In an open letter to government negotiators headed to Busan to hammer out a historic global plastic treaty, climate activists called on the city-state to adopt a leadership position in tackling pollution by pushing for a tax on producers, a more transparent supply chain, and "genuinely sustainable" waste management solutions.
An ad for McDonald's garlic chilli sauce promotes giving away 134 million sachets every year. Singapore's ad watchdog ruled that there was no breach of its code, after receiving a complaint that the ad celebrates waste.
Building these facilities is now the government's strategy to waste disposal, though some have called the move misguided. Speakers at the Kuala Lumpur premiere of Eco-Business's film 'Wasted' called for the focus to be on education instead.
Although Singapore generated less waste per person in 2023, the convenience-oriented city-state also recycled less of its biggest waste stream – plastic. The data casts doubt over Singapore’s ambition to boost its overall recycling rate.