What is the new law?

In order to reduce waste being sent to the Semakau landfill, Singapore introduced the Zero Waste Masterplan in 2019. The masterplan, along with the Resource Sustainability Act (RSA), 2019 provide the strategy and the legal framework to position Singapore as a sustainable, resource-efficient nation. These new developments apply to three waste-generating sectors – electronic waste, food waste and packaging waste, including plastics.

Part IV of the Resource Sustainability Act fleshes out new mandatory packaging requirements for eligible entities.

What this means for you?

If you are an eligible entity, to begin with, you will have to register with the NEA, report your packaging data for 2021 (including imports), and submit the methodology you used for reporting. Once this is done, you will have to develop and submit your own 3R plans (reduce, reuse, recycle). Among other things, the plan should contain:

• Details of key initiatives, including consumer and industry outreach
• How you will reduce/reuse/recycle current packaging, including recyclability of packaging materials
• Developing Key Performance Indicators – how will improvements be measured
• Other documents, including sustainability reporting, plan timelines etc

No later than 2025, the NEA will implement an extended producer responsibility (EPR) framework for packaging that will impact your business directly, foreseeably through direct regulation. Therefore it is very important to understand the forthcoming changes and how this new law works.

What can we do for you?

We understand that the RSA will have far reaching impacts on the way you currently engage with packaging in your business. At Dentons Rodyk, we have the expertise to assist you every step of the way. More specifically, we can help in:

• Working with you through the entire process of registering with the NEA, reporting packaging data, developing your 3R plans (for 2021-2022), so that you are well prepared for the EPR law in 2025.
• Identifying other NEA initiatives such as the 3R fund, to work with them and position your business as the trailblazer of sustainability
• Engaging experts for developing detailed recyclability plans and aligning them with NEA requirements
• Compliance-related documentation - Once your 3R plans are made, you will have to include it in your internal documents, sustainability reporting etc to be future ready

If you require more information, please do not hesitate to contact us.