(Bloomberg) -- Singapore plans to charge consumers for disposable bags at grocery stores starting in the middle of next year as the land-scarce nation seeks to slow the amount of waste that's forecast to fill up its only landfill by 2035.
Supermarkets with annual revenue of more than S$100 million ($73 million) will be required to levy a charge of at least 5 cents on bags of all types, from paper to plastic to biodegradables. Singapore joins dozens of nations around the world that charge for plastic bags to encourage consumers to switch to reusable carriers.
The country seeks to reduce the amount of waste each person sends to the Semakau landfill by 30% by 2030, said Grace Fu, minister for sustainability and the environment. It's also studying how to mine materials in the landfill for reclamation works, and looking at ways to convert plastic waste into pyrolysis oil that will become raw material for chemicals and new plastics, according to a statement Monday.
Singapore last month set a goal of reaching net zero emissions by the middle of this century, and plans to invest more in infrastructure as it grapples with climate change that could raise flood levels by almost four meters in a worst-case scenario.
Singapore is setting aside another S$1.4 billion to carry out further improvements to its drainage system by 2025, Fu said. To strengthen food security, new sea-space tenders in the southern waters and east Johor Strait will be issued for fish farming.
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