AY 2015/16

AY1516G37 – “The sustainability participation – the effect of positive psychology and goal-based slogans”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2015/16, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption

Chin Jun Kang (FoE/ISE1), Noah Khoo Feng Yuan (SoC/COM1), Sonia Balamurugan (FoE/EVE1), Tan Shi Hui, Lynette (FASS/ARS1), Tan Zi Liang (FoS/SCI1)

Academic Advisor: Kah Wei | Student Fellow: Lim Boon Pin

The use of plastic shopping bags is ubiquitous in Singapore’s consumer culture, with an estimated 3 billion bags used in 2011. Life-cycle analyses of plastic bags have demonstrated that their consumption exerts a heavy toll on the environment. Our literature review has validated the effectiveness of positive psychology (PP) in motivating behavioural change. We investigated if PP could be similarly applied in the composition of slogans to promote plastic bag reduction among RVRC residents. An online survey of 37 RVRC students was conducted where participants chose between slogans incorporating PP and without. The participants deemed slogans incorporating PP concepts to be more effective in encouraging plastic bag reduction. We also found that goal-based slogans were the most favoured across the PP concepts. Our results provide a glimpse into the psychology behind environmental slogans and may be used to help design future slogans and campaigns promoting plastic bag reduction.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption

AY1516G36 – “Barriers to a meat-reduced diet: what is the NUS undergraduate mindset?”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2015/16, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Food, Responsible Consumption

Marcus Lim Wen Jun (FASS/ARS1), Phua Jun Da Edric (FASS/ARS1), Tan Shi Ying (Biz/BAC1, ARS1), Tan Siow Han (SoC/COM1), Wong Shu Hui, Jacqueline (FASS/ARS1)

Academic Advisor: Kah Wei | Student Fellow: Lim Boon Pin

As part of our efforts to reduce the environmental impacts of meat consumption, as well as the economic issues that is related to it, our group has researched extensively on the underlying reasons that discourages people from reducing their meat intake. We will be examining the impact of meat production and consumption, as well as the pattern of meat consumption among students from NUS (National University of Singapore) that has been collected through primary research. We have also collated interview data from the veterans in the Vegetarian Society Singapore. Using both sources of data, as well as secondary data sources, we formed hypotheses regarding the mindset of students in reducing meat intake. Following which, we conducted a focus group social experiment where we gathered the feedback of participants towards the alternatives of meat, such as plant-based protein sources, and also provided suggestions to help others reduce their meat intake.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Food, Diet choice, meat consumption

AY1516G35 –“Is sustainable packaging at fast food restaurants in NUS achievable? A study of consumer response at Subway YIH”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2015/16, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Waste Management

Hui Han Xi (FASS/ARS1), Jacqueline Tjen (SDE/ARK1), Looi Jia Wen (FoS/SCI1), Toh Kai Yang (FoE/CVE1), Zhuang Lei (SoC/COM1)

Academic Advisor: N. Sivasothi | Student Fellow: Zhou Kai

Excessive food packaging practices generate large amounts of waste, with plastic packaging being detrimental to the environment and paper packaging not being entirely sustainable either. This project seeks to investigate the effectiveness of introducing alternatives and providing reminders to consumers towards achieving a reduction in food packaging usage. Lunch boxes were provided for a period of two weeks to a sample group of 20 students who were later surveyed for its usefulness. A Subway outlet in NUS was also contacted about putting up posters to raise awareness and dissuade customers from taking plastic bags. Results from introducing alternatives to consumers have been encouraging, while results from the engagement with Subway are pending. Should results be positive, the project could be implemented on a larger scale, and potentially help NUS take a step towards becoming a more sustainable community.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Waste Management, Packaging, Plastic waste

AY1516G34 – “Print paper in NUS: an analysis of undergraduate consumption patterns”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2015/16, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption

Joshua Ko Ying Hou (FoE/CHE1), Lee Zhi Han (FoE/ISE1), Low Jia Ying (FASS/ARS1), Shawn Teo Zhuang Yu (FASS/ARS1), Shereen Chelvaretnam (FoS/SCI1)

Academic Advisor: N. Sivasothi | Student Fellow: Wong Ci Yi

In this project, we will be exploring the possibility of achieving a paperless society in Singapore through reducing our reliance on paper. Contrary to popular belief, recycling paper is not sustainable as it is rather costly and environmentally degrading. Our project will be focusing on reducing print paper usage within the scope of NUS. This has been done through three phases: conducting a survey on 100 NUS students, interviewing staff in NUS printing shops and organising a social experiment on 15 NUS students. This will help us investigate in depth on the print paper usage of students, the aggregate amount of print paper used by the NUS community as well as the challenges students face in reducing their paper usage. The results of this project could lead to identifying possible solutions to reduce paper usage, which is the next step forward towards a paperless Singapore and a sustainable environment.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Paper waste, Paperless

AY1516G33 –“Walk NUS! Will advertised shortcuts in campus promote sustainable mobility?”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2015/16, Mobility and Air Quality, Transport

Lam Ka Ying (FoE/ISE1), Ong Si Yan (FASS/ARS1), Png Hui Shan Moira (FoS/SCI1), Tan Xing Liang (FoE/MPE1), Thio Ming Siang Benjamin (FoE/ENG1)

Academic Advisor: N. Sivasothi | Student Fellow: Wong Ci Yi

The importance of transport in today’s society cannot be undermined: it supports a country’s social and economic well-being. Unfortunately, the focus of transport policies on meeting utilitarian needs such as accessibility and travel time has resulted in other issues, such as air pollution and inefficient use of resources, being neglected. Hence the focus of our project: How to encourage the NUS community to adopt more sustainable means of mobility? After consolidating information from interviews with OES and OCA, our project decided to focus on walkability in particular: it was an area we could explore by ourselves. As many respondents to our survey indicated that knowing shortcuts would motivate them to walk more often, our group chose to disseminate such information. In closing, while it may only be a few routes at present, others can add to our work, and hopefully use it to encourage the walkability of the NUS campus.

