Oral Reply to Parliamentary Question on Marine Debris by Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment

Oral Reply by Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, to Parliamentary Question on Marine Debris, on 4 January 2021

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) beyond beach clean-ups, how is marine trash (including both micro and macro debris) cleaned off the coasts of Singapore to keep our blue spaces clean; and (b) what are the most common types of (i) micro debris and (ii) macro debris found on our shores.

Oral Reply by Minister Grace Fu:

1. The bulk of our beach litter is marine debris brought in by natural tidal conditions. NEA cleans our recreational beaches twice a day during the Northeast and Southwest monsoon periods, when the amount of marine debris increases. During the rest of the year, the beaches are cleaned daily or four times a week depending on the location.

2. The most common micro- and macro-debris encountered along our shores are styrofoam, film and hard plastic fragments, with some variation in the volume and distribution of macro-debris due to seasonal monsoons.

3. We can all do our part to keep our beaches clean. This includes demonstrating social responsibility by not littering, as well as supporting beach clean-ups, especially during the monsoon periods. This will help maintain a pleasant and safe environment for beachgoers and wildlife, and preserve the beauty of our shores.