13TH ISSUE

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EXPRESS! Has progressed alot since we started with much support from volunteers and partners to drive its content and to get them to readers like your kindself. We would not have been able to be where we are without them. And in this episode, we'd like to dedicate it to all the support we have gotten thus far, and we hope you can also support our humble works as well.

This issue, we have an extra green theme. this is because we will take a closer examination onto things that we take for granted such as showering, shopping and even how we transport ourselves. You will find the read in this episode more driven to the lifestyle and more importantly, a strong call to action for readers like you, which you can not only do, but also share your own good works with the larger community out there. To seed acts of green on a daily basis.

So, have you done your act of green today?

WILSON ANG

LOW PUI YEEERIKA C. DIMAGUILA

SARAH SCHMIDT

JOVY CHAY

NORSALINDA ABDUL RAZAK

LYNDA YOUNG

SARAH SCHMIDTH MELISSA LOW

WILSON ANGC

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LIFESTYLE

COMMENTARY LIFESTYLE

EVENTS

NEWS

Do you know that a cyclist expends 56 calories of energy per kilometers,

whereas a car uses awhopping 2,976 calories

per kilometers?

Not a scientist? You can still save the world!By Low Pui Yee

13th ISSUE

124

I Took a Bath in Mineral Water!By Erika C. Dimaguila6Be bagged for your grocery – with your own designed bag!By Sarah Schmidt

By Sarah Schmidt

By Noraslinda Abdul Razak

9Book Review:Awakening Beauty – the Dr. Hauschka Way16

Re-live 201022Million Acts of

Green

10

By Jovy Chay

By Lynda Young

Eco-friendly lessons while shopping

14

Eco Music Challenge

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NOT A SCIENTIST?

By Low Pui Yee

YOU CAN STILL SAVETHE WORLD!

4 13th ISSUEEXPRESS COMMENTARY

'What do you want to be when you grow up?', is a question that we were frequently asked in our younger days. I've always fretted about not having a consistent answer –a lawyer, a painter, a police woman…

It turns out that my dream job did not exist ten years ago – A green collared job. A green collared job is defined by the United Nations Environment Program as 'work in agricultural, manufacturing, research and development (R&D), administrative, and service activities that contribute substantially to preserving or restoring environmental quality'. The concept of green collared jobs or green jobs only rose to prominence in recent years due to the increasing awareness and urgency of climate change.

While some of them have existed for a long time, new jobs are also being created to cater to the expanding 'green' sectors like renewable energy.

According to CareerBuilder.com, the top 25 green jobs for the future include hydrologists, environmental engineers, conservation biologists, ecologists... (see full list below)

Wait, must I do a science-related degree? But I hate labs! What about all the people who have

graduated with accountancy degrees but still want to work at something to help the environment? What happens to the rest of us without degrees in any science?

After some further research, rest assured that no matter what your skill set or expertise, you can still get decent work that involves helping the environment. Let's break this down by sectors:

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5EXPRESS COMMENTARY

Green movements around the world could not have taken off without NGOs run mostly by passion-driven volunteers. However, NGOs such as World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty towards Animals (SPCA) Singapore still need full time staff to manage and coordinate their projects. Business managers and fund-raising directors in particular have been included in the top 25 green jobs by CareerBuilder.com, the U.S.'s largest online job site.

It is no secret that governments play a huge role in the dealing with climate change through policy making. To come up with those policies and to implement them, not only do they need scientists but also economists, lawyers, auditors and numerous other non-science-related staff. While ministries like the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources and the Ministry of Transport are obvious choices, other branches of the government like the Ministry of Trade and Industry or Ministry of Health also need green-minded professionals to help craft policies, as climate change affects all sectors of our lives.

The above list of green collared jobs is by no means exhaustive. So don't fret if you graduated years ago with a non-science degree or if you didn't sign up for that new environmental engineering course. All of us can still do our part for mother earth with what we have.

Non-Government Organizations (NGOs)

Governments

One other sector with huge potential is the education sector. Teachers have always played an influential role in a person's development, and in these critical times, science teachers or any other teacher who teaches children about being responsible towards the environment would be making their mark on a new generation of leaders who would inherit this world in the future.

