SINGAPORE – Given a choice between grabbing their caffeine fix in a plastic, foam or paper cup at a coffee shop, one in two here would pick paper as having the least negative impact on the environment, according to a survey of 1,000 respondents.

But they could be wrong.

In some respects, foam cups are less damaging to the environment than paper cups as they are made with fewer resources, experts told the Channel NewsAsia programme Trash Trail, which also conducted the survey on people’s perceptions.

But what about the popular belief that paper cups, unlike foam, can be recycled? In reality, that’s often not the case – at least here in Singapore.

If you really want to reduce the environmental cost of your daily cuppa, however, the best way remains to bring your own mug  or tumbler. Here are eight reasons why you should ditch the disposables:

1. Contrary to popular belief, used paper cups cannot be recycled here. One of the reasons is hygiene, according to one of Singapore’s largest paper recycling facilities, Sembcorp Tay Paper.

“In fact, you’ve got to pay me to dispose of (soiled cups),” said Mr Emmanuel Tay, Tay Paper’s commercial analyst.

WATCH: The real facts about disposable cups (2:15)

But even if you properly washed those used cups before putting them in the recycle bin, Mr Tay said that he still would have to send paper cups to an overseas recycling facility.

He explained that only 10 per cent of the paper mills in Asia are able to process the laminated or wax linings that help make the cup water-resistant. None of them are in Singapore.

Boutique cup maker Mr Arun Kumar of Dillic Packaging also pointed out that the distinct recycling logo found on plastic lids and paper cup sleeves mean that only these components are recyclable, and not the entire cup itself.

2. Likewise, while technology to recycle Styrofoam cups exists, it is not readily available here.

A check with Singapore’s four appointed waste collection companies show that they do not recycle Styrofoam or other disposable food packaging. This fact is reflected on the labels of recycling bins found around housing estates.

3. A paper cup is made out of raw materials five times the weight of that used for a foam cup, according to A*STAR scientist Dr Jonathan Low.

“What you have in a Styrofoam cup is some plastic materials with a lot of air bubbles in it,” said Dr Low.

According to him, a Styrofoam cup consumes less material across its life stages, from the extraction of raw materials to its manufacture and use.

4. Additionally, paper cups are usually made with virgin paper – entirely from tree pulp – rather than from recycled material, revealed one of Malaysia’s largest paper cup manufacturers, Malex Paper Products, which also supplies its products to Singapore.

Malex’s spokesperson Wern Tan explained that demand for recycled paper cups has not yet picked up. “And it’s pretty hard to find recycled paper that is food grade, and enough to make the paper cups,” he added.

5. To make 50 million paper cups a month, Malex has to keep its 25 machines running for 24 hours a day. Manufacturing foam cups actually consumes less water and energy.

A 2006 study by Dutch organisation TNO showed that it takes 20 per cent more fuel and nearly twice as much water to manufacture paper cups. Moreover, 30 per cent more fuel is needed to transport the raw material for paper cups.

6. But even though manufacturing foam cups is less taxing on the earth’s resources, they are still made of polystyrene – which secretes cancer-causing chemicals when in contact with heat, warned experts from the US’s Environmental Protection Agency. It also takes more than a million years to decompose.

Some cities, including Penang, New York and Toronto, have banned the use of Styrofoam packaging.

7. But not many food and drink shops here are feeling the need to offer more sustainable packaging options. It’s largely because customers are not demanding it, according to environmental writer Jessica Cheam.

“I think people are so used to the convenience that the infrastructure provides,” she said, listing household rubbish chutes and efficient cleaners as factors in the slow take-up rate of sustainable disposable food packaging.

In 2016, the National Environment Agency announced that it would introduce “mandatory requirements” for businesses to manage packaging waste more sustainably within the next three to five years.

8.  But some coffee-houses do offer discounts as incentive. Major coffee chains like Starbucks and Coffee Bean currently offer 50 cents off drinks when customers bring their own drink container.

And from now until March, 11 independent cafes will offer drink discounts of 50 cents, S$1 or 10 per cent off when customers bring their own tumblers – in a joint initiative with the programme Trash Trail. 

They are A.R.C Coffee. Highlander Coffee, Sarnies, The Assembly Ground, Symmetry, Xiao Ya Tou, Strangers’ Reunion, Curious Palette, Yellow Cup Coffee, Dapper Coffee, and Tiong Hoe Specialty Coffee.

