AY 2016/17

AY1617G21C – “Reducing straw usage in NUS: A case study of consumer and retailer response in RVRC dining outlets”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Waste Management

Foo Rui Hao James (FoE), Goh Zoey (FoS), Kuan Jie Hui Eugene (FASS), Lin Chenxi (FoE), Pang Jia Hao (FoS)

Academic Advisor: Ms. Wong Kah Wei

Straws are given out with virtually every drink you purchase. Plastic straws are among the top 10 marine debris. More than 6 million straws were removed from coastal cleanups (Montgomery, 2014). Straws are made of petroleum plastics. The plastic straw production process contributes to global warming as well as fossil fuel depletion. Straws which are disposed end up in landfills and dumps which have a great impact on the environment. Straws that end up in the oceans pose a great threat to marine life who consume them by accident (Scher, 2016). This staggering amount of straws polluting the environment prompted us to find out the feasibility of reducing straw usage in RVRC dining outlets. To better understand our high straw usage, we plan to investigate the reasons students choose to use straws. This will help us decide on the best approach to tackling this problem. We intend to draft a survey to gauge the awareness among the RVRC students of straw usage. Based on the results, we would craft our strategies to most effectively discourage the usage of straws, starting with retailers where RVRC food vouchers can be used. Our group has narrowed down to target Royal Bistro as our industry partner due to their willingness to work with us on this project to become a more sustainable dining outlet.

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

AY1617G21B – “Wheelchair accessibility in NUS: Practical or Theoretical?”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Transport

Han Jing Yang (FoE), Ngiam Jing Hao (FoE), Samantha Toh Kay Yaun (FoS), Siew Tze Kang, Julian (FoE), Stephen Ow Sian Yau (SDE)

Academic Advisor: Ms. Wong Kah Wei
Industry Advisor: Ms. Agnes Yuen Yim Yee (OSA, NUS)

Imagine an average National University School (NUS) student. He studies Arts and Social Science and lives at Ridge View Residential College (RVRC). He wants to participate actively in the NUS community. He just so happens to be wheelchair bound. Should this affect how the student participates in NUS? NUS strives to be an inclusive environment as evident in its infrastructure and services which support the needs of the wheelchair bound students. By comparing the functionality and effectiveness of existing campus infrastructure and services for wheelchair bound students, our project aims to determine if this existing support is sufficient for wheelchair bound students to be independently mobile in NUS. We will be critiquing the theoretical side of the issue through practical assessments. Our proposed methodology will include using pre-existing information and sources, social experiments, gathering of data through focus group discussions and interviews with current NUS wheelchair bound students, staff from Disability Support Office (DSO) in Office of Student Affairs (OSA) and Office of Facilities Management (OFM), NUS Enablers and RVRC. Our data analysis and insights will give our group more knowledge of the issue, thus, leaving us in a suitable position to recommend improvements to existing policies and infrastructure; and suggest alternative approaches. We strive to partner NUS stakeholders in creating a more inclusive campus in which all NUS students are empowered to actively participate in the community!

Keywords: Transport, Mobility, Wheelchair bound, Disabled, Special needs

AY1617G21A – “Cash For Trash”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Waste Management

Eunice Tay (FASS), Nguyen Thanh Son (CEG), Ramdin Robin (FoE), Somesh Dev S/O Mohan (FoS), Tan Ke Yu (FoE)

Academic Advisor: Ms. Wong Kah Wei
Industry Advisor: Mr. Hor Chor Kiat (UCI, NUS)

Universities provide students resources ranging from transportation to the use of paper. Paper is used in all aspects of academic learning, ranging from books to lectures notes and assignments. According to a study conducted at the Minnesota State University, approximately 2.4 billion pages of paper were used in an academic year. A third of the papers were discarded instantly, while the remaining were neglected. Apart from filling up landfills, paper also contributes to the release of Greenhouse Gases such as methane. Methane traps heat 21 times more effectively than carbon dioxide. In Singapore, 1.2 million of paper waste is generated of which only, 51% of it is recycled. With this worrying trend of paper waste, we decided to focus our project on recycled paper generated by RVRC students. The scope of narrowing our project to this local level is to manage the constraints of limited manpower and to collect data efficiently. Our project aims to incentivize the recycling of paper by showing how much money could be generated from recycled paper which is sold. The money collected from the sale could be used to sustain this endeavour. To test out our idea, we decided to use RVRC as a platform for research and data collection.We intend to create our own recycling points to improve the locations and frequency of bins. We will collect the recycled papers disposed by RVRC students to estimate how much paper could be collected regularly. We will quantify how much paper is disposed in bins through a weighing system. We propose to be the middleman between recycling companies and RVRC students. Additionally, surveys will be conducted prior and after the test run to gauge and obtain feedback on this initiative. With data analysis, we hope to draw insights to develop a conceptual plan to show how paper sold to recycling paper companies is an option to incentivize people to recycle paper.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Waste Management, Waste paper