Children aside, many working adults and businesses would love to do their part for the environment but are not sure how to do so. While not every business can sell green products, there are numerous ways to make a company environmentally-friendly through adjustments in the production process or their CSR initiatives. Consulting and training is thus a growing sector that will fill that gap. While consultants such as Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) consultants would need technical qualifications, there would be a growing need for coordinators, marketing staff and people who can come up with innovative solutions, science degrees or no.

Education Sector

The renewable energy sectors aside, the private sector offers much potential for pretty much everything. Products wise, products that are environmentally-friendly – green products – are becoming popular. Companies in this market, like the local Olive Ventures, which was recently nominated for the Singapore Spirit of Enterprise Awards, would feature prominently in the future. Companies like these require people like accountants, marketing people or administrative staff like any other businesses. So if you're an accoun-tant and worry that you're not doing enough for the environment, work for a company that cares!

Last but not least, you can start your own company if you have a winning idea or green product! Entrepreneurs have always led the way in innovations and new ways of doing things. They also bring the pieces of puzzle together – from the innovation to the technology and finally to the hands of the consumer – and they may just be the key to a 'green' economy.

Private Sector

Conclusion

13th ISSUE

credit to parkmal

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By Erika C. Dimaguila

6 13th ISSUEEXPRESS COMMENTARY

No, I’m not a celebrity like Justin Timberlake who needs his door handles to be disinfected every few hours, or like Jennifer Lopez whose room temperature must be set at exactly 25.5 degrees Celsius. I am an average person, a young Filipina fresh graduate who cannot even afford her own air-conditioned room yet. And yes, I took a bath in bottles of mineral water—not because I was allergic to tap water, but because I had no choice.

Last summer in Iloilo City, the city where I come from, located in one of the 7,107 islands of the Philippines, temperatures rose so much that the tall grasses and weeds of the empty lots near my house have changed from a luscious green to a dehydrated mass of dull yellow. The immense heat and parched soil would so frequently trigger grassfires that wailing fire trucks became usual visitors of the village. Grassfires have become a common occurrence in Iloilo City and in my village; many vacant grassy lots suffer the damages of grassfires. How I wish I were exaggerating, but global warming is not just a concept in National Geographic magazines. It is a vivid, everyday reality to some.

With extreme heat, you can imagine how thirsty the earth was. Of course, not only the earth, the people were thirsty too.Water became almost a luxury. Water in reservoir and treatment plants had low water pressure, deep wells dried up, water tanks produced little, and drinking water became expensive. Water rationing had to be implemented by the city’s water district agency. In many households, water used for daily consumption had to be ordered from suppliers or bought at the nearby water station. As a result, washing, bathing and cleaning, mundane tasks in normal circumstances, proved otherwise. Once they were accomplished for the day; you would have to worry about tomorrow’s water supply. That’s how I ended up taking a few baths using half-gallons of mineral water.

Big businesses were affected too. The agriculture industry most probably suffered the most, as newspapers reported that the dry spell affected more than 33,000 hectares of rice lands in the Western Visayas region (the Philippines comprises 17 regions).

As Singapore celebrated International Water Week (28 June-2 July) this year, I hope to stress the vitality of water and maybe, make Singaporeans realize what they sometimes take for granted. Being a frequent visitor of this country, I enjoy turning on the faucet and drinking straight from it. Back home in the Philippines, you do the same thing only if you want to end up in the hospital for typhoid fever or dysentery.

Singapore is privileged to have superior sustainability plans for water resources. Back in the Philippines, problems of poor waste management and water pollution aggravate the effects of global warming and climate change in the everyday life of a Filipino. This renders the scarcity of water a more imminent problem during the driest months of the year. During the dry season, the scarcity of water becomes an “imminent” problem because it is expected and anticipated. No doubt, the El Niño phenomenon has made conditions worse.

