Update on Plans to Enhance Mandatory Waste Reporting Requirements by Supermarkets

6 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (a) whether he can provide an update on the Ministry's plans to enhance the mandatory waste reporting requirements by supermarkets; and (b) whether the Ministry plans to extend waste reporting to other premises that generate large amounts of waste, including food waste.

Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: Under the mandatory waste reporting requirements, owners of certain premises which generate large amounts of waste must report their waste and recyclable tonnages, waste reduction plans and waste reduction targets to NEA. This is to encourage them to improve their waste management systems, by drawing attention to the amount of waste produced and the potential for improvement.

Currently, only shopping malls with a net lettable area of more than 4,600 square metres and hotels with more than 200 rooms are subject to these requirements. Supermarkets located in malls would have their waste data accounted for under the malls’ tonnage. There are no plans to introduce mandatory waste reporting requirements specifically for supermarkets.

We will continue to monitor the waste generation of premises subjected to mandatory waste reporting. We will also consider extending the reporting requirements to other premises that generate large amounts of waste, such as industrial premises, bearing in mind the compliance costs.