Keywords: Transport, Mobility and Air Quality, Walking in campus, Habits survey

AY1516G32 – “Will a water savings app reduce water consumption in Ridge View Residential College? A study of consumer response.”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2015/16, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Water

Edmund Goh Ting Hwee (FoE/CHE1, ARS1), Jocelyn Tan Wei Ting (FASS/ARS1), Tan Wee Min Benjamin (SDE/PFM1), Wang Haode (FoE/CVE1), Wong Zhan Wen, Melvin (FoE/BIE1)

Academic Advisor: Sadaf Ansari | Student Fellow: Sean Poon

40% of the water needed in Singapore is imported from Malaysia. With Linggiu Reservoir dropping to historic low levels, water sustainability is a major concern for our country. In NUS, RVR (Ridge View Residences) is one of the areas with highest WEI (Water Efficiency Index). Our project focuses on reducing water consumption in RVRC by changing behaviour and habits of students through an app that facilitates laundry sharing and reporting of problems for residents. Through surveys and research, we established the existence of the ineffectiveness of the report system and water usage doing laundry. By pitching our ideas to Living Lab, OFM and RVRC community, we came up with a design of the app and functions with cost benefits analysis to all shareholders. With the design aimed to promote usage of the app that will reduce water consumption, we are confident that it will be adopted in the future and allow us a step closer to achieving water sustainability.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Water, Laundry, App design, Water Wastage

AY1516G31 – “A systems approach to reducing food waste in NUS dining halls: modeling the dining hall ecosystem of CAPT/RC4”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2015/16, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Waste Management

Jonathan William Ambrose (FoE/BIE1), Jorgin Tan Qi Wen (FoE/CVE1), Li Yi Min (FoS/SCI1), Loh Kieng Min (FASS/ARS1), Tan Yi Ting (FASS/ARS1)

Academic Advisor: Kah Wei | Student Fellow: Lim Boon Pin

The cost of food has been increasing annually and food wastage translates to higher costs for food suppliers and consumers. This project focuses on the causes of food wastage in dining halls, using the dining hall shared by the CAPT and RC4 in NUS as a case study. Qualitatively, the dining hall manager, caterers and students were interviewed to find out how the dining hall operates, the source of food wastage and difficulties in decreasing food wastage. Quantitatively, food wastage for dinner services were tabulated over a period of a week and compared to existing projections from the caterer. The results indicate that there are large fluctuations in take up rates for the various stalls and there is a difficulty in projecting the take up rates for each stall. Hence, a system to project the number of diners is key to alleviate this problem of food waste in dining halls.

Keywords: Waste Management, Responsible Consumption, food waste, RC dining hall, behaviour survey

AY1516G30 – “Why aren’t reuseable tumblers popular at coffee joints? An analysis of consumer and management attitudes”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2015/16, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption

Chan Cheong Cheng Hubert (FASS/ARS1), James Tan Song En (FASS/ARS1), Lim Chen Yue Sabrina (FoE/CHE1), Quek Cai Rong Allan (FASS/ARS1), Wong Wei Wen Clarence (FoS/SCI1)

Academic Advisor: Kah Wei | Student Fellow: Lim Boon Pin

A close inspection of the life-cycle-analysis of coffee shows that it is more that just a simple beverage. Coffee waste, in particular disposable cups, occupy substantial space in landfills and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Hence, our group advocates the use of reusable tumblers to reduce this waste. Our journey takes us through the lens of both managers and consumers to investigate the reasons for the poor usage rate of reusable tumblers despite monetary incentives. We surveyed 113 NUS students on their consumers’ coffee consumption habits and tumbler usage. Simultaneously, we conducted an interview with a manager of Starbucks in NUS to understand the challenges cafe owners face in implementing green initiatives. Through our research, we concluded that on the consumer side, convenience is the main reason hindering reusable tumbler usage and proposed several solutions. On the management side, a stronger willpower and a more proactive top-down approach is required.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, habits survey, reusable products, LCA

AY1516G29 –“Can ordering rituals reduce rice wastage in NUS canteens? Consumer response at Techno Edge”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2015/16, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Food, Responsible Consumption, Waste Management

Chermaine Cham Sue Hwee (FASS/ARS1), Koh Shue Lian, Erinna (FASS/ARS1), Priscilla Her Wan Yi (SDE/PFM1), Tan Shan Leong (FoE/MPE1), Tay Zhi Cong Johnathan (FoS/SCI1)

Academic Advisor: N. Sivasothi | Student Fellow: Nicholas Tan

We commenced our project by wanting to alleviate the food waste problem in Singapore. Singaporeans waste the equivalent of two rice bowls of food every day in a world where 1 in 9 people suffer from hunger. As such, our group aims to find out if popularising ordering options and monetary incentive would help to reduce rice wastage in our NUS canteen. We conducted multiple surveys and ground research to gather qualitative and quantitative results. In Semester 1, we found out that monetary incentive would encourage people to order less rice. (We assumed that when people to order less rice, less rice wastage would be incurred.) This semester, we pasted posters to raise awareness about food waste and the discount for the less rice option. Our study revealed an 18% increase in people ordering less rice largely due to an increase in awareness, which shows the viability of our hypothesis.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Waste Management, Food waste, Campaigns, Incentives

AY1516G28 –“Will effective feedback on electrical usage reduce electricity use in Ridge View Residential College?”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2015/16, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Energy, Responsible Consumption

Tan Yong Wei Melanzzo (FoS/PMC1), Tong Tsz Hin (SoC/BZA1), Yam Zan-Yang (MDP/CEG1), Yap Jing Yi, Vivian (FASS/ARS1)

Academic Advisor: N. Sivasothi | Student Fellow: Wong Ci Yi

$200,000. That is how much NUS is wasting per year on lighting in common spaces. In this project, we explored how NUS could save electricity by investigating the effect of providing feedback on electricity consumption to residents. 3 posters with different design approaches were presented to 50 residents over a period of 2 weeks (13 – 26 March 2016), and investigated with a survey to determine their effectiveness. The results indicate eye-catching posters with real-time statistics on electrical usage are most effective. In conclusion, the way energy feedback is communicated can significantly impact the receptiveness of the recipients in prompting energy-saving behaviour.

