Life in Plastic Isn’t All That Fantastic

We have come a long way from ditzy dance-pop tunes. One might be tempted to laugh while pulling out a plastic Ken doll from the sand, but when faced with the cold hard fact that the amount of plastic trash in our ecosystem is increasing at an alarming rate, one quickly realises that it is no laughing matter.

The situation is critical. If we do nothing, by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean.

To do our part in averting this disastrous situation, CapitaLand, together with Trash Heroes Singapore organised a beach cleanup to keep our beaches and waterways clean. On the morning of 22^nd March 2019, 29 CapitaLand staff volunteers and 10 kids headed for Coney Island.

Armed with protective gloves, metal tongs, metal sieves and trash bags, our volunteers got busy under the blistering sun. With Singapore’s reputation as a clean and green city, our volunteers were shocked to discover the amount of trash along the beach. Over a 50-metre stretch along the beach, our plucky volunteers managed to pick up over 110kg worth of trash in an hour. 

While the adults got busy, the little ones weren’t slacking off either. The beach was littered with microplastics and styrofoam bits. Here, the metal sieves came in handy as our kid volunteers ‘fished’ out bits of plastic from the water. Picking up every single piece from the beach would prove to be (almost) impossible.

One of our junior volunteers, Ms Sylvia Soh, 7 years old, said: “The styrofoam was everywhere and it could be mistaken as food by sea animals. We need to throw our rubbish in the waste bin and not litter to protect the sea animals.”

But fret not! There is still hope. 

2019 has been designated as Singapore’s Year Towards Zero Waste. Most recently, the European Union lawmakers have also legislated a ban on single-use plastic in the EU by 2021.  Global movements and educational campaigns held by non-government organisations (NGO) like the World Wide Fund for Nature's (WWF) Earth Hour are also encouraging the community to reduce their trash and be kinder to the environment. 

The adage “Reduce, Reuse & Recycle” is once again in vogue. More than just alliterative wordplay, there is a reason why ‘reduce’ is placed first. It is the first step towards a greener planet. If we have ‘reduced’ in the first place, there will be no need to reuse or even recycle. In recent years, two new ‘R's have been added. It is now ‘Refuse, Reduce, Repurpose, Reuse and Recycle.” Say ‘No’ and make a impact with your decision as a consumer!

After spending a morning picking up trash, our volunteers have definitely received the message.

Staff volunteer Ms Cindy Tiah, Senior Executive, Group Technology said: “Everyone’s effort really makes a difference in keeping our environment clean and livable for all. More attention is needed in keeping our environment free from trash. Such cleanup activities definitely motivate me to do more. In the future, I will use less plastics bags and bring recyclable bags when I do my grocery shopping and refuse the use of facial & skincare products with plastic microbeads in them.” 

Everyone has the capacity to do something. No time to volunteer? Simple changes like using a reusable bottle, cup, straw or container will go a long way towards making a difference. Before you make that purchase, consider the following:

·         Do I need it?
·         How long will I use my purchase?
·         Can I reject any single-use plastic? Do I really need this plastic bag, lid or straw?
·         Do I know how the item will be disposed of after I am done using it?
·         Can I reuse the packaging or the item after I am done with it?
·         Is there an alternative I can choose to lessen my environmental impact?
·         Is this item recyclable?

A cynic might ask, ‘What is one more plastic bottle?’

Well, now imagine 5 million people in Singapore asking the same question.

The power is yours!

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