Plagued by the El Niño phenomenon early in the year, the Philippines was about as dry as the cracks on pavements. The El Niño is an abnormal weather pattern caused by the warming of the Pacific Ocean. It is character-ized by climatic aberrations around the world—warming in South America, torrential rains in North America, and drought in Southeast Asia and Australia. This phenom-enon occurs every two to seven years. In layman’s terms, and in the Philippine setting, the El Niño phenomenon is a time when it barely rains and the land is blanketed by powerful heat waves that cause the earth to dry up and crack.

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7 13th ISSUEEXPRESS COMMENTARY

Real estate progress in Iloilo City was predicted to be stanched because investors were discouraged by the water crises. In the tourism sector, hotels had to compete for water to be delivered to them. more than 33,000 hectares of rice lands in the Western Visayas region (the Philippines comprises 17 regions).

My mother runs a hotel and she seemed to be on the phone 24 hours a day, negotiating with suppliers, making sure the hotel had enough water for a week at least. Once, in its most desperate condition, the hotel had to resort to paper plates for its guests in one function, because there was not enough water to wash used ceramic ones.

But here in Singapore, water supply is abundant, and the tagline of the International Water Week, “Sustainable Cities: Clean and Affordable Water!” is a reality. I am unsure if Singaporeans fully realize the convenience with which they are blessed. Ironically, the Philippines may be richer in natural resources, but it is overwhelmed by the misuse of these resources.

When you do recognize that water is not just an important commodity in our daily life, but a very crucial form of nourishment to the existence of living things, you will think twice about leaving the shower running a second longer. You will stop shrugging off tips on water conservation and think of them as helpful, and even obligatory to every human being. You will be ashamed of the number of PUB informational leaflets in the rubbish bins of HDB void decks. You will then become aware that indifference to environmental issues creates a domino effect of issues: pollution, global warming, water crisis, food shortage, business downturns.

So the next time you take a bath in clean water, be thankful. Do your part in keeping it that way, or else the day may come that you will have to take a bath in mineral water, not because of your wealth and glamour like the Hollywood celebrities, but because you had no other choice.

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9 13th ISSUEEXPRESS NEWS

An average person in Singapore shops for groceries at least twice in a week. This amount can go up to 4-5 times if shopping for a family.

By Sarah Schmidt

This makes 4 plastic bags a week, 16 plastic bags a month and almost 200 bags a year. This results in huge amounts of garbage produced by a single person from just doing grocery shopping! Many foreign countries charge up to 10 cents per bag taken, or have taken the initiative to implement Bring-Your-Own-Bag (BYOB) day. As a result, customers tend to bring recyclable bags to shop.

These bags are normally out of jute or organic cotton. There are thousands of different designs. You’ve got some with a company logo or some which are quite stylish.

Be bagged for your grocery – with your own designed bag!Jute bags are stylish and creatively designed by important designers such as Karl Lagerfield. These bags are extremely popular in America and Europe, and having gone about in Singapore, I’ve noticed that nobody uses such bags here. I’ve also tried searching around for them in various shopping malls and can safely say that they’re available for sale in select stores!

In the Roxy Store in Vivo City, at IKEA or at a small booth next to Selegie Road, all over the city you can find them. You can also buy them without any design or branding. In many printing stores there have the beige jute bags which you could design by yourself. With a piece of fabric or a few pearls you could make a nice flower on it. Or you just print a crazy picture on it. What about a funny slogan on your bag instead of your T-Shirt? Just let your creativity flow! To make use of these jute or canvas bags is of course stylish but the most important thing is that you additionally could change something.

You are able to reduce the garbage here in Singapore. You could get a free jute bag to create it the way you want here at ECO Singapore. You just have to pick it up at our office at Beach Road. The day has come… to change the world… with your own, by yourself, designed bag!

credit to Jak & Jill

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In support of the Earth Day Network Billion Acts of Green, ECO Singapore and it's Earth partners wish to showcase the efforts of Singaporeans to

preserve our environment for future generations. The Million Acts of Green website serves as the

repository of green acts committed by individuals and organizations in Singapore every day.

Through this website, individuals and organiza-tions can register their green acts and show their

commitment towards the environment.

