight of blue bins overflowing with cardboard boxes, which he said was “a telling sign that households and businesses are generating significant amounts of cardboard and are eager to recycle responsibly”.
He said NEA has been working with public waste collectors to make it easier for households and trade premises to recycle.
Apart from recycling efforts, Dr Puthucheary said the review will also look at how Singapore measures its progress in waste reduction and management.
This includes examining whether annual waste statistics should better reflect efforts in the reducing, reusing, recycling and disposal of waste.
Projections for the lifespan of Semakau Landfill will also be updated, and the review will also include measures needed to ensure sufficient landfill capacity beyond 2035, he added.
A stated goal of the 2019 master plan was to reduce the amount of waste sent to Semakau Landfill by 30 per cent on a per capita, per day basis from a baseline in 2018, which then-Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources Amy Khor said was an “ambitious target” during the plan’s launch.