[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/community\/world-cleanup-day-2022-working-hand-in-hand-to-clear-marine-litter\/#NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/community\/world-cleanup-day-2022-working-hand-in-hand-to-clear-marine-litter\/","headline":"World Cleanup Day 2022: Working hand-in-hand to clear marine litter","name":"World Cleanup Day 2022: Working hand-in-hand to clear marine litter","description":"One hundred and eighty kilograms or the weight of three average Singaporeans \u2014 that was how much marine litter was picked up by volunteers at Yishun Dam on the World Cleanup Day, 17 Sep. The aim of the cleanup on Saturday, organised by educational consultant Green Nudge and UNIQLO Singapore, was to promote sustainability. About […]","datePublished":"2022-09-19","dateModified":"2022-09-21","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/james_yau\/#Person","name":"James Yau","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/james_yau\/","identifier":849,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/James-Yau-100x100.jpg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/James-Yau-100x100.jpg","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"TheHomeGround Asia","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","width":640,"height":640}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/World-Cleanup-Day-S_TheHomeGround-Asia.jpg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/World-Cleanup-Day-S_TheHomeGround-Asia.jpg","height":900,"width":1600},"url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/community\/world-cleanup-day-2022-working-hand-in-hand-to-clear-marine-litter\/","about":["Community","Environment"],"wordCount":1161,"keywords":["Green Nudge","Heng Li Seng","International Coastal Cleanup Day","Marine Debris","Marine Litter","Marine Waste","Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore","Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment","MPA","MSE","National Action Strategy Addressing Marine Litter In Singapore","sustainability","UNIQLO","UNIQLO Singapore","World Cleanup Day"],"articleBody":"One hundred and eighty kilograms or the weight of three average Singaporeans \u2014 that was how much marine litter was picked up by volunteers at Yishun Dam on the World Cleanup Day, 17 Sep.The aim of the cleanup on Saturday, organised by educational consultant Green Nudge and UNIQLO Singapore, was to promote sustainability. About 30 volunteers got their hands dirty, with another 30 waiting in the wings to do the same on 24 Sep.\u201cUNIQLO joins multi-sectoral partners in making positive changes for our marine environment, which is important to protect biodiversity for the long-term sustainable development of Singapore \u2026 We look forward to inspiring everyone to join us in protecting our precious oceans and their rich marine biodiversity,\u201d said Senior Director for Sustainability at UNIQLO Singapore Hwee Lee.\u201cIn the last two to three years, there\u2019s been increased awareness and attention about sustainability, particularly marine litter. We are seeing a lot more cleanups carried out by ourselves, with different companies,\u201d said founder of Green Nudge Heng Li Seng. He added that the move, carried out by a commercial company for its customers, is a relatively uncommon one.\u00a0\u00a03Ps: People-Private-PublicIn June 2022, the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) published its first National Action Strategy Addressing Marine Litter In Singapore, which aims to \u201csummarise and outline Singapore\u2019s various actions and measures to combat the issue of marine litter across six priority areas\u201d.Part of the strategy included the collaboration of people, private companies, and public agencies.Reducing marine litter and promoting sustainability requires the engagement of different stakeholders. (Photo source: TheHomeGround Asia)Mr Heng said that many companies are at the stage where they are trying to engage their customers.\u00a0\u201cConsumers might not always be homogenous, likewise for companies. It\u2019s very heartening that companies are taking the time to engage the customers. Usually the transactions with customers are one-way, but right now\u00a0 the two parties are taking the time to work together,\u201d he said.This trust goes a long way when claims about greenwashing are rife. Greenwashing is a form of advertising or marketing spin in which green PR and green marketing are deceptively used to persuade the public that an organisation’s products, aims and policies are environmentally friendly.\u00a0DPM Heng Swee Keat noted its impacts in the financial sector in June and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has introduced guidelines that are taking effect in January 2023 to reduce greenwashing risk.