We may be a small country, but that doesn't mean our passion for the environment is small. Through this campaign we aim to send a powerful message to the world that Singapore is committed to solv-ing climate change. The Earth Day network calls on all individuals and organizations in Singapore to rise to the greatest challenge of our time. By sharing our best and brightest ideas, Singapor-

ean's can work together to race us towards a sus-tainable future.

We know the million acts are out there, now it's time to proudly stand and show the world that

Singapore cares

www.MillionActsofGreen.sg

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12 13th ISSUEEXPRESS LIFESTYLE

By Lynda Young

credit to gwheelerdoyourpart.xanga.com

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13th ISSUE

addictive. In Feb 2010, the Straits Times featured the story of Ms. Stani Martinkova and Mr. Richard Ferge, who gave up all they had in UK and France, to tour the world on bicycles and are now on their second leg of their world travel.

Stani’s love of cycling originated from her days as a student on a shoestring budget. Benefits such as skipping the waiting time on public transport, saving on travel expenses, drew her closer to cycling. Soon she was taking her bicycle on short trips and the rest is history.

More recently, a social enterprise courier services, ECO Messenger, has also leveraging on this opportunity to promote cycling by providing delivery services with a fleet of zesty young cyclist within the Central Business District area of Singapore.

This way, companies can also choose to deliver their stuffs in a greener manner.

Think about it, compared to motorised transportation, non-motorised transportation such as cycling retains the advantage of emitting ZERO carbon gases and fumes.

In the 1996 science fiction film, Independence Day, Jeff Goldblum’s character David Levinson is a computer expert and environ-mentalist, who abhorred cigarettes and insisted on using the recycling bin for canned drinks. He cycled no matter where he went, even in the midst of a looming alien invasion. The threat to our environment which we are facing today is no fiction but a fact. We face the genuine danger of runaway climate change, if people do not start to change their consump-tion habits.

Green enthusiasts would hardly give a second thought to the idea that cycling is greener than driving. However, many in Singapore are turned off by the idea of cycling, due to climate constraints, hot weather, lack of favourable traffic conditions and traveling time.

Nonetheless, there is proof that cycling is not only convenient once you get the hang of it, but also beneficial to your health. Firstly, it is a healthy cardiovascular exercise as well that works out your thigh and butt muscles. Think about replacing monotonous squatting exercises with a breezy, scenic bicycle ride each morning Secondly, there is a recent research stating that the amount of carbon monoxide concentration is 10 times higher in cars than by the roadside.

Cycling is not only beneficial, but also

Visit http://gwheelerdoyourpart.xanga.com to find out more about ways to Go Green, or Join G.Wheeler’s facebook group at

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=189420899391&ref=ts

t

The Time is NOW.Are you READYto ACT?

Post your Daily Green Act tohttp://millionactsofgreen.sg/ NOW!

that reducing your driving by 20% will lower your contribution to global warm-

ing and air pollution by 5%?

that a cyclist expends 56 calories of energy per kilometers, whereas a car uses

a whopping 2,976 calories per kilometers?

that producing 1 motor vehicle is equiva-lent to producing 100 high quality

bicycles in terms of the material used in its manufacturing process?

13EXPRESS LIFESTYLE

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By Jovy Chay

14 13th ISSUEEXPRESS LIFESTYLE

Malls in Singapore are places filled with people going about their shopping and eating, unconcerned about the environment. ‘Eco-friendly’ shopping or sustainable consumption rarely comes to mind.

Most Singaporeans enjoy shopping in air-conditioned environments because it heightens their comfort levels, especially in Singapore’s humid and tropical climate. Is there a shopping centre in Singapore that would make you stop and think about ‘saving the earth’? CDL’s City Square Mall is being marketed as being the first ECO Mall in Singapore.

Excited, I’ve personally went to check it out and here are 5 ways in which this mall had done in her effort to save Mother Earth.

Eco-friendly lessons while shopping

credit to City Square MallC

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15 13th ISSUEEXPRESS LIFESTYLE

Believe it or not, energy efficient features in City Square Mall save over 11 million kWh of electricity per year. These features include high-efficiency air-conditioning plant system, motorised sunshades to reduce heat penetration, motion detectors for toilets and staircases, as well as auto lighting and slow-down features for lifts and escalators, just to name a few.

