CGS Day 2024

CGS Community Events 2024

Launch of CleanPod and Clean-up at West Coast Park

This year’s Clean and Green Singapore (CGS) Day is hosted by the South West Community Development Council (CDC) and held in partnership with National University of Singapore (NUS).

In support of 2024 as the Year of Public Hygiene, CGS Day this year was kickstarted with the opening of a new Public Hygiene Council (PHC) CleanPod at West Coast Park, by Guest of Honour, Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Heng Swee Keat, together with Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Community, Culture and Youth and Ministry of Trade and Industry, Mayor of South West District Ms Low Yen Ling. CleanPods are sheds located across parks, beaches, and housing estates, where the public can access litter-picking tools such as tongs and pails, to organise their own community clean-ups. DPM Heng and Mayor Low joined residents, local grassroots, PA Youth Movement and NUS student volunteers in putting the new CleanPod to immediate use, with a community clean-up of the park.

They were joined by:

• Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations

• Mr Desmond Lee, Minister for National Development & Minister-in-charge of Social Services Integration

• Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment & Ministry of Transport

• Mr Baey Yam Keng, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment & Ministry of Transport

• Mr Don Wee, Adviser to Chua Chu Kang GRC Grassroots Organisations (Brickland)

• Ms Rachel Ong, Adviser to Telok Blangah Grassroots Organisations

• Mr Andrew Khng, Chairman of the Public Hygiene Council (PHC)

Tree Planting

Under the OneMillionTrees Movement by National Parks Board (NParks), NUS has committed to planting 100,000 trees on their campus by 2030. DPM Heng, together with Mayor Low, joined NUS staff and students to plant the 50,000th tree, bringing NUS to the halfway mark of their goal. The tree planted this year is Margaritaria indica, with an existing individual in NUS campus listed as a Heritage Tree in Singapore.

Environmental Services Star and Community-In-Bloom Ambassador Awards Ceremony

To recognise the efforts of individuals and Environmental Services employees who have made exceptional efforts in caring for Singapore’s environment, DPM Heng also presented the Environmental Services Star Awards and the Community-In-Bloom Ambassador Awards. These awards celebrate the outstanding achievements and inspiring environmental contributions of individuals in creating a Clean, Green and sustainable Singapore.

Exhibition Showcase

South West CDC showcased a series of programmes and initiatives such as Clean Up @ South West, Green Spaces @ South West, Young Technopreneur Challenge and Sustainability Living Testbed Initiative under the Sustainable South West Masterplan.

NUS showcased efforts towards a biophilic and Zero Waste Campus supporting Campus Sustainability Roadmap 2030 .  

ECO Paddle with Ola

Eco Paddle with Ola' was held on 13 October 2024, at Siloso Beach in Sentosa, co-organised by Ola Beach Club and the National Environment Agency (NEA). The event is part of a series of clean-up activities across Singapore this year, at residential estates, beaches, parks, reservoirs and waterways, in support of 2024 as the Year of Public Hygiene.

Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, Mr. Baey Yam Keng, joined more than 100 volunteers from the community, Coca-Cola Singapore, Public Hygiene Council, NEA Volunteer Corps, Singapore Paddle Club, Sentosa Development Corp (SDC) and Friends of ACE (a migrant worker volunteer network under the Ministry of Manpower) to clean up the shoreline, both from kayaks as well as on land. Soffell Singapore also supported the event by sponsoring insect repellents for all participants. The event was also supported by sponsors, such as Mount Faber Leisure Group, Soffell Singapore, and SDC.

In addition to a meaningful Sunday morning on the island, Mr Baey visited the "Rallying Island Sustainability Efforts" RISE exhibition at Sentosa's Beach Station, where SDC representatives showcased various sustainability initiatives such as solarisation, recycling, electric vehicle adoption, farm-to-table practices, waste management and marine habitat conservation. Mr Baey also participated in the miniTrashlab workshop hosted by Mount Faber Leisure Group. During this session, participants exercised their creativity by repurposing materials from retired kayaks, Skyline Luge carts, and other plastic waste to create decorative bowls, which they could then take home.

The event highlights the important role volunteers play in contributing to a clean environment, as well as supporting marine conservation efforts.

