In terms of actors, the Ministry of the Environment and Water forms. Thanks to its technology, this new incinerator is capable Resources has principal responsibility for water and sanitation of complete combustion of waste without auxiliary fuel (except (Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources Website, for ignition), enabling a significant reduction in CO emissions2 2020). The Public Utilities Board (PUB) supports that ministry generated during the incineration treatment of solid waste. by providing drinking water and handling storm water drainage (PUB website, 2020). Lastly, the National Environment Agency In 2019, the overall recycling rate decreased from 61 percent monitors the PUB’s alignment with water quality standards. In to 59 percent, mostly due to a drop in paper recycling, which 2010, the PUB received an investment of 290 million US dollars was affected by shrinking exports owing to digitalization (NEA for water supply assets, and NEWater received 319 million US website, 2020). The domestic recycling rate also decreased dollars, making Singapore’s annual per-capita investment in by 5 percent (from 22 percent to 17 percent). In 2020, as a water supply higher than that of the United States at that same consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the drop in the overall point in time (PUB, 2012). recycling rate was largely due to the substantially smaller amounts of ferrous metal and construction and demolition 1.2 Recycling services waste (NEA website, 2020). The National Environment Agency (NEA) is in charge ofThe NEA is also working closely on many complementary managing public waste collection in Singapore. According to recycling processes—for example, ewaste management data released by the NEA, Singapore’s waste collection and (such as electrical and electronic equipment) (NEA). More recycling services are among the most efficient worldwide. generally, the waste management policy can be summarized The geographical sectors within the city organize the activity as follows: The NEA has increasingly been promoting ewaste of public waste collectors (PWCs) under the supervision of the recycling through voluntary programs. For example, growth NEA (see Figure 5.1 below). Only companies that meet a set of in Singapore’s population and economy has contributed to an prequalification criteria are awarded licenses to provide waste approximately sevenfold increase in the amount of solid waste and recyclables collection services for the respective sector, disposed of in the past forty-five years. A complementary study doing so under contracts that run for up to eight years (NEA has been conducted to develop feasible systems to collect and website, 2020). recycle ewaste (NEA website, 2020). In 2015, smart waste bins were introduced as part of an The government implemented the Singapore Packaging intelligent waste management program (NEA website, 2020). Agreement (SPA), which brings together industries and NGOs Sensing monitors attached to the bins collect information about in a voluntary agreement to reduce waste. The first SPA in 2007 their content and location, and that data is transmitted to a was signed by various parties, including industry associations, waste collection team via a central server. The waste collection individual companies, and NGOs. It has been regularly renewed, team uses that data to optimize its route, thus reducing CO2 with the last update taking place on June 30, 2020. So far, emissions and, at the same time, ensuring public spaces are fifty-four thousand tons of packaging have been recycled, kept clean. Singapore’s waste management system uses the representing 130 million Singapore dollars in savings over “3Rs” (reducing, reusing, and recycling) methodology (NEA twelve years (NEA website, 2020). website, 2020). Incineration plants allow Singapore to use waste as an energy resource and reduce waste volumes efficiently. Since 2014, the Environmental Public Health Act (EPHA) has The introduction in May 2017 of a new incinerator by DOWA, a mandated reporting of waste by any owner, the aim being to Japanese company, has doubled the current waste incineration improve waste management systems, collection, and treatment. capacity of the company in Singapore, enabling the treatment The NEA’s antilittering enforcement regime takes strict of many complex types of hazardous waste in liquid and solid enforcement action against those who litter. 149 Quélin and Smadja | HEC PARIS | SMART CITIES | The sustainable program of six leading cities | 2021