Incidentally, it was interesting to learn as well after my visit to City Square Mall that Capitaland’s Sebawang

Shopping Centre, has many similar features, especially the solar panels on its rooftops. Looking at all structural

implementations, it seems that it isn’t too difficult to change a mall to be a green building. Infact, it makes

financial sense to do so.

Rather, what we need to look into now is the attitude of the people going to the mall, the next step forward. How

do we go beyond the hardware, to the heartware? It is about individual responsibility. How conscious were you

when you last went to a mall to buy your stuffs?

So, will this eco-mall be the first and the last in Singa-pore? Since its launch till now, it has received several

successful media coverage. Will it be successful in promoting a greener lifestyle among us who lives and

work in Singapore?

1Minimize energy usage

The eco-attitude is contagious! When you recycle, you are already influencing more to do so. Apart from being odour-free and pest-free, City Square Mall’s waste disposal system is installed with twin-chutes for separation of general and food waste for easy recycling.

2Recycling

Water is precious. If this is what our elders have taught us, City Square Mall has certainly been brought up well. Some of its water efficient features include rainwater harvesting for plants irrigation and waterless urinals that saves an estimated 3,000m3 of water annually for the mall.

3Save water

If you own a Hybrid or an Electric car, you do not have to go round and round in search for a parking lot at City Square Mall. That’s right, owners of these eco-friendly vehicles have the benefit of dedicated parking lots. Maybe this will add another reason for one to swap to an environmentally-friendly vehicle.

4 Recognise those who do

It’s hard to miss City Square Mall’s eco-gadgets and eco-tips, given that there are so many of them planted around! Interactive eco-kiosks, environmental-themed sculptures and even real-time display of indoor environmental performance. One trip there and you will be inspired to be constantly mindful of your environmental footprints. Yes, even while walking to and in the restrooms! What a strategic location to have information on Earth painted along the corridors to the toilet as well as behind the doors of each cubicle! Firstly you won’t miss it. Secondly you have to walk past at least twice, to and fro!

5 Raise public awareness

What do you think?

credit to City Square Mall

credit to City Square Mall

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When I started reading this Book I didn’t know what to expect, but I was sure to read a marketing book which Dr. Hauschka released to sell its products. Reading Awakening Beauty surprisingly offered me something completely different; this book shows you how you can heal yourself and your skin with or without the products of Dr. Hauschka.

Susan West Kurz, the author of the book, nurtured Dr.Hauschka Skin Care, Inc. from a modest import business to the U.S. supplier of the industry's premiere holistic skin care brand. She is renowned as an expert on holistic beauty. Tom Monte, who supported Susan West Kurz in writing this book, is one of the most prolific authors and teachers of natural healing in the world. He has written more than 30 books and hundreds of articles.

credit to organiclifeandstyle.com

By Sarah Schmidt

Awakening Beauty-the Dr. Hauschka Way

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17EXPRESS

Awakening Beauty shows you how important a holistic approach is and why you have different steps in your life which are asking for different treatments and what you can do to have a healthy body, mind and skin. A twelve step program shows you exactly what you have to do to make sure that you reach your goal to get a healthy and sustainable lifestyle which awakes you inner and outer beauty. Additional the book gives you delicious and healthy menus and recipes.

The vast majority of ingredients in the Dr.Hauschka Skin Care line are Biodynami-cally and organically grown and harvested, and not a single ingredient comes from an organization involved in animal testing. Ingredients are also selected on account of its source, whether it came from an ecologically and ethically sound source. Eco-conscious packaging and natural botanical preservatives help keep products

fresh without the use of chemical additives. Many of the plants and herbal ingredients used in Dr. Hauschka products are found in sporadic geographical locations. It is important then, to realize how important a healthy planet is to create healthy products for human kind.