Keywords: Energy, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Education, Posters, Behaviour Change

AY1516G27 –“Bin It! Nurturing a plastic bottle recycling culture in Ridge View Residential College”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2015/16, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Waste Management

Deanna Lum Yun Ying (FoS/PMC1), Irvin Lim Wei Quan (SoC/COM1), Kimberley Amanda Kao (FASS/ARS1), Nyan Lin Cho (MDP/CEG1), Wee Xin Hao (FoS/PMC1)

Academic Advisor: N. Sivasothi | Student Fellow: Wong Ci Yi

Plastics are primarily produced from petrochemicals derived from oil and gas, and recycling plastics would help reduce the strain on Earth’s natural resources. Recycling can also be seen as a waste management strategy, reducing the strain on our landfills and prevents possible contamination of soils and water bodies. In 2014, the rate of recycling plastics in Singapore stands at 9%. Starting in RVRC, by increasing the number of recycling bins, we will make it more convenient for people to recycle by taking the bins to them and at the same time, start to cultivate the habit of recycling plastic bottles.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Waste Management, Recycling, Plastic Waste

AY1516G26 – “Convenience and consequences: triggers to promote e-waste recycling by NUS students”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2015/16, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption

Lesley Chng Yansi (FoS/SCI1), Michelle Low Jia Rong (FASS/ARS1), Phang Fu Chun (FoE/ISE1), Sin Yu Fan (FoE/ISE1), Yang Jiachen (FoE/MLE1)

Academic Advisor: Sadaf Ansari | Student Fellow: Sin Kah Fai

While technology usage is pervasive and obsolescence increasing, e-waste recycling amongst NUS students is less widespread. 75% of students do not recycle despite NUS’ recycling initiatives and the environmental and health threats loom ever more. Our project aims to find out how we can encourage more students to recycle e-waste. A literature review to understand determinants of recycling behaviour was followed by a survey of 154 students to gauge awareness and participation in recycling efforts. Based on this, informational flyers were distributed and a Facebook page about e-waste was launched. Our findings shows that 73% of students are willing to recycle if they know the consequences of improper recycling. For those who are aware, inconvenient access is a major inhibitor. We conclude that the university’s e-waste recycling will likely increase if NUS’ initiatives are augmented by awareness campaigns and improving access to recycling facilities.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Waste Management, e-waste, Recycling, Social media, Habit surveys

AY1516G25 –“A spirulina diet in Singapore: is this microalgae a feasible meat substitute?”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2015/16, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Food, Responsible Consumption

Gao Yufang (FASS/ARS1), Lee Russell (FASS/ARS1), Lim Han Siong (FoS/SCI1), Lim Zheng Liang (FoS/SCI1), Teng Li Ting (FASS/ARS1)

Academic Advisor: Adekunle Adeyeye | Student Fellow: Sin Kah Fai

With more than 90% of Singapore’s food needs being supplemented by exports, it is an undoubtable fact that self-sustainability is a big problem for our country and its food security. Limited land contributes greatly to our inability to manufacture our own food due to the spatial and ecological requirements of farming. The purpose of this project is to investigate the intricacies behind Singapore’s disability and methods by which we can alleviate the situation. In particular, we seek to examine the feasibilities of vegetarian alternatives to meat as a means to reduce the spatial and ecological impacts of meat farming. We are also aware of the entrenched consumer preference for food and have thus, decided on ways we can do to make the food more appealing to costumers. We hope that by doing so, we can take a small leap of faith in changing the consumer food preference in Singapore.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Food security, Urban farming, Sustainable Diet, Vegetarianism

AY1516G24 –“Can we encourage NUS students to opt for a more sustainable transport alternative?”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2015/16, Built Environment and Green Infrastructure, Mobility and Air Quality, Transport

Ang Yong Quan (FoE/MLE1), Kirthana D/O Ganeson (FASS/ARS1), Koh Shing Yee (FoE/MPE1), Ravi Shwetha (MDP/CEG1), Won Jia Min (FASS/ARS1)

Academic Advisor: Adekunle Adeyeye | Student Fellow: Sin Kah Fai

In 2015, the NUS Office of Campus Amenities recorded that it transports an average of 50,000 people around campus per day. Even with this efficiency, buses are overflowing with students. While increasing the number of bus trips seems to be a straight-forward solution, it might only worsen the problem due to the narrow roads and heavy traffic on campus. It also further contributes to NUS’s carbon emissions. With this in mind, we searched for a more sustainable transport alternative and collected the feedback on the willingness of NUS students and staff to walk as a mode of transport. Discovering that many are willing to go the distance if real-time information and a mix of modes of transport are offered, we focused on building a mobile application that will help NUS students to navigate their way around the campus, through the best permutation required by the student on each unique scenario.

