Eco Allies: Building Connections While Cleaning Our Environment

Written by Kevan Singh

With 2024 designated as the Year of Public Hygiene, activities centred around public cleanliness were a key feature of Go Green SG 2024.

Besides public clean-ups, partners also organised smaller-scale clean-ups within their own communities. One of these was NetWalking, which brought together advocates from Singapore’s biodiversity and sustainability communities. Held on 6 Jul 2024 at East Coast Park, NetWalking was co-organised by LepakInSG (a local environmental group that organises activities to raise action and awareness on environmental issues) and Stridy (a not-for-profit organisation that focuses on waste management issues) to promote a platform for cross-pollination of environmental ideas.

Wesley Teng, a Raffles Junior College student and one of the participants, appreciated that the clean-up event also encouraged environmental discussion. “When people see [others] working together to help Singapore, it helps motivate them to keep Singapore clean as well. When public events like this [happen], it helps to build awareness so that other people can then start their own clean-ups”, Wesley added.

Not only did NetWalking help keep the environment clean, but it also “[helped] people to connect with the environment around them”, Wesley further shared.

Cigarette butts made up the bulk of the litter collected during the activity. Yasser Amin, Chief Stridy Officer, Stridy, educated participants on the fact that cigarette filters are constructed of cellulose acetate, which is non-biodegradable. He also emphasised the importance of using different techniques for removing various types of environmental litter so that clean-ups can be as efficient as possible.

Oviya Namo, a Singapore Institute of Technology aerospace engineering student, who took part in the event despite the hot weather, remarked that there was also an additional significance to the event to remind people to do their part for climate change.

Participants ended the activity on a positive note. After a discussion, participants shared their thoughts on the future of Long Island, hoping that it would achieve the goals of coastal protection, while providing a conducive environment for biodiversity conservation and recreation activities.

Oviya further added, “Go Green SG is all about awareness and getting the general environmental knowledge out to the public. I’m happy to see that Singaporeans are actually interested in going for these initiatives all around Singapore!”