Packaging- Singapore
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Mandatory Packaging Reporting (MPR) under Resource Sustainability Act (RSA)
Background & Objective
Packaging waste, including plastics, makes up about one-third of domestic waste disposed of in Singapore. It is therefore one of the key waste streams to focus on for more sustainable waste management, to help Singapore achieve its goal of towards becoming a Zero Waste Nation.
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Mandatory packaging reporting (MPR) aims to raise companies’ awareness of the benefits of packaging reduction and to spur companies to reduce the amount of packaging used. It will lay the foundation for an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework for packaging waste management, which will be implemented no later than 2025.
What the Mandatory Packaging Report entails
Under the Mandatory Packaging Reporting (MPR) framework, producers of packaged products, such as brand owners, manufacturers, and importers, as well as retailers such as supermarkets, will be required to submit packaging data and 3R plans to the NEA annually. Companies will have to provide information on the packaging placed on the Singapore market, broken down according to type of packaging material (e.g. plastic, paper, metal, glass), packaging form (e.g. carrier bags, bottles) and the corresponding weights.
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The 3R plans that companies are required to submit will have to include details of key initiatives, key performance indicators (KPIs) and targets. Companies will be required to report on the progress of these plans in subsequent years of reporting. The types of 3R plans for packaging that companies could consider include:
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packaging reduction
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packaging collection for reuse or recycling
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consumer or industry outreach related to packaging 3Rs
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use of recycled content in packaging material
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improvements in recyclability of packaging.
Timeline for 2022 reporting
For the first report to be submitted in 2022, producers (with an annual turnover of more than S$10 million in 2020) will need to report data on the amount of packaging imported/used in 2021 and develop 3R plans to be submitted by 31 March 2022.
Types of packaging that requires reporting
Packaging refers to all products made of any materials of any nature to be used for the containment, protection, handling, delivery and/or presentation of goods, from raw materials to processed goods. Common types of packaging materials include glass, metal, paper and plastic. Packaging covered under the mandatory packaging reporting include:
Companies that requires reporting
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Carries on a business of supplying regulated goods* in Singapore
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Meet the prescribed threshold criteria which is an annual turnover of more than S$10 million
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Imports or uses specified packaging**
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*Regulated goods means any goods other than goods prescribed as excluded from this definition (please refer to Subsidiary Legislation)
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**Specified packaging means any packaging other than any type of packaging prescribed as excluded from this definition (please refer to Subsidiary Legislation)
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The table below summarizes which types of companies are required to report the different types of packaging covered under the reporting framework.
Offenses and Penalties
Reference:
[1] National Environmental Agency (NEA) Mandatory Packaging Reporting