Keywords: Built Environment and Green Infrastructure, Transport, Mobility, Mobile application, Walking

AY1516G23 –“Can Bokashi composting alleiviate food waste from NUS dining halls?”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2015/16, Food, Waste Management

Claris Nghai Hoi Yan (FASS/ARS1), Lok Siying (FASS/ARS1), Tan Heng Thye Jenson (FoE/ENG1), Teo Wen Hao Dennis (FASS/ARS1), Zhuang Yufeng (MDP/CEG1)

Academic Advisor: Adekunle Adeyeye | Student Fellow: Sin Kah Fai

Food waste makes up the second largest proportion of waste generated, at 22.5%, of which less than 15% is being recycled (NEA, 2015). Moreover, the amount of food waste generated has increased significantly over the past decade (NEA, 2015), and will continue to increase with greater wealth and an increasing population. As such, this project serves to look at ways to tackle food waste, in particular, food waste generated in the dining halls of the Residential Colleges in University Town. Food there is prepared beforehand and cooked in excess to cope with the possibility of a greater than usual demand. Food waste is thus a common sight, contributing to the waste generated in Singapore. This project explores the feasibility of bokashi composting and the use of a mobile application to both educate students about waste management and to help alleviate food waste in a sustainable manner.

Keywords: Waste Management, Mobile Application, Food Waste, Education, Composting

AY1516G22 –“Healthy eating habits n NUS students: awareness and realities of the undergraduate diet”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2015/16, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Food, Responsible Consumption

Lee Si Xuan (FASS/ARS1, BBA1), Li Ronghui (FoS/SCI1), Ng Wei Lin (FoE/CHE1), Wang Yanan (FoE/MLE1)

Academic Advisor: Adekunle Adeyeye | Student Fellow: Kerk Jun Gang

The University years are a crucial habit-forming phase for students since it is the first time they stay away from a home setting and make their own food choices. Our group seeks to find out whether university students are eating healthily as they constitute the future workforce and are important in sustaining the nation’s development. We investigated the various factors that influenced their dietary habits to devise effective solutions. Of the 112 responses we received from 150 students across different disciplines, 94.3% are aware of healthy eating but there are still 44% skipping breakfast everyday and 12.7% eat fast food several times a week due to a preference for its convenience. Most importantly, 76.4% are unaware of any ongoing healthy eating campaigns in NUS. These findings imply the need to increase awareness and the availability of healthy food options, with incentives to promote healthy eating among university students.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Health, Sustainable Diets, Campaigns

AY1516G21 –“Human-macaque conflict in Singapore: catalysing effectiveness in management methods”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2015/16, Natural Environment and Ecosystem

Ananthanarayanan Sankar (FoS/SCI1), Chio Qi Jun (FoS/SCI1), Chua Soon Kiat Jonathan (FASS/ARS1), Chua Teck Lim (FoE/CHE1), Tan Shao Yun (MDP/CEG1)

Academic Advisor: Adekunle Adeyeye | Student Fellow: Kerk Jun Gang

Proper management of human-wildlife interactions is vital for sustainable development. This is especially true in Singapore, a small country with limited land space. The most well-known cases of negative human-wildlife interaction in Singapore are human-macaque altercations. Residents around nature reserves experience occasional home invasions by Long-Tailed Macaques (Macaca fascicularis) seeking food. Agencies such as ACRES and NParks responded with various outreach efforts, while AVA engages in culling. Culling in particular is an unfeasible and unsustainable long-term solution as macaques are important seed dispersers. The other measures, such as public awareness campaigns and monkey-proof bin installations are a much more sustainable means of addressing this issue. However, the effectiveness of these efforts has not been fully evaluated. In this project, we studied three of these measures and reviewed each of them. From our findings, we identified several issues present in these current implementations and proposed various methods to improve these efforts.

Keywords: Natural Environment and Ecosystem, Wildlife management, Human-wildlife conflict, Outreach, Urban Ecology

AY1516G20 –““Karang Guni”, a mobile app catalyst to promote technology reuse and recycling”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2015/16, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Waste Management

Cheang Jo Rick (FASS/ARS1), Koh Rui Lin (FoS/SCI1), Soh Jun Xiong (FoE/MPE1), Tay Ming Liang (MDP/CEG1), Xu Sihan (FoE/CHE1)

Academic Advisor: Adekunle Adeyeye | Student Fellow: Huang Jianyi

Singaporeans are huge consumers of technology where majority of the people desire and own the latest gadgets. Hence, devices quickly become obsolete and more e waste will be generated. The objective is to prolong the lifespan of these electronic gadgets as opposed to recycling them. A survey was conducted within Ridge View Residential College and the results indicate the lack of awareness and available channels to reuse their electronic devices. There is a common consensus to resell their items if a third party can help facilitate the process. Our solution: a mobile app. “Karang Guni” provides a convenient way to bridge sellers, 2nd hand dealers and recyclers together. All the sellers need to do is to enter their contact details and condition of their gadget. This quick and simple method enables potential pickup services to collect the items from them. Hence, we hope to increase the initiatives for reusing and recycling.

 Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Waste Management, Electronic waste, Mobile applications

AY1516G19 –“Reducing event food waste in NUS – Introducing the Foodjio Mobile Application”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2015/16, Food, Waste Management

Adelia Grace Wee Yushan (FoS/SCI1), Kelvin Koor Kai Jie (FoE/MPE1), Kwok Jun Kiat (SoC/COM1), Leong Jia En, Tracy (FASS/ARS1), Yu Gao Fei (FASS/ARS1)

Academic Advisor: N. Sivasothi | Student Fellow: Zhou Kai

Food wastage is a serious problem in society that needs to be solved as it negatively affects society economically, environmentally and socially. Our project focuses on reducing food wastage through food catering events in Singapore. From our research, in NUS alone, 70% of catered food are being wasted on a regular basis and it is contributing greatly to the problem of food wastage. Foodjio is a mobile application that we have developed to help alleviate this problem. It works by collaborating with the organizer of food catering events to notify nearby users to travel down to help finish the catered food so as to reduce the occurrence of its wastage. Thus far, we have successfully developed the mobile application and it is undergoing testing on NUS users while undergoing a collaboration with ZeroWaste Singapore to plan to bring this application forward to the society at large in the future after successfully testing its practicality and usefulness.

