By Kavickumar Muruganathan

recent study by a National University of Singapore ( NUS ) alumni students found an extra 1,334 tonnes of plastic waste generated during the two-month circuit breaker phase .

This is estimated to be the weight of 92 double-decker buses . This comes after a study by the Singapore Environment Council ( SEC ) found that Singapore uses 473 million plastic disposable items each year .

The increase in plastic waste has been attributed to the following ; a rise in the number of delivery and takeaway meals and increased online shopping frequency . This represents about 0.15 per cent of the total plastic waste generated in 2019 .

While this might seem minuscule , continued reliance on these means of consumption could potentially see the numbers rise to potentially 5,000 tonnes of extra plastic waste within this year .

Amid the understandable concern over personal hygiene and health during the pandemic , the problem of disposable plastics seems to have taken a backseat . This threatens to undo our progress in fledging initiatives to combat plastic waste and pollution locally , which remains an existential concern .

This will undoubtedly put added pressure on our waste management infrastructure , especially Pulau Semakau ’ s landfill capacity , which is expected to last till 2035 . Much of the plastic waste from food packaging and cutlery tend to be contaminated after use and cannot be recycled .

As for online groceries , they tend to be ‘ over packaged ’ to ensure product quality and safety is not compromised . It remains to be seen how many plastic bags and packaging material generated from food delivery and online grocery shopping during the circuit breaker were recycled or reused .

Downward trend will continue

The collapsed oil prices have dealt another blow to plastic waste recycling . The global price for recycled plastics has fallen between 30-40 per cent to compete with cheap oil as a production feedstock .

Transboundary shipment of recyclable plastic waste and localised recycling is potentially hindered with stay-home and movement curbs . It is doubtful the downward trend in plastic waste generation from 2018 will continue , and the recycling rate for plastic will deviate much from the four per cent recorded in 2019 .

With the circuit breaker measures set to be lifted only in phases and the habit of ordering food online and having it delivered to one ’ s doorstep becoming a norm , online food delivery and grocery shopping is here to stay .

Together with the findings , the study had proposed several recommendations . They include providing options for food delivery application users to opt-out of requesting cutlery and providing more environmentally friendly takeaway options such as paper packaging .

While these are practical measures , a deeper look indicates it might take more to resolve our plastic conundrum .

The surge in demand due to the circuit breaker has prompted an influx of new delivery platforms . While it has led to more choices and lower fees , it has also exacerbated single-use disposable plastic products .

Beyond Foodpanda , GrabFood and Deliveroo , at least 10 other new platforms have entered the food delivery market , many over the last couple of months . Increased competition can lead to more eco-centric services .

For instance , it allows delivery platforms to provide more customised options where customers can opt out from requesting cutlery , request minimal packaging and target eco-conscious consumers .

On the flip slide , increased competition puts pressure on profit margins . Environmentally friendly takeaway options tend to be costlier and eat into profit margins of food delivery services .

Food delivery platforms will struggle

Online delivery platform revenues are dependent on commissions from eateries and delivery fees from customers . While the survey found 97 per cent of respondents being supportive of environmentally friendly takeaway options , only 31 per cent were willing to bear the additional cost .

With competition stiff , food delivery platforms will struggle to park this cost under commissions or customer delivery fees and may end up absorbing it without compromising their payment to riders . In the absence of regulatory frameworks , the more pressing business concerns for these food delivery platforms are customer acquisition and increased convenience .

Creating increased convenience can lead to increased use in single-use plastic disposables .

With the exponential growth in the

number of food delivery platforms and industry market revenue estimated to be around S $ 650 million this year , it is highly opportune and timely for packaging guidelines to be issued for food delivery businesses .

The guidelines , issued by relevant ministries , must detail best packaging practices and cover how disposable cutlery must be priced . This ensures a level playing field for food delivery platforms and increases transparency among consumers on service charges for disposable cutlery levied on them .

Singapore has abstained from phasing out the use of single-use plastic or imposing additional charges . But the boom of food delivery platforms could represent a starting point to tackle this issue , given it potentially being the most significant contributor to plastic waste generation in Singapore .

This can subsequently be rolled out to online grocery shopping platforms . The extended producer responsibility ( ERP ) laws for electronic waste come into effect in 2021 .

Under this regulation , companies must collect and treat their e-waste and report the amount and type of packaging they use . It is pertinent we start exploring how this framework can be implemented in the food delivery ecosystem .

The reporting of packaging waste was mandated in 2020 . Still , it must be extended to all forms of plastic waste to have a more holistic approach to managing and mitigating plastic waste .

With no legislation on using single-use plastic in sight any time soon , producers and consumers have to bear the burden and responsibility of mitigating the environmental externalities generated from plastic waste .

While most Singaporeans seem not inclined to pay for single-use plastics or plastic bags , the reality is companies cannot do it alone . Consumers play a vital role in the plastic waste management ecosystem by exercising eco-conscious purchasing decisions . — @ green

Kavickumar Muruganathan is a sustainability professional and tutors on environmental economics and public policy .