International E-Waste Day 2024 (IEWD)

International E-Waste Day (IEWD) is organised annually, to raise public awareness on e-waste recycling and to encourage members of public to recycle their e-waste. The theme for IEWD 2024 was “Secure E-Waste Recycling: Let’s Make a Difference Together”, and focused on data security. The event was co-organised by the National Environment Agency and ALBA E-Waste Smart Recycling, the appointed operator of the Producer Responsibility Scheme for E-Waste.

Launched by Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment, Dr Amy Khor, on 13 October 2024 at Westgate Mall, IEWD 2024 helped raise public awareness of the secure recycling of data-bearing devices such as mobile phones and laptops. Participants learned more about e-waste management, especially the data sanitisation and dismantling processes that the e-waste recyclers undertake, by visiting the many educational booths and activities by ALBA E-Waste Smart Recycling and other industry and community stakeholders.

IEWD 2024 also served as a platform to recognise and celebrate the efforts and support from various stakeholders who have contributed to e-waste management, and underscored the overall importance of recycling, including e-waste, in Singapore, as we move towards becoming a zero-waste nation.

Community Clean Up @ Upper Boon Keng

On 19 October 2024, Senior Minister of State for the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, Dr. Koh Poh Koon joined over 50 volunteers for the Community Clean Up @ Upper Boon Keng event. The event brought together a diverse group comprising SG Clean Ambassadors, Kolam Ayer Grassroots Organisations, migrant workers volunteers, and representatives from the Federation of Merchants' Associations Singapore and Kao Singapore. SMS Koh was joined by Minister for the Ministry of Digital Development and Information, Ms Josephine Teo, who serves as the Adviser to Kolam Ayer Grassroots Organisations (GROs).

The group of volunteers fanned out across the Upper Boon Keng neighbourhood, picking up all the litter they could find. Their collective efforts not only improved the area's cleanliness but also demonstrated how stakeholders from a wide variety of different communities can come together, for the common cause of keeping shared public spaces clean.

In addition to joining the litter-picking activities, SMS Koh and Minister Josephine distributed Magiclean disinfectants and kitchen cleaners, sponsored by Kao Singapore, to the hawkers at Upper Boon Keng Market & Food Centre. This initiative was a gesture of appreciation to the hawkers, for their important role in providing safe, delicious food for everyone, through good hygiene practices, and also supports 2024 as the Year of Public Hygiene.

The Community Clean Up @ Upper Boon Keng helped shine a spotlight on the community spirit of taking greater ownership of the environment, in action. Ground-up community activities such as this are the core driver of the Clean & Green Singapore movement.

Race to Sustainability! 2024

On 23 October 2024, Gardens by the Bay hosted its annual flagship educational programme, Race to Sustainability! This year, for the first time, the event was expanded from upper primary and secondary students, to include lower primary and tertiary students as well. This year’s theme centres on exploring sustainability through imagination and creative play and also supports the Year of Public Hygiene.

Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, Ms Grace Fu, flagged off the Race, which involved nearly 5,000 students over two days, from 20 schools. Participants engaged in a variety of interactive activities designed to deepen their understanding of climate change and environmental stewardship. Students explored the Gardens, solving puzzles at various stations designed to inspire them to adopt eco-friendly habits in their daily lives, and learning about Singapore's efforts to balance development with environmental conservation.

In addition to multiple game stations with environmentally-themed challenges, highlights of Race to Sustainability! included a “Sustainable Singapore: Today and Tomorrow” interactive wall, showcasing Singapore’s sustainable development efforts, a “Make a Wish for a Greener Future” trellis, where participants penned and tied their wishes for a greener future using upcycled fabric strips, and a artworks display titled “Unhappily Ever After”, by American animation storyboard artist, Jeff Hong, featuring iconic animated characters that puts the spotlight on human activities and our impact on the planet. These sustainability-focused exhibitions are available to the public until 1 December 2024.

This annual collaborative effort, involving Gardens by the Bay, NEA and various partners, is committed to nurturing the environmental stewards of tomorrow. By fostering a strong sense of environmental awareness and ownership in the younger generation, we can help build a Clean and Green Singapore for generations to come!