Singapore reviews 2030 waste targets after recycling drops to 52%
What's next: The review runs through 2027 and will weigh new goals, cleaner sorting and Semakau landfill capacity beyond 2035.
Singapore is reviewing its 2019 Zero Waste Masterplan after the national recycling rate fell to 52% in 2025 from 59% in 2019, moving the country farther from its 70% target for 2030. The domestic recycling rate dropped to 11% from 17%, while the non-domestic rate slipped to 67% from 73%. The National Environment Agency also recorded a fresh high in waste disposed of at about 3.36 million tonnes in 2025, up from 3.33 million tonnes a year earlier. Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Janil Puthucheary said the review will examine whether targets should change and how to improve recycling economics, including contamination in blue bins. Singapore's only landfill on Pulau Semakau is still projected to fill up around 2035.