NEA Working with Companies to Reduce Packaging Waste : Singapore Environment Agency Database to Cut Packaging Waste

In a bid to curb the growth of packaging waste and inspire businesses to reduce the amount of packaging used in their products, Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA) has launched a packaging benchmarking database hosted on its website which allows companies to compare the packaging weight of their products against the benchmarks of similar products sold locally.

The NEA explained that domestic waste formed 57% of all waste disposed of, with packaging accounting for around a third of that.

The database currently displays the packaging weight benchmarks for six product categories – namely beer, carbonated beverages, chilled juice, fresh milk, non-chilled beverages and water. According the NEA these benchmarks were obtained after measuring more than 400 consumer products from these six categories. More product categories, such as cooking oil and dishwashing liquid, will be progressively added to the database.

The packaging benchmarking database, accessible at www.nea.gov.sg/SPA, classifies products of the same category into ‘Lightest’, ‘Median’, and ‘Heaviest’ packaging in terms of the packaging weight.

The aim is to enable businesses to discover the potential for improving their packaging design and use of materials, and spur them to take action to reduce the amount of packaging in their products. The NEA said that this will ultimately help conserve resources and reduce waste generation.

The agency explained that the packaging benchmarking database is one of the planned enhancement initiatives under the extension of the second Singapore Packaging Agreement (SPA) – a voluntary agreement where businesses commit to reducing packaging waste.

The first Agreement was introduced in 2007, and was initiated as part of Singapore’s strategy to reduce waste at source and curb the growth of packaging waste, in particular in light of growing consumerism. The second Agreement took effect from 1 July 2012, when the first Agreement expired on 30 June 2012.

As of October 2015, a total of 164 signatories have come on board the Agreement, including industry associations, businesses, non-governmental organisations and public waste collectors. Since the Agreement’s inception in 2007, the signatories are said to have made good progress in reducing waste, and have cumulatively reduced about 26,000 tonnes of packaging waste.

According to the REA this has amounted to cumulative savings of more than $58 million in the material costs of locally consumed products. However, together with the signatories, the agency added that it is working towards a goal of a total annual reduction of 10,000 tonnes of packaging waste by 2020, with 2007 as the base year

As part of the extension of the Agreement, NEA said that it is also exploring options, including the possible introduction of mandatory requirements, for more sustainable packaging waste management in the longer term.

The agency will be engaging stakeholders over the next few months, starting from December 2015, to gather suggestions and feedback on this.

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