Thinking Outside the Box: Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital's Upcycling Efforts

Written by Wong Wai Cheng

In a world of diminishing resources, it is more essential than ever to minimise resource wastage and practise the 3Rs of Zero Waste – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

Healthcare institution Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital (KWSH), one of our Go Green SG partners, has shown that the 3Rs can be easy with its launch of Think Outside the Box, a month-long creative upcycling competition for its staff. The competition challenged hospital staff to find creative upcycling ideas for its abundance of cardboard boxes, which KWSH accumulates through the regular procurement of medical consumables and operational supplies.

40 KWSH staff created a range of creative, aesthetic, and functional products out of the cardboard boxes – from useful office stationery like laptop stands, to a cheeky gadget to help you decide your lunch meal.

Used cardboard boxes can also be upcycled in its original shape. An example is Boxed Bounty where the cardboard boxes are used to grow fresh produce. KWSH staff Satvinder Kaur layered used paper, compost (such as coffee powder and unwanted fruit peels), and soil to create a conducive environment for crops to grow.

Think Outside the Box is not the only activity that KWSH initiated in support of Go Green SG. Just last month, the hospital held a clothes swap event titled ‘Swap, Don’t Shop!’, where hospital staff exchanged close to a thousand clothing items.

KWSH has also been upgrading its infrastructure to enhance the building’s sustainability. This includes installing solar panels to harness green energy and upgrading the building’s insulation to ensure better air quality for its patients and staff. KWSH has also pledged to continue engaging its staff to encourage them to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle.

Want to find out what other organisations, corporate partners, and schools are doing in support of Go Green SG? Check out this page!