AY1617G20C – “Harvesting Rain Shower”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Natural Environment and Ecosystem, Water

Cheah Cayyin (FASS), Hsien Li Wen Cheryl (FoE),  Ng Hao Yuan (FoE), Wong Ching Pou Paul (FASS), Wu Diyuan (FoS)

Academic Advisor: Dr. Chua Siew Chin
Industry Advisor: Ms. Karen Ho Lye Ying (UCI, NUS)

Our project focuses on rain harvesting due to the increasingly scarce water supply and rising water prices. Singapore’s water treatment process is also high in cost and energy. Rainwater harvesting and direct usage can thus help to conserve potable water and reduce the cost for treating potable water. Although the Singapore government has lifted the ban on rainwater collection, rain harvesting is still uncommon locally, the Changi Airport being one of the few examples. Our group believe that there is potential in rain harvesting and wish to implement it in RVRC, to test the feasibility of the system in reducing water use in a small-scale setting. We also aim to educate and demonstrate to the wider RVRC community that rainwater harvesting is a viable method to supplement the existing water supply. This will be done through improving and customizing the current rainwater collection methods for specific usage. For our project, we positioned the water harvesting system at Block C and will use the water collected to water the RVRC edible garden. We will also be measuring the amount of rainwater collected using a water meter in order to quantify water inputs and outputs. To prevent debris and mosquito breeding, we installed mosquito nets at all the openings of our tank. We also plan to put up infographics and posters about our system around the college compounds in hopes of drawing attention to the rain harvesting system from the RVRC student population. Our setup will serve as a first prototype for subsequent rain harvesting systems in RVRC.

Keywords: water conservation, Natural Environment and Ecosystem, rainwater harvest, watering, water tank

 

AY1617G20B – “Will meal suggestions increase healthy eating in NUS?”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Food, Responsible Consumption

Jeremy Tan Yang Jing (FASS), Lim Jiahui (FoE), Ow Kai Rong, Wesley (FoE), Tang Yong Jen (FoS), Xu Jing Yin (FASS)

Academic Advisor: Dr. Chua Siew Chin
Industry Advisor: Mr Tay Kang Rui (OCA, NUS)

During a school year, NUS students eat a majority of their meals in NUS canteens. Currently, NUS promotes healthier eating by requiring canteen stalls to provide calorie information for each of their dishes. However, calories are just one part of health equation; a diet needs an array of nutrients in order to be considered healthy. While the Singapore Health Promotion Board has healthier choice labels and healthy plate options to help people make better diet choices, it remains difficult for people to make healthy decisions when eating out. Our group hopes to bridge the gap between the available information and the food decisions NUS students make, by narrowing down the options to a suggested weekly menu of healthy dishes. This project will provide a healthy meal plan based on the food dishes at the YIH canteen. We intend to use the Health Promotion Board nutritional guidelines as a baseline definition for a healthy diet. Following which, we will survey a sample of NUS students to assess their eating habits in terms of how often they eat out, and their main considerations for food choices in order to improve our meal plan. Then we will use consolidate the nutritional information from the Health Promotion Board and other sources, to construct meal choices that people could use for a week. After which, we will do a pilot study on how NUS students might respond to such a meal plan, and the extent that such a meal plan promote healthier meal choices among students. At the end of our study, we would conclude our findings and come up with possible extensions of this project.