Keywords: Waste Management, Food waste, Events, Mobile Application, Food Catering

AY1516G18 – “Clothes and the NUS undergrad: will awareness promote reductions and recycling?”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2015/16, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Waste Management

Emeline Ines Loke Si Lin (FASS/ARS1), Goh Chung Sern (FoE/EEE2), Goh Jia Yi, Shermaine (FoS/SCI1), Joelyn Lim Cheng Mui (FASS/ARS1), Praveer Tewari (SoC/COM1)

Academic Advisor: N. Sivasothi | Student Fellow: Zhou Kai

Clothing wastage is a rising issue in Singapore. This is due to the fast changing fashion trends and low prices of clothes, which makes them easily obtainable. With more clothes being purchased, it leads to a domino effect of more being disposed. According to Technical Textile Markets, the rise in production in the fashion industry, has nearly doubled the demand for man-made fibers, especially polyester, in the last 15 years (citation). To add on, the recycling rate of textiles is very low at 11% (citation). Often, people are oblivious to such wastage.  Thus, we have decided to step in to increase the awareness of such wastage, in hope to reduce them. Our target audiences are the undergraduates and fresh graduates of National University of Singapore (NUS). To solve this problem, we came out with a two-pronged approach. The first being promoting the reduction of buying new clothes. The second would be to encourage the students to recycle the old clothes.  The success of our project would be evaluated based on increasing the number of recycled clothes.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Waste Management. Fast Fashion

AY1516G17 – “Will an awareness campaign reduce shower water consumption by undergrads in Ridge View Residential College?”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2015/16, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Water

Dacia Kee (SDE/RST1), Goh Yan Lee (SDE/RST1), Lee Youzheng (FoE/CHE1), Livia Chan Mun Ting (FoS/SCI1), Soh Sharyuen (FoS/SCI1)

Academic Advisor: N. Sivasothi | Student Fellow: Zhou Kai

It is important to conserve water is a resource-scarce country like Singapore. Statistics show that showering consumes one of the largest volumes of water daily. We investigated the effectiveness of campaigning in changing personal beliefs and attitudes of RVRC students by measuring shower volume consumption pre and post-campaign. A datalogger was installed in one toilet to record the amount of water used for showering. Posters with water conservation messages were put up, email and whatsapp reminders sent out to remind residents to reduce shower water consumption. Data concerning the amount of water consumed was also put up. Then, we collated data pre and post-campaign. Post-campaign results were encouraging as the volume of water used in showers have decreased steadily (1582.6L/day in week 1 to 372L/day in week 2).  However, during our campaign week, results were affected due to the installation of water pressure reducing devices by PUB. In conclusion, campaigning is indeed effective in reducing shower volumes in the long run.

 Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Water Conservation, Education, Shower habits

AY1516G16 – “Can Singapore create a closed loop system for recycling and using waste glass in the construction industry?”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2015/16, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption

Chua Chee Han (FoE/CHE1), Emily Soh Yi Jie (FoE/CHE1), He Xing (FASS/ARS1), Sharne Jerhn Dta Sulaiman (SDE/ARK1)

Academic Advisor: Sadaf Ansari | Student Fellow: Nicholas Tan

Annually, more than 70,000 tons of waste glass is produced from the construction industry. Singapore either exports waste glass or dispose them into landfills given the absence of glass recycling plants locally. In this project, we investigated the steps required to adopt a closed loop system for glass use in the construction industry through recycling. A lack of policies to govern glass recycling and proper waste management at demolition sites has led to inadequacy in the efficiency of resource use for glass.  We investigated the status quo of glass usage and glass recycling in the construction industry. Studying the technologies and waste management techniques adopted abroad, we analysed its feasibility in Singapore’s context. It has been proven that usage of recycling glass in production of new glass reduces carbon emissions and contributes to greater product sustainability. Building codes governing practices of the construction industry can help create this closed loop system for glass in construction use.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Waste Management, Closed Loop Economy, Glass recycling

AY1516G15 – “Repurposing surface run-off around NUS using Bioswales?”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2015/16, Built Environment and Green Infrastructure, Natural Environment and Ecosystem

Chin Jun Tian (FoE/CHE1), Khoo Chong Wee (FASS/ARS1), Leong Jia Qi Elsa (FoE/CHE1), Tran Thuy Linh (FoS/PMC1)

Academic Advisor: Sadaf Ansari | Student Fellow: Nicholas Tan

Due to Singapore’s tropical climate, heavy rainfalls occur frequently resulting in flash floods. The implementation of Bioswales would slow down surface runoff to the drainage systems, hence reducing flash floods. Bioswales are suitable for NUS due to its undulating contour. They also contribute to the campus’ green space through functional and aesthetic means considering the campus’ proximity to Kent Ridge and Bukit Timah nature reserves. We aim to produce guidelines for building Bioswales with details such as the structural design, composition of the soil and the types of plants used. We also propose a retention tank to utilize the stored water for irrigation.  Our guidelines will be based on the studies of existing Bioswales in NUS. We would also identify other potential locations such as the area near LT11 at FASS. We envision Office of Facilities Management to build new Bioswales in NUS with our guidelines.

