Singapore has introduced the world’s first government-backed national plastic passport programme, developed with Nasdaq-listed SMX and the country’s national research agency A*STAR. The initiative embeds molecular-level traceability into plastics, making recycling a matter of verifiable proof rather than voluntary reporting.
“Singapore’s plastic passport programme ensures every plastic product, from industrial resins to consumer packaging, carries a traceable, verifiable lifecycle,” said SMX. “This is not a pledge or a pilot — it is national infrastructure.”
The system uses patented molecular markers that give plastics, metals, textiles and natural rubber a tamper-resistant identity tied to a digital passport. This allows authorities and companies to track materials from origin through use and recycling, verifying recycled content, authenticity and chain of custody in real time.
Supporters say the scheme mirrors the evolution of carbon credits and ESG reporting: once policy frameworks mandated compliance, niche technologies scaled rapidly into global markets. “Inflection points are defined not when technologies are proven, but when policy catches up and enforces them. Singapore has done precisely that,” said SMX.
The city-state generates nearly one million tonnes of plastic waste annually, much of it incinerated. By embedding SMX’s system at the national level, Singapore aims to reduce waste, increase recycling rates and set a template that other countries could adopt.
ASEAN has already prioritised plastics sustainability in policy frameworks, while Europe is rolling out digital product passports across materials. Analysts say Singapore’s move positions SMX at the centre of a compliance-driven global plastics market.
