Most supermarkets in Singapore will charge 5 cents for each plastic bag from July 3

In a pilot distribution in November and December 2022, the home recycling boxes were made available to residents in five neighbourhoods – Fengshan, Sembawang West, Tampines North, Yio Chu Kang and Yuhua.

More than 8,600 households – equivalent to almost the total number of homes in Outram – collected the recycling boxes during the pilot.

“This (pilot) phase was intended to help NEA assess and refine the distribution plan and help ensure a smooth collection experience during the nationwide phase,” said NEA.

The recyclables collected in a Bloobox can be dropped off at a blue recycling bin or recycling chute, which is more common in newer Housing Board blocks.

E-waste, however, should be dropped off at designated e-waste bins islandwide.

The aim of the home recycling box is also to help raise the domestic recycling rate in Singapore, and prevent the blue recycling bins from being contaminated.

Singapore’s domestic recycling rate was 13 per cent in 2021, a 10-year low. 

About 40 per cent of the contents found in the blue recycling bins cannot be recycled due to contamination from food and liquid waste, tissue paper and other items.

And to spur the recycling of plastic bottles and cans, a refundable deposit will soon be placed on packaged drinks.

Consumers can get the refund – likely 10 to 20 cents – once they return the empty drink containers.

Bottles and cans between 150ml and three litres will be part of the upcoming beverage container return scheme, said Dr Khor. The scheme is expected to kick in by mid-2024.

“NEA will set an 80 per cent return rate target… With this, we expect about 800 million plastic bottles and metal cans to be returned for recycling annually,” she added.