The book continued to intrigue me from the first to the last page. It has given me a deeper and different perspective about sustainable consumption of everyday beauty products. My own rhythm, my inner contentment and loving me the way I am are main factors in feeling and being beautiful. A healthy and herbal diet is as much important as a healthy and herbal skincare. This book has shown me how I can change my life and I am highly motivated to try a lot of the recipes for my skincare as well as for my diet, I will make yoga and treat me with getting nice massages.

Because of the way Susan West Kuntz and Tom Monte wrote and designed the book I enjoyed it a lot to read every single page. My recommendation; read this book and awaken your beauty.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages • Publisher:

Clarkson Potter (May 9, 2006) • Language: English

• ISBN-10: 1400097436 • ISBN-13: 978-1400097432

• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.9 x 0.7 inches

“If only you would smile, you would be beautiful”

LIFESTYLE / BOOK REVIEW 13th ISSUE

is just one sentence that reminds you how important it is to love yourself and treat yourself to your best abilities. Hear on your inner voice and follow your own rhythm is one of the key solutions.

This book illustrates how healthy plants and herbs are for your skin as well as for you whole body and why they could help you to be the person you would like to be. It describes which plants and herbs appear where and why they could heal. Also it shows how your skin is buoyed and how you have to treat it right. Additionally you get a lot of information on how you can make your cleansing and skincare products on your own. You also find information about a few Dr. Hauschka products but this information is not intrusively in any way.

credit to ellecanada.com & petrawobmann.ch

credit to drhauschkaskincare.com

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The Eco Music Challenge 2010 underscores NEA’s ongoing efforts to galvanise everyone to play a part for the environment.

It also represents the second wave of NEA’s youth environmental engagement programme through music, following the successful launch of the Clean and Green Singapore 2010 Song, “Let’s Make Our World the Most Beautiful Home”.

The Eco Music Challenge is an online song-writing competition that kick-started in July 2010, to search for talented and passionate individuals to express their appreciation and support for our beautiful environment through music. The finalists under went three fruitful weeks of training in preparation for the Grand Finale performance at Orchard Central last Saturday, 23 October 2010. The National Environment Agency’s (NEA) inaugural Eco Music Challenge 2010 ended with a bang as Rafaee Mahmood emerged the winner among 13 talented finalists with the song “Heaven on Earth”. Close to 800 participants and 300 songs were written for a Clean and Green environment but in the end Rafaee could hold sway and won the Eco Music Challenge 2010.

More information about the Eco Music Challenge you can find at http://www.nea.ecomusic.sg/index.php.

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22 13th ISSUEEXPRESS EVENTS

Re-Live! is an annual trademark event of ECO Singapore that is being carried on annually on World Environment Day to promote greener lifestyle among Singaporeans through its six approachesof how individual can change our consumption habits. This initiative has been ongoing since 2008 where it is being carried out in the bustling centre of Singapore. However, taking a step forward, the organisation has decided to take on a new spin this year onwards.

Instead of just hitting in the heart of the city, where most of the audience we have reached out to are perhaps as knowledgeable about the current state of the environment and what they can do, it was decided that it was time to venture into the heartlands, to harness the energy of the young people as catalyst in engaging families. Bearing in mind the different target audience that the outreach is meant for, a series of activities and setup content had to be tailored differently.

By Noraslinda Abdul Razak

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credit to ecotv

23 13th ISSUEEXPRESS EVENTS

The setup of the event was done slightly different. In order to garner participants, the organiser brought in a mini bazaar as well as kiddy rides to draw attention for the public to come in instead of just an exhibition which wouldn’t me too much of an attraction for the public to walk into.

As a participant, the activities that were installed for us were both interactive and engaging.

Firstly, there were questionnaires, which aid our understanding on the different aspects of the environment. This activity required us to walk around and read through the carefully crafted information panels to find the answers. Instead of being tired, the information presented helped stimulate our interested, whereas the idea of wanting to get it all correct motivated us to read through all the panels, which allowed us to learn more about the various issues. After the questionnaire, the volunteers took time to go through with us the correct answers and even provide value added information that often surprises us. From observation of the other participants, one can realize that this simple activity at the exhibition facilitated family bonding when you see the parent coaching their children for the correct answers.