Keywords: Built Environment and Green Infrastructure, Bioswales, Water Filtration, Urban greenspaces

AY1516G14 – “Can user engagement improve the efficiency of green buildings in NUS?”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2015/16, Built Environment and Green Infrastructure, Energy

Low Jo Ann (SDE/ARK1), Neo Jen Kiat (FASS/ARS1), Vivian Lim Wei Wen (FoS/PMC1), Wong Khai Terng (FoS/PMC1)

Academic Advisor: Sadaf Ansari | Student Fellow: Nicholas Tan

A green building is an environmentally sustainable building, designed, constructed and operated to minimize the total environmental impacts. In this project, we seek to investigate plausible solutions from the user’s perspective that can hopefully improve the energy efficiency and performance of green buildings in NUS in the long run. Based on our survey done within the NUS campus and secondary studies, we conclude that NUS users in general are not particularly aware of the concept of green buildings and this might have an implication on the overall energy efficiency and building performance of green buildings in NUS. Given that “significant progress in green buildings can only be sustained by understanding the changes to technology and the resultant user engagement with it”(Cole, 2003), we seek to examine plausible solutions based on existing technology that can sustain user engagement, so as to maximize the energy-saving potential of green buildings in NUS.

Keywords: Built Environment and Green Infrastructure， Green Buildings, Energy Use, User feedback

AY1516G13 – “Can awareness promote a demand for sustainable aquaculture in Singapore?”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2015/16, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Natural Environment and Ecosystem, Responsible Consumption

Ang Wei Xuan (FASS/ARS1), Benjamin Leow Wei Onn (FASS/ARS1), Deborah Teo Hwee Ching (FoS/SCI1), Kashish Sunil Sawalani (FoE/BIE1)

Academic Advisor: Sadaf Ansari & Sergio Jofre | Student Fellow: Nicholas Tan

Due to increased fish consumption, practices of aquaculture have to be altered sustainably to feed this demand. We aim to investigate the likelihood of adopting sustainable practices of aquaculture and responses of consumers and fish merchants on shifting coastal fish farming to more sustainable means.Research was conducted on current approaches to aquaculture and concluded that change was needed on a national level. To ascertain consumer awareness we conducted surveys to deduce whether average Singaporeans would be open to supporting sustainable methods given that a premium or change in diet may be needed. We surveyed a total of 152 individuals across NUS and public. Results indicated that >70% of people surveyed (18-50) were unaware of current unsustainable practices and are keen to adopt sustainable means. We can conclude that it is likely for Singaporeans to embrace sustainable means of aquaculture, thus we should push towards generating awareness among Singaporeans.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Natural Environment and Ecosystem, Sustainable Diet, Aquaculture, Sustainable diet

AY1516G12 –“Food Bank Singapore – an examination of the efficiency, effectiveness and bottlenecks of a food distribution system”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2015/16, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Food, Responsible Consumption, Waste Management

Cai Wendi (FoS/SCI1), Daryl Poh Yang Qi (FoE/CHE1), Don Jeremiah Hanford Pereira (FASS/ARS1), Fong Yu Shi (FoE/MPE1), Ng Hiang Teck (SDE/ARK1)

Academic Advisor: Sadaf Ansari | Student Fellow: Sean Poon

In 2011, Singapore had 0.68 million tonnes of food waste, and only 10% was recycled. To put this into perspective, this means on average, each person in Singapore produced roughly 130kg of food waste in a year. In addition, the recycling rate for food waste has dropped from 16% in 2010 to 10% in 2011. We have over 90% of food waste still discarded. Initially we proposed a food redirection strategy that would collect potentially wasted food before being thrown away, and redirect it into different channels. Unfortunately, the pilot did not take off as we encountered numerous issues. Thus, we decided to investigate already existing food re-distribution channels provided by Food Bank Singapore and Food From The Heart to collect qualitative data on these existing system’s efficiency and effectiveness as well as evaluate its bottlenecks.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Waste Management, Food Waste, Food Distribution

AY1516G11 – “The undergraduate closet: clothes swapping a resource of unused clothes to promote sustainability”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2015/16, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Waste Management

Ho Rui Hern Jonathan (FoS/SCI1), Ho Shu Xuan (FASS/ARS1), Lee Wan Yong (FASS/ARS1), Pang Hao Cher (SDE/ARK1), Tan Jin Da (FoS/SCI1)

Academic Advisor: Sadaf Ansari | Student Fellow: Sean Poon

From our research, there were around 158,600 tonnes of textile waste generated in Singapore in 2014, of which only 11% are recycled. Our project investigates the recycling habits of RVRC students and actions on their unwanted clothes. Our pre-drive survey has obtained 50 student responses and showed that there are about 20-40% of students who wear less than 40% of their clothings. Also, 92% and 45% of respondents respectively are willing to donate and exchange unwanted clothes. Through this project, we focus on raising awareness of the importance of recycling unwanted clothes in RVRC. We conducted a clothes swapping drive on 18 February 2016 and 30-40 people turned up for the event. From the survey, we learnt that there is awareness present on reusing or recycling of clothes. However, we found that this does not necessarily translate to action. This may be due to the lack of incentives present.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Waste Management, Reusing, Clothing waste, recycling

AY1516G10 – “Can a healthy lifestyle be promoted for the elderly living amongst peers?”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2015/16, Culture and Lifestyle Trends

Gabriella Ong Kai Teng (FoE/BIE1), Lim Pei Yi, Rachel (FASS/ARS1), Lum Chun Fai (FoE/CHE1), Nishanth S P (FoE/MPE1), Tan Qian Long Joshua (FoE/BIE1)

Academic Advisor: Sadaf Ansari | Student Fellow: Sean Poon

Our project aims to address the sustainability of elderly care in Singapore. Current statistics show more Singaporeans retiring and a shrinking number of Singaporeans entering the workforce (due to our low birth rates). Our Old Age Support Ratio (OASR) is projected to fall to 2.1 in 2030, which is an indication of the ratio of able-bodied Singaporeans per dependent elderly. Not only will this problem lead to slower economic growth, it will also put a greater strain on the nations finances, with more welfare privileges given out to the elderly and less working adults paying income taxes. We seek to target the elderly who are living in areas with high elderly density. Our group will be focusing on active ageing and how it will promote healthy life expectancy. By doing so, the elderly become more independent and less reliant on other, which will in turn improve the sustainability of eldercare.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Healthy lifestyle, Elderly