Keywords: Healthy food, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Singapore Health Promotion Board, canteen

AY1617G20A – “Feasibility of installing solar panels within RVRC”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Built Environment and Green Infrastructure, Energy

Loi Chae Han (FoE), Nicolette Chua Shwu Shyan (FASS), Sakhardande Pradnya Govind (FASS), Sng Jia Long, Benjamin (FoE), Soh Wei Siang Jonathan (FoE)

Academic Advisor: Dr. Chua Siew Chin
Industry Advisor: Dr. Tay En Rong, Stephen (SERIS) & Mr. Loi Jiew Liang (Third Wave Power)

Fossil fuels such as oil and natural gases are finite resources that are not only rapidly depleted, but burning fossil fuels is also detrimental to the environment. As such, there is urgency to switch from fossil fuels to renewable alternative energies. Among the various renewable energies, solar energy is deemed the most promising solution in Singapore, given the island’s tropical climate and small land space. However, renewable energy usage in Singapore is not widespread due the perception of high cost and greater inconvenience. In line with RVRC’s theme of environmental sustainability, our group intends to test these perceptions by studying the actual feasibility, in terms of cost and site’s suitability, of using solar energy within the college. Our project will evaluate the cost and site suitability of replacing existing conventional halogen light bulbs along RVRC walkways with solar-powered light-emitting diode (LED) light bulbs. Given cost limitations, our team will focus on small-scale implementations, targeting the replacement of a single light bulb with solar lamps, and measure the savings in cost and energy. We would then extrapolate the results to college-scale implementation. To evaluate the site suitability for solar panel installations, we intend to model the amount of sunlight exposure in different areas of RVRC using SketchUp, a software widely used in electrical industries and recommended by our industry advisor from SERIS.

Keywords: Energy, Built Environment and Green Infrastructure, solar energy, renewable energy, SketchUp modelling, sensors

AY1617G19C – “Feasibility of cycling in NUS”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Transport

Lee Jun Kang Darryl (FoE), Lim Li Yang (FoE), Lin Yuxuan (FoE), Olivia Widyawati (FoE), Sim Siok Rong (FoS)

Academic Advisor: Mr. Lim Cheng Puay
Industry Advisor: Mr. Foo Siang Chi (OFM, NUS)

NUS shuttle buses have always been a convenient transportation for students and staff to travel within the big university campus (150 hectares). For efficient movement between faculties, the bus are students’ only convenient transport option. Furthermore, with rising enrolment numbers annually, there is a strain on the internal shuttle bus system, which culminates in overcrowding and increased fuel consumption. To cater to the rising transportation demand, more buses can be added but it would result in worsening air quality. To reduce the pressure on the NUS internal shuttle bus service, cycling presents itself as a transportation alternative to buses. In this project we aim to determine the feasibility of cycling in NUS. For our pilot study, we intend to test if cycling is a feasible mode of transport in NUS. We will be looking at areas such as timing, distance and safety between designated locations. We will also survey participants after they have tried out the bicycles to obtain user feedback. It is hoped that this study can contribute to the planning of a sustainable transport facility in NUS.

Keywords: Transport, Mobility and Air Quality, Green transport, Cycling

AY1617G19B – “Sustainable Transport: The Human Element”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Mobility and Air Quality, Transport

Ding Shu En Chloe (FASS), Lim Wei Min, Gary (FoS), Low Jing Wen (FASS), Pranav Kalra (FoE), Teo Hua-Yi Jonathan (FoE)

Academic Advisor: Mr. Lim Cheng Puay
Industry Advisor: Mr. Foo Siang Chi (OFM, NUS)

Transport is a key sector that requires a more sustainable approach. 14% of all global CO2 emissions in 2014 were attributed to transportation (Environmental Protection Agency, 2014), a figure that is higher for developed countries such as Singapore. A similar issue is observed in the National University of Singapore (NUS), as students prefer to use the shuttle bus instead of walking. With a growing student population and limited transport infrastructure, this leads to issues like overcrowding of shuttle bus during peak hours and contribution to green house gas emissions. To resolve this problem, our group will design a mobile application aimed at helping students navigate around NUS campus. The prototype will be targeted towards Engineering students in the college, and the application’s effect on user behavior will be quantified using surveys administered before and after project implementation. Our group hopes to have a better understanding on the behaviors and attitudes with respect to sustainable transport and the relationship between infrastructure and behavior. It is hoped this data can be used in applying effective methods to encourage more students to consider walking in Campus.