I have learned a great deal spending about an hour there and I believe strongly that the public too felt the same way as I did. And with much hope, I look forward for this event to continue to travel to the various heartland locations and continue to share with the “heartlanders” the rationale behind why we should start re-thinking the way we live and be motivated to begin the change in their lifestyle now.form of encouragement, and also a reminder of what we can do after leaving the exhibition.

Other Green Efforts done at the event:

• Drink stalls to provide discount to members of public who bring their own bottles to purchase drinks

• Sales of Hybrid Cars

Keep a look out for the next Re-Live @ Heartlands coming neear to you

• Selling of plants to encourage home planting in residential estates• Place up information panels on the bazaar side of the event• Have the event be powered by biodisels simple token of appreciation was also given as a form of encouragement, and also a reminder of what we can do after leaving the exhibition.

• Have participating vendors (non-food) to reduce giving our plastic bags

Upon the completion of the questionnaire and listening to the volunteer’s explanation, a simple token of appreciation was also given as a form of encouragement, and also a reminder of what we can do after leaving the exhibition.

Apart from the questionnaire, there were movie screening in evenings as well as short videos on various TV panels around the exhibition, adding on to the fun part of the roadshow. Be it short video or the various full-length movie screenings that were shown, all these were more entertaining than the usually way of preaching information to members of the public. The small bits of bite sized facts and what we can do for the environment sticks easily through these engagements.

On the issue of energy, one of the engagements that was placed was the Energy Bike. The bike challenge was quite fun as we pedalled our way, on a stationary bike to generate electricity which in turn will switch the light bulbs and radio on. We could use it to compare the various electrical appliances and how much energy it will take us. This was well received by the kids who are ever so eager to get some work done.

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13th ISSUE

Coca-Cola Singapore proudly shows us how to ‘Live Positively’ in their efforts to create a sustainable packaging strategy by participating in the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) for their 6th year, together with their families, agency partners, and students from Nanyang Polytechnic. A global commitment to make a positive difference everywhere is how The Coca-Cola Company does business, and reducing their impact on the environment is what spurs them to continuously support the ICC.

Jeff Seabright, Vice President for Environment and Water Resources of The Coca-Cola Company explains: “The Coca-Cola Company and its bottling partners are committed to helping create healthy environments in the communities we serve. Being a sponsor and active participant in the International Coastal Cleanup is one way we demonstrate that dedication… we are inspired... and encouraged to continue to improve our sustainable packaging strategy”.

A whopping 396kg of trash was collected, and every piece of rubbish was recorded meticulously. A team from the National University of Singapore will be using these statistics for ocean study, and they will also be fed into international databases for similar studies. The National Environmental Agency will use this data as well to make environmental policy recommendations. Results from past ICC over the years has helped shape efforts such as the campaign to “Use Fewer Plastic Bags”.

Coca-Cola Singapore is a dedicated champion of the ICC because they realize how much they can do to be a role model for proper waste disposal.

Antonio Del Rosario, General Manager, Coca-Cola Singapore explains this: “An estimated 25 percent of total debris collected last year was beverage-related items. The Coca-Cola system is working to advance a global sustainable packaging strategy aimed at preventing waste over the life of our packaging. This global effort provides an opportunity for us to raise awareness about the importance of preventing litter and show our support for keeping our oceans free of debris.”

Coca-Cola does its part for the environment

Coca-Cola Singapore is a three-time award recipient at the 3R Packaging Awards given by the Singapore Packaging Agreement to recognise organizations that aim

to reduce their use of packaging. In 2009, the Company’s efforts resulted in savings of 203 tonnes of PET (the plastic used to make bottles).

3R Packaging AwardCoca-Cola Singapore implemented several measures to reduce

PET packaging waste in the first quarter of 2009, in conjunction with the upgrading of the PET line.

In the previous year, the weight of the 500ml and 1.5 litre PET bottles was reduced by 2g each to 27.5g and 46g, respectively. This year, the weight of

the 500ml bottles was further reduced from 27.5g to 25.0g while the weight of the 1.5 litre PET bottles was lightened from 46g to 44g.

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