AY1516G09 – “Can plant climber-green roof bus stops reduce temperatures of hotspots in NUS?”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2015/16, Built Environment and Green Infrastructure, Energy

Lim Yi Fan (FoS/SCI1), Shen Yunni (FASS/ARS1), Siow Zheng Qian (FASS/ARS1), Soo Jia En, Jennifer (FoS/SCI1)

Academic Advisor: Saif Khan | Student Fellow: Lee Juho

Due to global warming, global temperatures are rising. This worsens the urban heat island effect in highly urbanised environment. Due to building developments in NUS, vegetation is removed, creating more hotspots. To complement the roof gardens plan for buildings, we explored using creeper system on the bus stops near hotspots. This will increase greenery distribution, which will lower the temperature of the surroundings. Creeper system is remarkably simple and reduces the overall building and maintenance cost. Large scale deployment of green roof on lightweight structure is made possible. From the surveys conducted, there is a large support. However, awareness has to be raised on the advantages. Although some temperature data was collected from a similar setup, further isolated trials would need to be conducted to confirm the effectiveness of reducing ambient temperature. If successful, there could be an expansion of ideas to other platforms to increase the overall green coverage.

Keywords: Built Environment and Green Infrastructure, Green Buildings, Cooling of buildings, Urban Heat Island Effect

AY1516G08 – “Is the District Cooling Plant (DCP) the future of air-conditioning for commercial developments in Singapore?”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2015/16, Built Environment and Green Infrastructure, Energy

Goh Zong Han (SDE/RST1), Natasha Pearl Low Ming Choo (SDE/RST1), Poh Jia Jun (FoE/EEE1), Sakai Naomi (FoE/EEE2), Teo Geng Hao (FASS/ARS1)

Academic Advisor: Saif Khan | Student Fellow: Lee Juho

The DCP is a system which distributes thermal energy in the form of chilled water from a central source to a large bulk of consumers. It serves as an alternative to current air-conditioning systems in commercial buildings, which consist of individual chiller plants. In this project, we looked into the feasibility of the DCP as a future system of air-conditioning for commercial developments in Singapore, based on factors including economic costs, environmental impact, energy efficiency and government policy. As part of our research methods, we conducted interviews with key stakeholders, participated in site visits to existing DCPs, and surveyed existing literature on the subject over a duration of three months. From our research, we have arrived at three key learning points which can serve as an impetus for further developments in the study and implementation of district energy systems.

Keywords: Built Environment and Green Infrastructure, Energy, Air conditioning, Energy use, Urban living

AY1516G07 – “Can the goody bag culture in NUS be replaced with effective, sustainable alternatives?”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2015/16, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption

Chang Hong Yu (FoE/MLE1), Chow Jie-Ni (FASS/ARS1), Goh Jia Lin (FoE/MPE2), Jaipal Singh Khaira (FoE/MLE1), Tan Zi Rei (FoS/SCI1)

Academic Advisor: Saif Khan | Student Fellow: Lee Juho

Incentivizing participation in public events, especially student activities on campus, is most commonly achieved these days through the distribution of freebies and ‘goody bags’. As first year students in NUS, we have thus far attended only a few student events but are already the proud owners of 4 goody bags each that currently reside at the bottom of our closets. The bag’s content were sorted and trashed upon at the end of the event because these items hardly come in useful beyond the event. The goal of our project is to scale down this mindless trash generation by designing and creating a digital branding platform since the smartphone ownership within the student bodies is high. This can be extended to other institutions, business organisations and on a national level, such as National Day Parade since “goody bags” are often the main lure for crowd.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Event waste, Goody bags, Digital products

AY1516G06 –“Can an online tool assist primary caregivers of autistic individuals?”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2015/16, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption

Christopher Lim Hao Teck (SoC/COM1), Goh Wei Qin (FASS/ARS1), Lee Heng Kit Andrew (FoE/CHE1), Lorraine Ong Xin Yi (FASS/NVG1), Sim Xin Wei (FASS/ARS1)

Academic Advisor: Sadaf Ansari | Student Fellow: Lee Juho

Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how a person interacts with other people (NAS, 2016). Caregivers of autistic individuals experience financial burden and emotional or psychological distress (Shu, 2009). In this project, we investigate the feasibility of an online platform in ensuring the sustainability of caregivers. The platform aims to facilitate interaction and allow caregivers to educate themselves, by providing access to the latest information on autism, all these while maintaining anonymity. To obtain feedback on the feasibility of our proposed solution, caregivers are surveyed to find out about their challenges, mindsets, and their needs. One improvement was to alter the target audience as we lack relevant skills to effectively assist autistic individuals. We discovered that we are in a better position to meet the needs of autistic caregivers. It was reported that a centralised information repository would help guide parents to provide better care for their dependents (Foo, Yap & Sung, 2014). Hence an online centralised information repository would cater to this demand.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Accessibility, Autism caregiving, Information portal

AY1516G05 –“What is the PM2.5 impact of NUS shuttle buses at the U Town bus stop?”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2015/16, Mobility and Air Quality, Transport

Chan Shi Ying (SDE/PFM1), Dave Dexter Tan Wei Ye (FoS/SCI1), Law Yi En, Janice (SDE/PFM1), Shi Xiyue (SoC/COM1), Tan Jun Kiat (SoC/COM1)

Academic Advisor: Sadaf Ansari | Student Fellow: Kerk Jun Gang

Diesel buses, including NUS shuttle buses, emit fine particles (PM2.5) which are harmful to human health. In this project, we investigated the PM2.5 impacts of NUS shuttle buses and related health effects. Measurement of PM2.5 concentrations was conducted at University Town bus stop during peak (6.00pm to 7.00 pm) and non-peak (2.30pm to 3.30pm) periods for five days. During each period, we used DustTrack, an air quality monitor, and collected 24 data sets with an interval of 2.5 minutes. After applying humidity correction for raw data, we did statistical analysis to find the difference between the level of PM2.5 for peak and non-peak periods. The difference is not significant. Results for the PM2.5 impacts of NUS shuttle buses are inconclusive and further study is needed.