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

 

AY1617G19A – “Would you trade your textile trash for treasure?”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption

Andreas Dwi Putra Soegiarto (FoS), Cheng Sher Min (FoE), Ng Han Xiang Nick (FoE), Ng Yu Xiang Nowell (FoE), Tan Kai Hin (FoE)

Academic Advisor: Mr. Lim Cheng Puay

Fast fashion is a phenomenon where apparel designs rapidly change to capture current trends. The high demand for such clothing is high, and greater consumption leads to higher disposal of these garments. In Singapore, only 8% of 156700 tonnes of clothes are being recycled in 2015. Textile waste is a significant environmental problem. Our initial studies indicate that current platforms for clothes recycling have low outreach. Therefore, we aim to explore reducing textile waste by clothing exchange through an online platform. The same platform will also educate visitors on the harmful effects of textile waste. A Facebook group was created to encourage people to trade and donate their clothes as well as to have greater awareness about the impacts of huge textile disposal. The group comprise of mainly young adults as they are the main age group that discard the most textiles. We are also collaborating with NUSSAVE to provide them with the donated clothes we collected through our platform. Success of the project will be measure through the participation rate of our Facebook platform and also by measuring the increase in awareness of textile waste through our education measures by conducting surveys.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Fast Fashion, Social Media, Clothes exchange

AY1617G17C – “Converge and Convert”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Waste Management

Chan Yu Wai, Wilson (Business School), Lau Kin On (FoS), Liu Hang (SoC), Ng Wei Sin (FoE), Tse Qing Le Benjamin (FoE), Yee Cheng Xi (FASS)

Academic Advisor: Dr. Chua Siew Chin

Despite years of government-led efforts to promote recycling, the recycling rates in Singapore remain low. In recent studies, it has been found that one method of achieving higher recycling rates was to get people to come together to recycle, and make recycling a community-based activity. In light of this, our group decided to test if such a social event, Converge and Convert, could increase the recycling rates in Ridge View Residential College. We carry out our experiments on residents of Block A and B. Our event will be held at lounge A on Wednesdays on weeks 7 to 9, from 10pm to 11pm. During this event, Block A and B residents would bring their recyclables to the lounge. Our group would weigh and record the recyclables by their categories of plastics, paper and metals. To encourage participants to come for the event and to help nurture the recycling culture, the event will include mini games as well as an unknown prize to entice the residents. At the end of the events, comparisons would be made of the quantity of recyclables in the recycling bins at Block B, before and after the social events, to determine the project’s success.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Waste Management, social events, recycling incentives

AY1617G17B – “Straw Wars”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Waste Management

Deborah Jasmine (FoS), Foo Chui Ching (FASS), Lee Xin Ying Esther (FASS), Liu Hao Ren (FoE), Melanie Ng Suli (CEG)

Academic Advisor: Dr. Chua Siew Chin

Our Project “Straw Wars” aims to reduce plastic straw usage by providing alternatives to straws. Plastic straws are often regarded as disposal and insignificant. However, because they have a short lifespan of about 20 minutes, are widely used and non-biodegradable, plastic straws is actually one of the most common plastic waste and the top marine trash on Singapore’s coasts. While our preliminary survey on straw usage found that 66.9% of the respondents used straws because of convenience and not of necessity, it is likely difficult to alter people’s habits to not using straws. Thus, although it is hard to recycle straws, their demand would likely stay. Our group aim to replace straws with biodegradable ones. In our preliminary survey, our proposal of edible straws were well received by 70% of the participant. We will exploring two types of edible straws, one will be based on Gelatin or Agar Agar and the second will be flour based. We aim to distribute the straw prototypes and recommend our edible straws to users during the upcoming RVRC events. From there, we will be able to gather their responses and check their receptiveness towards our edible straws.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Waste Management, edible straw, bio-degradable

AY1617G17A – “The Zero Waste Challenge”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption

Liew Jia Min (FoE), Low Fei Yun (FASS), Rao Pranathi Mahesh (FoE), Stuart Chen Tze-Jin (FoS), Tchea Yu (FASS), Tristan Ho Ze Min (FoS)