Watch the Trash Trail episode on disposable cups here. New episodes air Mondays at 8pm. The series is part of the CNA Signatures belt showcasing innovative programmes. 

SINGAPORE: An e-scooter user who rode on the road with a child in tow has had her personal mobility device impounded, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on Thursday (Feb 2). 

The woman was riding the e-scooter on the road along Edgefield Plains when she was stopped by Active Mobility Enforcement Officers during one of their routine enforcement operations, LTA said on its Facebook page. 

This is against the rules as only bicycles and LTA-approved power-assisted bicycles are allowed on the roads, the agency said. 

“Her actions put herself and her young child in danger, and her PMD has since been impounded,” LTA said.

It added: “We will take enforcement action against any rider found breaking the law.” 

SINGAPORE: Investment commitment levels in Singapore are expected to be similar to those seen in 2016 amid uncertainties in the global economic environment, the Economic Development Board (EDB) said on Thursday (Feb 2).

At its 2016 Year-in-Review press conference, EDB said it will seek to consolidate Singapore’s position as a high value manufacturing base by capturing opportunities in advanced manufacturing. It will do this by anchoring lead adopters of advanced manufacturing in Singapore, while building up an ecosystem of suppliers and enablers to develop technologies and solutions, the agency added. 

EDB will also work with other Government agencies, companies and institutes of higher learning to ensure a pipeline of talent entering the manufacturing workforce.

Technology also remains a key focus, with areas like cybersecurity, software development and data science highlighted by EDB managing director Yeoh Keat Chuan.

Looking ahead, EDB expects Fixed Asset Investments for the year to come in between S$8 billion and S$10 billion. Meanwhile, Total Business Expenditure Per Annum is forecast to be between S$5 billion and S$7 billion.

Total Business Expenditure Per Annum refers to commitments by firms setting up regional headquarters, research and development labs and other facilities in Singapore. In return for tax breaks, the firms must agree to spend a certain amount of money on salaries, rent, local procurement, among other things, each year. Fixed asset investment refers to a firm’s additional investment in facilities, equipment and machinery.

Meanwhile, Expected Value-Added Per Annum – how much investments will add to the GDP when fully realised – is expected to come in between S$12 billion and S$14 billion, the same as last year’s forecast.

Highlighting uncertainties stemming from events such as elections in Europe as well as proposed policies from US president Donald Trump that could shape the operating environment, EDB chairman Beh Swan Gin said the good news for Singapore is that its fundamentals remains strong.

EXPECTATIONS MET

Key targets were also met or exceeded last year, said Mr Yeoh. For instance, Fixed Asset Investments came in at S$9.4 billion, which was within the earlier forecast of S$8 billion to S$10 billion. 

Additionally, the S$8.3 billion of Total Business Expenditure Per Annum exceeded expectations of S$5.5 billion to S$6.5 billion, partly due to large-scale shipyard projects committed.

When fully implemented, these projects are expected to create around 20,100 jobs, EDB said. 

For 2017, EDB is forecasting the creation of between 19,000 to 21,000 jobs over the next 5 years.  

SINGAPORE — Five foreigners were arrested on Wednesday (Feb 1) for allegedly claiming GST refunds amounting to approximately S$167,253 for jewellery they did not personally purchase, following an investigation that stretched nine months.

They will be charged in court on Thursday.

The Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (Iras) and Singapore Customs said on Thursday that each of the accused will face over 200 charges of engaging in a conspiracy to claim fraudulent Goods and Services Tax (GST) refunds under the electronic tourist refund scheme (eTRS).

If found guilty, they face a penalty of up to three times the amount of refund wrongfully claimed and a fine not exceeding S$10,000, and/or imprisonment of up to seven years.

The tax crime of the five were first discovered on May 27 last year at Changi Airport, triggering a joint investigation by Iras and the Singapore Customs.

Giving details on the modus operandi for such fake GST claims, the authorities said a “tourist” would pay local consumers, who are not entitled to GST refunds, for their jewellery invoices.

Using their passports and their ill-gotten invoices, these “tourists” would then get eTRS tickets from the respective shops and later claim the cash refunds when they depart the country.

Only tourists are eligible for GST refunds on goods they purchase and take out of Singapore. As a control measure, Singapore Customs officers will inspect the goods at the GST refund counter before a refund claim is approved.

“Iras will not hesitate to take stern enforcement action against these individuals and any persons assisting them,” the tax authority said.