 Keywords: Transport, Mobility and Air Quality, Energy, Air Pollution, Air Quality Monitoring, Green Transport

AY1516G04 –“What are the key economic and policy challenges hampering the industrial adoption of CCHP systems in Singapore?”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2015/16, Built Environment and Green Infrastructure, Energy

Li Yihe (FoE/CHE1), Lian Jun Jie (FoS/NVB1), Tan Heyi Aloysius Harvard (FASS/ARS1), Tan Wei Shao Thaddeus (FASS/ARS1), Teo Ming Yi (SoC/COM1)

Academic Advisor: Sadaf Ansari | Student Fellow: Kerk Jun Gang

Combined Cooling, Heating and Power (CCHP) is a well-established method of power generation that can improve efficiencies from 59% to 88% (Liu et al., 2014). Despite this, CCHP systems are still not widely utilised in Singapore. Hence, this project seeks to examine the issues hampering the uptake of CCHP systems in Singapore. A site visit was initially conducted at GlaxoSmithKline’s CCHP facility. A meeting was also arranged with the National Environment Agency (NEA) and the Economic Development Board to discuss the formulation process of green policies and their current uptake trends. Issues such as high capital investment costs, low current oil prices and the need for high cooling and heating demands, and legal concerns were raised. Upon evaluation of these issues, we question if more efforts can be made to incorporate a push factor in policy-making to encourage greater adoption of CCHP in the long term.

Keywords: Built Environment and Green Infrastructure, Energy Use, Energy, Air Conditioning

AY1516G03 –“Can green roof farming supply fruits and vegetables to NUS canteens?”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2015/16, Built Environment and Green Infrastructure

Claudia Cheng Kai Xin (SDE/ARK1), Danial Adib Bin Sumali (FoE/EEE2), Sung Jian Wei John (FASS/ARS1), Xu Zhi Yue, Julia (FoE/EEE1), Zou Zhou (FoS/SCI1)

Academic Advisor: Sadaf Ansari | Student Fellow: Huang Jianyi

Urbanization is currently increasing on a global scale, with world urbanization levels predicted to increase to almost 70% in 2050, increasing the isolation of agricultural land. This poses the issue of a lack of agricultural self-sustainability, especially in cities that do not produce crops, such as Singapore, which imports 90% of its food. In many cities, urban farming is becoming more popular as a solution, and our project aims to study the feasibility of running an urban farm on a rooftop. Our project will be an investigation in the scope of the NUS campus, assuming it to be a city , with the proposed rooftop sitting on S1 building at the science faculty. We will explore the aspects of the accessibility and safety constraints of the rooftop, green roof types, economic sustainability of the farm, and possible systems of maintenance which will involve students so as to promote social benefits.

Keywords: Built Environment and Green Infrastructure, Food, Rooftop Farming, Urban Farming

AY1516G02 –“Eliminating single-use plastic bags in NUS – a study of consumer & retailer response in UTown”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2015/16, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption

Chen Xinyu (FoS/SCI1), Kaung Mon Thu (FoE/MLE1), Liew Bin Han (FoE/EEE2), Muhammad Idris B Abrahim (FASS/ARS1), Wee Shu Min Florence (SDE/RST1)

Academic Advisor: Sadaf Ansari | Student Fellow: Huang Jianyi

The convenience and availability of plastic bags in Singapore has resulted in serious environmental issues such as the release of harmful greenhouse gases and threat to marine life. In this project, we carried out a “Free from Plastic Bags Day” to assess its possibility as a long term implementation in NUS. A survey was conducted from 11am to 7pm (on 16 March 2016) at Utown NTUC and UTown Guardian to gauge customer response towards the initiative. The results indicate that 95% and 70% of customers from Guardian and NTUC respectively are willing to support the initiative. With these data, the “Free from Plastic Bags Day” was executed (on 31 March 2016). Towards the end of the event day, short interviews were conducted with the respective store retailers to assess possible difficulties faced should a long term implementation be effectuated. All data collected was then consolidated and analysed to conclude possibility of banning single-use plastic bags and the continuity of such initiatives in NUS.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Plastic Bags, Plastic Waste, Single Use Plastic

AY1516G01 – “Is growing organic vegetables in Singapore a feasible solution?”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2015/16, Food

Liang Linying (FASS/ARS1), Shen Zhonghuan (FoE/CVE2), Tang Min Ian (FoE/MLE1), Wang Ming Rui (FoS/SCI1), Yunus Bin Ishak (FoE/EEE1)

Academic Advisor: Sadaf Ansari | Student Fellow: Huang Jianyi

As a country that is highly dependent on importing food from overseas due to limited land and natural resources (approximately 90% of the food Singaporeans consume is imported [1]), continually innovating for solutions that will improve our food supply is imperative. Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA), has ventured into high-tech agriculture to boost local production. According to the 2014/2015 annual report for AVA, 12% of the total leafy vegetables were produced locally [2]. Production of vegetables locally involve methods such as soil cultivation and hydroponics. Furthermore, 80% of the leafy vegetables produced locally are from soil cultivation [3].

Our team studied the challenges of growing organic vegetables locally as compared to importing it from overseas because the market for organic products has grown over the years [4]. We were able to determine the challenges that local producers face in growing organic produce.

Keywords: Food, Food Security, Urban Farming, Farming, Organic Farming

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