Source: Government of Singapore
24 July 2026 – The National Environment Agency (NEA) launched its annual Say YES to Waste Less (SYTWL) campaign, themed “There is A Price to Waste”, in partnership with UOL Mall’s ‘Green Movement with U’ campaign at Velocity@Novena Square. Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, Dr Janil Puthucheary, delivered an opening address, highlighting how everyday choices add up and collective community efforts to practice the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle) are key to building a greener Singapore. He invited members of the public to participate in the World Café dialogue on Reduce and Reuse in Singapore on 29 August and 5 September 2026 as part of the ongoing review of the Zero Waste Masterplan.
2. In 2025, each person in Singapore generated 0.83kg of waste per day1, much of which ended up at Semakau Landfill. Beyond the environmental toll, waste carries economic costs when resources are extracted, consumed, and discarded after a single use. This year’s SYTWL theme underscores this, encouraging individuals to consider the true costs of their daily consumption habits, both to the environment and themselves, and adopt the 3Rs in their daily lives. The campaign will meet Singaporeans in their everyday spaces through touch points in and around homes, digital and social media platforms, and on-ground engagements with the community, schools, and partners.
Towards a circular economy
3. Across various sectors, over 180 partners have committed to integrating the 3Rs in their operations, recognising that reducing waste benefits the environment and the bottom line. Through initiatives and incentives like workshops, educational exhibitions, and retail activations collectively covering a footprint of more than 1,500 stores across Singapore, partners are also driving behavioural change among their staff, customers, and the general public, encouraging sustainable habits like reducing food waste and the use of disposables. Collectively, these efforts bring Singapore closer to a circular economy, where resources are kept in use for as long as possible and waste is minimised. To find out more about the initiatives and how to get involved, please visit go.gov.sg/sytwl.
4. This year, 28 new partners have joined the SYTWL campaign. Notable initiatives by new partners include: a gamified app by AIA Singapore Private Limited to encourage employees to take simple, practical actions supporting a lower-waste lifestyle through daily challenges; filtered water taps and bulk-size bathroom amenities in Crowne Plaza Changi Airport’s guestrooms reduce plastic waste and conserve water; the Institute of Technical Education’s efforts to reduce waste across its three campuses through food waste digesters, expanding the provision of recycling bins and educational posters, and quarterly waste audits in 2026 to better understand and target waste streams; and Tan Tock Seng Hospital’s ‘Say No to Plastic Bags’ initiative at retail pharmacy, redesigned medication packaging box, and ‘Second Serve’ initiative, which redistributes kitchen surplus meals to staff. The full list of SYTWL partners can be found in the Annex.
UOL Mall’s “Green Movement with U” launch
5. The event features booths from various green retailers, workshops, and an educational exhibition anchored by a centrepiece art installation crafted from upcycled textiles and e-waste collected during a public collection drive that was held from 12 June to 11 July 2026. The event supports the SYTWL campaign by encouraging waste reduction, sustainable living, and the reuse of old items by giving them a second life while educating the public on how to recycle right.
6. Reduction is the crucial first step in sustainable living. Every small action counts – whether it is bringing your own container for takeaways or only buying what you can finish eating. NEA will continue working closely with the community and its partners to promote good sustainable consumption habits. When everyone plays their part to reduce, reuse, and recycle, we avoid sending waste for disposal, thus reducing our impact on the environment.
[1] The latest waste and recycling statistics can be accessed at go.gov.sg/waste-statistics-and-overall-recycling.
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