Singapore's National Environment Agency (NEA) has announced a major proposal to ban the sale of indoor paints with formaldehyde from 1 July 2025. Once the proposal comes into effect, only formaldehyde-free paints will be allowed to be sold in the Singapore market.
According to the NEA, relevant companies must be tested by an official authority accredited under the International Laboratory Accreditation Co-operation Mutual Recognition Arrangement (ILAC MRA) and submit a formaldehyde test report to the NEA certifying that the total content of formaldehyde in its products is less than 0.01 per cent w/w. The test must be carried out based on the following measurement methods:
| Type of Paint | Total Formaldehyde Content Measurement Method | |
| Extraction of Formaldehyde | Analysis of Extracted Formaldehyde | |
| Water-Based | Acid-steam distillation |
(a) Photometric determination using acetyl acetone reagent
(b) High performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) determination using 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine reagent |
| Solvent-Based | An appropriate method | |
In addition, the proposal also states that the test report will remain valid as long as the paint formulation has not been changed. For companies manufacturing or importing interior paints containing formaldehyde, they will be required to apply for a Hazardous Substances (HS) license from the NEA if they intend to export or re-export their products. It is worth noting that this requirement does not apply to companies selling industrial paints in Singapore, which are required to affix labels on their products to inform consumers that their products contain formaldehyde. Industrial paints are only for industrial or outdoor use, and not for indoor use.
The consultation period is scheduled to commence on 22 November 2023 and end on 13 December 2023. The NEA welcomes all interested parties to give their feedbacks in an active way.