Academic Advisor: Dr. Chua Siew Chin

In Singapore, 7,673,500 tonnes of waste are generated every year, and a meagre 4,649,700 tonnes of waste are recycled (about 61%). This dismal statistic highlights the dire need for integrating Zero-Waste Schemes into existing Waste Management Systems. Especially on campus, the wastage of resources – food, paper and water, needs to be curbed with immediacy. In this project, we attempt to investigate the possibility of achieving a “Zero-Waste” Campus. Zero-Waste refers to minimizing the production of waste that needs treatment or landfilling. Hence, the adoption of a “Zero-Waste” scheme inherently involves the reduction in consumption and an increase in recycling efforts. We will be conducting a trial of the “Zero Waste Challenge” on a randomized student sample. This project has two aims. Firstly, to encourage individuals to discover environmentally friendly ways of performing day-to-day activities with the aim of producing zero waste during the course of one week. Through this, we hope participants will realise that it is possible to cut down on the waste we produce. Next, using the feedback gathered from participants from both pre-campaign and post-campaign surveys, we would pinpoint the difficulties that a typical student faces when trying to reduce the waste they produce on campus, and feedback to the school management on how it can better facilitate a zero waste lifestyle on campus.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, zero waste campaign, vlog and blog, waste reduction.

AY1617G16C –“Creating an affordable and sustainable vertical farming system for households”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Food, Natural Environment and Ecosystem

Huang Jianyang (FoS), Lian Wen Wei Alexander (FASS), Nguyen Dam Gia Bao (FoE), Tan Wei Qi Waverly (FASS), Tan Wei Tao (FoS)

Academic Advisor: Prof. Adekunle Adeyeye

Food security has been a long-standing issue in Singapore. With a dearth of local produce, Singapore is inevitably dependent on a large volume of imported fresh food. With no certain solution in sight, our group has decided to tackle the root cause of the problem – a lack of local produce. The scarcity and high lease-price of land in Singapore is undoubtedly a key reason that local farms are unable to expand their farms and increase productivity. Considering the issue of land scarcity, our idea is to promote farming in residential backyards with the use of an affordable and sustainable vertical farming system that is also easily constructed. With guidance from our industry advisor, we aim to create a prototype vertical farming system that is constructed out of recyclables and low-cost material. The prototype is designed to be suitable for mass production, making it accessible to all households. Inspired by IKEA, we will also design an instruction manual to aid buyers of our product in setting up their own vertical farming system. The main intent of these strategies is to make the product affordable, bringing our goal of having every Singaporean household to farm in their own backyard a step closer to reality.

Keywords: Natural Environment and Ecosystem, Food, Urban farming, Food Security, Vertical Farming

AY1617G16B – “NU$ell: How can we reduce the wastage from transient hostel residents?”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Waste Management

Ashwin Kumaar Raviraj (FoE), Gundlapalli Prithvi (FoS), Karthikeyan Kavitha (FoE), Peter Bruce Gale (FoS), Sarah Cheong Cheng Wen (FoS), Toh Wei Li (FASS)

Academic Advisor: Prof. Adekunle Adeyeye

The start of every new semester at National University of Singapore (NUS) sees new student residents moving into campus. This is typically accompanied by the discarding of previous residents’ belongings such as lamps, wi-fi routers, cooking utensils, irons and clothes. A large percentage of these discarded items are typically in good and re-usable condition, but are still consigned as waste. This trend is largely driven by a culture of convenience. Our project aims to take a simple step towards achieving a zero-waste society by reducing this source of preventable waste through a pilot test on Ridge View Residential College (RVRC) residents. The study categorises residents into three groups – local, international and exchange students. We believe that this classification effectively reflects their varied consumption and resulting waste habits. For example, exchange students typically purchase more new items than the other resident groups because they do not bring all items of daily necessity from their homes overseas. We will first conduct a survey and collect data from relevant campus agencies and the three RVRC student resident groups to identify the source and quantify the magnitude of waste. We will then review the impact of existing measures and suggest modifications and additional initiatives. Our main initiative is a system for reusing or renting commonly-needed items (such as hangers, stand fans, desk lights, room decoration, etc). Promotion of re-use of these items could be done through a bazaar at RVR Annexe or through an app. We will also explore the option of selling items to second-hand dealers or donating them to charities. To maximise effectiveness, our solutions would have to be convenient for the target student audience, thereby leveraging on their inherent culture of convenience.

