Akshai Vengat, Ang Jamais, Bethanie Kwok Su Ling, Neo Rui En Wayne, Rachael Rosanna Powell
Academic Advisor: Ms. Sadaf Ansari
Bottled water is associated with many environmental issues: carbon footprint over its life-cycle, non-biodegradable at end-of-life, and pollution generated during disposal by incineration. Singapore has easy access to high-quality drinking water, and the problem must be addressed by a reduction in the consumption of bottled water. We surveyed NUS students to measure their bottled water consumption and understand their perception of water coolers and tap water on campus. The results identified mistrust in water quality from coolers/tap water and insufficient signage about cooler locations on campus as key issues.
Our group adopted a three-pronged approach. We addressed the issue of student awareness with informational posters as studies indicate that posters are an effective method for conveying knowledge and gaining audience attention (Rowe & Ilic, 2009). This was followed by an art exhibition at the RVRC Dining Hall, using single-use water bottles collected from RVRC bins to measure and creatively raise awareness of plastic bottle consumption rates within the residential college. Our final step was the design and launch of a prototype web application of water cooler locations within NUS campus, launched in conjunction with PUB World Water Day. It incorporates navigational features to direct students to cooler locations on campus. Our data indicates that students are willing to change their habits once the awareness gap about water quality is addressed. Student use of our mobile application was also very favourable and we are in contact with NUS Maps for an integration of this app for campus-wide use.
Keywords: Water, Waste, Responsible Consumption, Plastics