en.Wedoany.com Reported - Singapore has launched its first national research centre focused on residues and toxic industrial waste management, aiming to extend the lifespan of the country's only landfill. Named "Towards Resource Efficiency and Sustainability for Urban Environments" (TREASURES), the centre was announced by Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment, Dr. Janil Puthucheary, at the environmental services industry event "Catalyst 2026".
TREASURES, jointly established by the National Environment Agency (NEA) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU), will receive S$35 million (approximately US$27.4 million) in funding from Singapore's Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2025 plan. NTU will host the centre until March 2030, with the National University of Singapore (NUS) and other higher education institutions participating as research partners.
The launch of the centre comes as Singapore reviews its "Zero Waste Masterplan 2030" introduced in 2019, following a persistent decline in recycling rates from national targets. Dr. Puthucheary disclosed at the event that Singapore's overall recycling rate dropped from 59% in 2019 to 52% in 2025, against a 2030 target of 70%. Over the same period, the household recycling rate fell from 17% to 11%, while the non-household recycling rate declined from 73% to 67%. For comparison, the EU's average municipal waste recycling rate in 2023 was 43.3%, while Japan and South Korea recorded rates of 79% and 72% respectively, though reporting methodologies vary across jurisdictions.
Authorities are assessing whether to adjust recycling targets and how to improve the quality of recyclable materials. Singapore's only landfill, Pulau Semakau, located south of the main island, is expected to run out of space by around 2035. The review is scheduled for completion in 2027, which will also examine measures to secure landfill capacity beyond that point.
TREASURES focuses on four areas: analysing waste streams to identify resource recovery opportunities; developing technologies to recover materials currently sent to Pulau Semakau; advancing methods for treating and recovering toxic industrial waste; and establishing safety and environmental standards for reused materials. The centre will open its first project call from June 17 to August 17, inviting universities, research institutions, and enterprises to submit project proposals on toxic industrial waste management and landfill transformation.
Dr. Puthucheary stated that the centre will help recover value from complex waste streams and support the transformation of Pulau Semakau from a waste disposal site into a future resource recovery hub. Mr. Ng Keng Wei, Group Director at NEA, said in a statement: "Over time, this will support our transition towards a more circular and resource-efficient waste management system, including the long-term ambition to transform Pulau Semakau." Professor Chu Jian, Co-Director of TREASURES and Dean of NTU's College of Civil and Environmental Engineering, noted that limited land area makes waste management a long-term challenge for Singapore.
These initiatives are part of broader efforts to strengthen Singapore's environmental services industry. The government has launched an updated Environmental Services Industry Digital Plan, adopting artificial intelligence-supported technologies, such as robotic toilet cleaning systems, to alleviate labour shortages and boost productivity. NEA has also signed a cooperation agreement with Germany's Messe Berlin to expand the CleanEnviro Summit Singapore 2027 through CMS Asia. CMS Asia is a new regional trade exhibition platform focusing on environmental services, sustainable innovation, and circular economy solutions. The collaboration aims to deepen industry cooperation and create new opportunities for business partnerships and knowledge exchange in the Asia-Pacific region.
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