Proportion of Textiles Collected via Recycling Bins Processed Overseas

Mr Jackson Lam asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) what proportion of textiles collected via recycling bins here is processed overseas due to a lack of local infrastructure; (b) whether Singapore intends to develop domestic textile recycling capacity; and (c) what support is planned for social enterprises facing rising processing costs and falling resale values.

Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Recycling textile waste is challenging due to the highly varied materials and fibre blends used. Most of the textiles collected are resold or reused in overseas markets, given the lack of local capacity to process textile waste.

Our efforts are thus focused on reducing textile waste and maximising reuse opportunities in the first instance. We have supported organisations, such as GreenSquare and The Fashion Pulpit, to encourage consumers to extend the lifespan of textiles through repair, reuse, swapping and responsible donation.

We will nonetheless continue to monitor developments in textile recycling technologies and assess the need to develop domestic textile recycling capacity.