\u00a0\u201cI cannot deny that there are companies that steer towards greenwashing. There is a risk of that. As consumers, we need to be more curious about what is being put out and ask more questions as well,\u201d said Mr Heng of Green Nudge.In addition to the cleanup, UNIQLO Singapore pledged a cash donation of S$20,000 to protect marine biodiversity in Singapore. The donation will be channelled to the Garden City Fund\u2019s Plant-A-Coral, Seed-A- Reef Programme, which supports the habitat enhancement efforts at the Sisters\u2019 Islands Marine Park.According to Mr Heng, approximately 800 metre stretch of coastline along the dam is designated state land and is not publicly accessible. This means official approval is needed to organise a cleanup there.\u00a0\u201cBecause of that, cleaners don\u2019t come here very often and so the trash accumulates fairly regularly. When we have a group of individuals that really support us, we like to bring them to these areas where the help is meaningful,\u201d said Mr Heng.The trash accumulated at Yishun Dam, captured on 14 April 2020. (Photo source: The Straits Times\/ Desmond Foo)Yishun Dam was built in 1983 to separate the fresh water in the Lower Seletar Reservoir from the sea. In April 2020, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) confirmed a four-day cleanup of the area after reports of the accumulation of large amounts of trash there.\u201cBecause we\u2019ve built some level of credibility and trust with the public agencies, we can approach them to let us do something about it,\u201d said Mr Heng.Mr Heng adds that marine litter found around the different coastlines of Singapore are results of human activities as well as the tides. In June 2021, copious amounts of trash were reported around the waters of Marina South Pier which was attributed to the timing of the Southwest Monsoon.In Aug 2021, Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Desmond Tan said in a parliamentary reply that the National Environmental Agency (NEA) cleared an average of about 3,500 tonnes of marine debris that washed onto our beaches each year in 2019 and 2020, while the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) collected, on average, about 1,000 tonnes of flotsam from the sea each year. He was responding to MP for the Nee Soon GRC Louis Ng\u2019s query on marine debris.\u00a0Mr Tan added that apportioning the data on marine litter to different sources is \u201cinherently challenging as there is currently no internationally accepted methodology to conclusively determine the origins of transboundary marine litter\u201d.A two-year study conducted by the NEA to understand the levels and pathways of marine litter and microplastics in the waters in and around Singapore was announced to support recommendations for future initiatives.World Cleanup Day 2022Among the litter picked on 17 Sep, some surprising finds included a mouth guard, umbrella, and a drawer, while the most common sights were styrofoam packaging, plastic bottles, and plastic straws. The 180kg collected was sent to be sorted, recycled, and properly disposed of.A bottle entrenched deep, mystery mouth guard, and an umbrella were amongst the sights of the day. (Photo source: TheHomeGround Asia)More effort into awareness and consumption habits need to be made for longer term impacts. (Photo source: TheHomeGround Asia)\u201cThis is my third time joining such an initiative. I find it very meaningful as it creates awareness for sustainable living and a greener future. If everyone could adopt such practices and spread the message, I think we\u2019ll have a cleaner home and future,\u201d said participant Gary Peh.Mr Peh, who joined his first cleanup earlier in the year, said that he has since been more conscious of his use of single-use plastics and disposing of his litter.\u201cMy first experience at a cleanup was a shocker. There\u2019s too much rubbish for a group of even 50 to clean up. We need more people and clean more frequently to have a greater impact,\u201d he added.For people looking to make a conscientious start towards a more sustainable lifestyle, Mr Heng said, \u201clesser but better\u201d.\u201cIf you\u2019re someone who\u2019s starting out, it’s helpful to understand what’s happening. Buy less but better quality items. For those who are already aware, take part in engagements and sharing with others. Leverage your roles as a consumer to engage with companies politely where there can be room for improvement. To do it together, companies will start to shift,\u201d he said.RELATED: What\u2019s up with the OneMillionTrees Movement?Join the conversations on TheHomeGround Asia\u2019s Facebook and Instagram, and get the latest updates via Telegram."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Community","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/community\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"World Cleanup Day 2022: Working hand-in-hand to clear marine litter","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/community\/world-cleanup-day-2022-working-hand-in-hand-to-clear-marine-litter\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]