SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES

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(Industrial zones and support): **

31.

Mr Teo Siong Seng asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (a) whether the Government has set aside sufficient industrial zones specifically for the recycling industry to support our sustainable development initiatives; and (b) whether his Ministry will provide affordable land and other incentives to encourage local enterprises to upgrade their capability and play a greater role in these industrial zones.

Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: The Government set aside land specifically for the recycling industry since 1995 when the Sarimbun Recycling Park (SRP) was set up in the closed Lim Chu Kang Dumping Ground. The SRP is now fully leased out to 13 companies recycling waste items such as wood waste, horticultural waste, construction waste, demolition waste and used tyres. SRP land were initially allocated to recycling companies at rental rate determined by the Chief Valuer. Since November 2008, the land allocation procedure for SRP was changed to a tender system and the rental rate is determined via open market tender. In addition to SRP, companies can apply to JTC for industrial land to set up recycling facilities. Currently, recycling companies are located in various industrial estates such as Tuas, Jurong and Kranji.

Apart from land, NEA also provides funding to incentivise and develop the waste management and recycling industry in Singapore. NEA has set up various funding schemes to support the development of innovative and cost-effective waste management and recycling technologies as well as facilitate the deployment of pilot projects. These schemes include the Environment Technology Research Programme, the Innovation for Environment Sustainability Fund and the 3R Fund.

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