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

AY1617G16A – “Reusable Bags: Good Monster or Bad Monster?”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Waste Management

Elizabeth Chew Ting Xin (FASS), Hanny Putri Pranata (FoS), Hoong Yao Yang (FoS), Kwa Zhi Ying (FoE), Liu Quyang (FoE)

Academic Advisor: Prof. Adekunle Adeyeye

Reusable bags, such as non-woven polypropylene bags and cotton bags, have been viewed as an environmentally friendlier alternative to single-use plastic bags as they can be made from recycled materials and are relatively durable. However, there is a lack of public awareness on the significantly larger carbon footprint left behind by each reusable bag as compared to that of each single-use plastic bag. In 2011, the UK Environmental Agency conducted a study on the environmental impact of various supermarket carrier bags and concluded that non-woven polypropylene bags and cotton bags need to be reused at least 11 and 131 times respectively to compensate for the higher carbon emission of each bag. In the National University of Singapore (NUS), reusable bags are often employed by student committees and organisations as a means to distribute freebies and pamphlets during school events such as the annual NUS Open Day. As a result of the high volume of such events on campus, students tend to receive and hoard a significant number of reusable bags with most of them remaining relatively unused. Therefore, we aim to maximise the use of each reusable bag owned by NUS students, because we see the need for all NUS students to set an example and take ownership of their own carbon footprint. Our group implemented a system in NUS where preowned reusable bags are collected, sanitized and then placed around the campus for reuse. We piloted this idea with the installation of ‘Feed Me’ reusable bag collection boxes in RVRC. This was followed by ‘Take Me’ reusable bag distribution boxes around the commercial areas of NUS, such as outside the NUS Co-Op. The results of our pilot will help to gauge if our idea can be implemented on a larger scale around other educational institutions in Singapore.

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

AY1617G15C – “Visual Elasticity of Demand”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption

A Pethanakshi (FoS), Chang Rui Zheng (FoE), Lee Wan Yee (FoS), Ngeow Shan Yong Destin (SoC), Tan Zhi Han (FASS)

Academic Advisor: Mr. Lim Cheng Puay
Industry Advisors: Mr. Hor Chor Kiat (UCI, NUS) & Mr. Kelvin Ng Kian Yong (OCA, NUS)

Green advertising refers to creative, or even interactive, designs that motivate behavioural change through various types of appeals, such as guilt and beauty appeal, aiming to steer consumers toward more environmentally-friendly behaviour. Since green advertising has not been a prevalent method in NUS, our project aims to evaluate its effectiveness in influencing consumer behaviour on the usage of paper serviettes in NUS bistros. Furthermore, this project focuses on a consumer-oriented, reductionist approach, because reduction is preferable to technological alternatives that have high embodied energy, which offsets any environmental advantage that technology claims to bring. Green advertising posters will be placed in three bistros for three weeks and compared against conventional infographic posters using the per capita rate of serviette consumption data. A quantitative survey questionnaire will be issued during the pilot test to the bistro customers to obtain their evaluation of the green advertisements. Qualitative feedback of the posters were also obtained. Through this evaluation, we hope to ascertain if green advertising is indeed effective in influencing behaviour and its possible implementation on a larger scale.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Green Advertising, Paper waste

AY1617G15B – “Verde: a structure for sustainable laundry in RVRC”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Energy

Denise Lim Yu Qun (FoS), Foo Jen Han (FASS), Lee Kian Boon (FoS), Lim Jie Chong (FoS), Ryan Euclid Chin Qingfeng (SDE)

Academic Advisor: Mr. Lim Cheng Puay
Industry Advisor: Ms. Sadaf Ansari (RVRC, NUS)

Using appliances contribute to the overall carbon emissions in electricity generation for Singapore. In RVRC, most of the clothing is dried using electrical tumble dryers due to lack of space and limited outdoor clothes drying facility. The reliance on tumbler dryers also contributes to the carbon footprint of RVRC and increased electrical bills. These necessitate the search for a more energy and cost-efficient method for laundry drying. However, alternative methods such as natural drying on available clothes racks are insufficient to accommodate all residents. As such, we propose a sheltered laundry drying facility, to promote the drying of laundry using natural wind. This aesthetically pleasing facility will have sufficient shelter for inclement weather, as well as a clothes line arranged in a rotational array to maximise space and accommodate more laundry. To speed up drying, the structure will be designed to capture maximum sunlight, and maximise wind and internal airflow. This structure would also be largely built out of sustainable materials. The successful use of this facility will greatly reduce reliance on electric tumble dryers, hence cutting down on energy consumption within the College. It also removes the cost of drying for the residents, and cuts down on energy bills for the College.

