TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: A MASTER PLAN ON FOOD WASTE MANAGEMENT IN SINGAPORE

Abstract

This paper proposes a Master Plan on food waste management in Singapore as a key step towards environmental sustainability. Food waste is currently disposed of at the incineration plants, with only 9% diverted for recycling. As incineration of food waste reduces the efficacy way. Singapore is now endowed with a food waste biomethanisation plant. With technology and infrastructure no longer as barriers, achieving the 30% food waste recycling rate set in the SGP2012 becomes plausible. Anaerobic digestion of food waste brings with it benefits of waste management, nutrient recycling in the form of compost, renewable energy in the form of biogas and climate change mitigation. In addition, it would reduce the need for Singapore to build future incineration plants, as well as increase the efficiencies of existing incineration plants. Through a review of Singapore's integrated solid waste management and its current food waste recycling situation, as well as a case study of the food waste biomethanisation plant and a comparative analysis of food waste recycling practices in other countries, government intervention in the form of legislation is established to be necessary so that the proposed Master Plan, based on 6Rs (Refurse-Reduce-Recycle-Recover-Respond) framework, can achieve a sustainable food waste management system in Singapore. This Master Plan centres on the measures leveraging on legislation and other efforts including education to upgrade food waste recycling and prevent food waste generation.