NEA will implement a Deposit Refund Scheme for beverage containers by 2022, announced Senior Minister of State for Environment and Water Resources Amy Khor on Wed. This will be the first phase of EPR approach for managing packaging waste. For such schemes, producers usually pay for the system to take back used beverage containers and consumers get a refund when returning empty containers at designated return points. In countries such as Norway and Germany, similar schemes have achieved a high recycling rate of beverage containers of more than 80 per cent, she said. “We have also been working closely with our economic agencies to actively engage interested companies to set up mechanical recycling plants for post-consumer plastic waste here,” said Dr Khor. However, she also noted that not all plastic waste is suitable for mechanical recycling, including contaminated plastic bags and other single-use plastics. “To treat these, we are also pursuing chemical recycling solutions. Chemical recycling can potentially convert these plastics into higher-value products, like pyrolysis oil, which is a potential feedstock for Singapore’s petrochemical sector,” she said.... Continue Reading