S’pore makes digital ‘passport’ to track plastic items to boost recycling, extend Semakau’s lifespan

September 2, 2025

2 September, 2025

Irene Tham

SINGAPORE – Singapore is creating what is said to be a world-first digital “passport” for plastics to boost recycling as its sole landfill in Semakau is running out of space in 10 years.

The digital passport system tags plastic at a molecular level to track its provenance and recycling. The records are written on a blockchain, allowing the irrefutable passport data about the plastic’s origin, composition, reuse cycles and disposal to be exchanged among plastic manufacturers, recycling firms and the authorities for auditing purposes.

The multi-year effort is being led by A*Star, in partnership with Nasdaq-listed Security Matters.

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