Parliament Q&A
Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on Trends in Plastic Waste Generated
5 November 2025
Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on Trends in Plastic Waste Generated by Ms Grace Fu, Minister of Sustainability and the Environment.
Question:
To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment what is the change in amount of plastic waste produced island-wide in each year from 2019, after the passing of the Resource Sustainability Act 2019 and the Zero Waste Masterplan.
Answer:
The amount of plastic waste generated in Singapore between 2019 and 2024 is as follows:
Table caption
Year | Tonnes of Plastic Waste Generated |
2019 | 930,000 |
2020 | 868,000 |
2021 | 982,000 |
2022 | 1,001,000 |
2023 | 957,000 |
2024 | 918,000 |
As the period from 2020 to 2021 coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, the amount of plastic waste generated in those years may not be reflective of the norm. With the easing of COVID-19 measures, the amount of plastic waste rose briefly before trending downwards. Under the Resource Sustainability Act and the Zero Waste Masterplan, we have introduced various schemes such as the Disposable Carrier Bag Charge, and the Beverage Container Return Scheme which will be implemented next year. Over time, we expect these measures to help reduce the amount of plastic waste disposed of.