AY2021G14C- “Pantries against plastic”

Guo Jiayi(FASS), JiangPeiyi(BBA), Lim Wee Shuen Bryan(FASS), Sun Jiaze (SOC)

Academic Advisor: Mr. Lim Cheng Puay

There has been a steady increase in plastic and microplastic waste creation in Singapore. We wish to tackle one facet of this issue by encouraging RVRC students to use more reusable containers when taking food. We did this by improving the washing facilities in RVRC and conducting an educational campaign.
We upgraded the block A pantry by i) installing a tap extension to make washing more ergonomic; ii) improving the pantry environment by using air fresheners; and by iii) replacing synthetic sponges with organic ones (loofahs). We also conducted an educational campaign through i) posters in the pantry, ii) messages in RVRC chat groups and iii) workshops. In doing so, we found that there was a marked improvement from 1-3 to 3-5 daily users of the washing facilities. Thus, we found that a combination of better facilities and understanding has proved useful in encouraging the use of reusable containers.