MANAGING OUR WASTE

Incineration

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Clean Land Policy
Incineration
  • The Issue
  • The Challenge
  • Our Efforts
  • Progress Update

THE ISSUE

SPACE FOR WASTE IS LIMITED

Incineration is necessary for Singapore as land is limited. Incineration is able to reduce the volume of our waste to as little as 10 per cent of its original volume. This results in lower waste volumes being sent to our landfill.

However, as ash from incinerated waste eventually has to go into our landfill and we have only one landfill, incineration alone cannot deal with the ever-increasing amount of waste that we are producing.

Incineration Issue

THE CHALLENGE

EFFECTIVE BUT NOT A SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION

INCINERATION PLANTS COST US SPACE AND MONEY

Incineration plants are very expensive to build and operate. They also take up large areas of land. We cannot keep building more incineration plants indefinitely.

POLLUTANTS DURING INCINERATION

Pollutants, such as NOx, SO2, dioxin and particulate matter, are produced in the process of incineration and they affect our air quality.

Incineration Challenge

OUR EFFORTS

IMPROVING PROCESSES AND EXPLORING NEW USES

TAPPING PRIVATE SECTOR EXPERTISE

The Government increased private sector participation in the incineration industry. Singapore’s fifth incineration plant was built and operated by a private company through a Design, Build, Own and Operate arrangement

TREATING POLLUTANTS BEFORE RELEASE INTO THE ENVIRONMENT

All incinerators in Singapore have been fitted or built with pollution control equipment to protect our air quality. The flue gas produced during incineration is treated to remove most of the pollutants in order to meet safe environmental standards before being released into the air.

REDUCING WASTE

NEA has been encouraging people and industries to reduce their waste, reuse where possible and increase their rate of recycling.

Incineration Efforts

OUR PROGRESS

INCINERATING LESS THAN BEFORE

Recycling rates have gone up and around 39% of all waste was incinerated in 2011, down from 51% in 2001. The reduction of waste and increase in recycling will also help to delay the building of new incineration plants. Instead of building one every 5-7 years, we can build one every 8-10 years.

ASH MAY BE RECYCLED INSTEAD OF LANDFILLED

After the success of developing the use of incinerated bottom ash (IBA) for road material, NEA will continue to explore other uses for treated ash so as to extend the lifespan of our sole remaining landfill, Semakau.

Incineration Progress

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National Issue Policy Topics
Clean Land Policy

Managing our waste

CLEAN LAND POLICY

Keeping our land clean by managing our solid and hazardous waste well.

Packaging Recycling Incineration Waste Collection Landfill

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