Food Waste Management Strategies

Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources what percentage of food waste generated is due to the throwing away of surplus food and whether the Ministry will drive and fund sharing economy solutions, such as online platforms allowing businesses and institutions to better procure surplus food, to tackle our food waste problem.

Mr Seah Kian Peng asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources whether a form of Good Samaritan Law for food can be introduced so as to reduce the 790,000 tonnes of food that goes to waste in Singapore each year.

Food waste is a waste stream of concern to my Ministry. In 2016, food waste comprised 10% of total waste generated in Singapore. This includes both avoidable and unavoidable food waste, such as peels, bones and shells.

My Ministry is studying the various sources of our food waste to get a breakdown of this figure. In 2015, the National Environment Agency (NEA) launched a study on waste disposed of by households to better understand the mix of avoidable and unavoidable food waste. We are currently analysing the data that has been collected. A similar study on waste disposed of at commercial premises, such as food manufacturers, hotels and malls, will commence later this year.

One strategy to manage food waste is to encourage the redistribution of surplus food. NEA and the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) launched a guidebook last year to help food retail establishments develop food waste minimisation plans. The guidebook includes guidelines on the proper handling and redistribution of excess food. Similar guidebooks will also be developed for food manufacturing establishments and supermarkets.

The private and people sectors have also developed initiatives which complement the Government’s efforts. For example, the "11th Hour" app matches businesses with unsold food with consumers looking for last-minute deals. We are open to other ideas which could address unmet needs. Individuals or organisations with ideas can consider applying for funding under the NEA’s Call for Ideas Fund.

My Ministry will study the possibility of Good Samaritan laws in Singapore with relevant agencies, such as the Ministry of National Development and AVA. Such provisions which are present in countries, such as the United States and Canada, can provide greater clarity to potential donors of excess food.

At the same time, my Ministry is mindful of the need to ensure that any food donated is fit for consumption. We thus need to strike a balance to ensure that food donors and food distributors exercise due care and practise good hygiene when distributing donated food. We will continue to work closely with our partner agencies on relevant measures to better manage food waste.