Keywords: Energy, Building design, Laundry Drying

AY1617G15A – “ClothesLine: Extending a lifeline to clothes”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Waste Management

Chiam Sheng Yeow (FoE), Huang Shaoqi Kenneth (FoS), Leong Ze Xi (FASS), Lim Yi Qian (FoE), Shane Ee Wei Lee (FASS)

Academic Advisor: Mr. Lim Cheng Puay
Industry Advisor: Mr. Aloysius Sng (Refash)

Textile waste poses a significant environmental problem in affluent countries. In Singapore, more than 150, 000 tonnes of textile waste was discarded with only 8 percent recycled. This project explores the growing unsustainability of the textile industry due to increasing textile waste and the reasons behind this, such as growing consumption and poor disposal habits. We chose NUS students as our target group because NUS students fit the profile of the largest consumer group (young adults) and hence contribute the most towards clothes wastage. Also, the reason why we’re holding this in NUS is because many students participate in existing initiatives like the Green Wardrobe and Green Bazaar. A preliminary survey on 230 NUS students during the Chinese New Year break concluded that our solution to target disposal habits should include monetary incentives and promote convenience in order to be effective. Hence, our proposed solution to reduce textile wastage is to bring the concept of thrift shops to NUS, which involves a combination of convenience and incentive to recycle. We hope that through this experience, more young adults will be more open purchasing used clothing and hence lessening the environmental impact of textile waste.

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

AY1617G14C – “Recycle it Right!”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption

Basyir B Othman (CEG), Chew Chi Yin (FASS), Lim Ming En (FoE), Tan Wei Ling Jillian (FASS), Tan Zhi Wei (CEG)

Academic Advisor: Dr. Chua Siew Chin
Industry Advisors: Mr. Hor Chor Kiat & Mr. Lim Wei Xiang Harry (UCI, NUS)

While the importance of recycling has been instilled into the public’s psyche due to government efforts to increase recycling rates, incorrect categorisation of rubbish and recycled waste contamination still remains a pressing issue. Some possible reasons for the abovementioned problems include the failure to recognise labels on receptacles or limited cognitive processing as people multitasked and thus disposed their recyclables into the wrong recycling bins. Overtime, this may result in an increasingly polluted recycling stream and a costly downstream recycling process. This project aims to encourage correct disposal and recycling habits, which in turn reduces the rate of contaminated recyclable waste. We will conduct survey to identify the preferred mode of instructions on recycling lids that would help correct disposal habits. We target all three types of recycling bins available in RVRC – Metals, Plastics and Paper. Our survey would also test the awareness level that used food containers and plastic bottles need to be washed before disposal. To increase the salience of the bin, recycling compliance as well as the accuracy of items recycled, we will replace the lids of recycling bins with specialised lids that reflect the shape of the item meant to be thrown. For example, a bin meant for plastic bottles will have the outline of a plastic bottle on the lid. This way, consumers will be able to identify these bins from a distance, even if they were multi-tasking. Furthermore, recycling bins will also be fitted with pictorial instructions to facilitate correct recycling methods. Although recycling bins have become an omnipresent part of our lives, the right recycling habits and accuracy of items disposed play a crucial role in ensuring that recycling rates increase in both quality and quantity.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, recycling bin design, waste contamination

AY1617G14B – “Investigating user experience in NUS-Bicycle-Sharing-Pilot”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Mobility and Air Quality, Transport

Chew Bi Ting (FASS), Chuah You Heng (FoS), Joshua Ng Kai Jiang (SoC), Sonia Ko Yun Xin (FASS), Tong Qi Wei (FASS)

Academic Advisor: Dr. Chua Siew Chin
Industry Advisor: Mr. Foo Siang Chi (OES, NUS)

Our project explores the feasibility of bicycle sharing in NUS as an alternative to the NUS shuttle buses, which are often crowded during school hours. Bicycle sharing has gained popularity in school, towns and cities around the world. As there is no such system in NUS yet, we would like to find out whether such a system, if implemented in the local context, would be effective. We define effectiveness as the percentage of participants that display positive feedback towards the bicycle-sharing system. We will look at how frequently they use the system and more importantly, find out if the participants are willing to continue using it alongside buses. We will also look at the issues they encountered and hopefully use their responses to improve the system. Using quantitative data provided by MoBikes’ existing system, we will also assess user patterns and draw conclusions on whether the system is an effective alternative transport system to buses. A volunteer group of participants will take part in a 2-week pilot test. Participants will be given promotional codes for the MoBikes App so that they can use the MoBikes system for free. Four MoBikes docking stations will be installed in NUS during our pilot test and the participants will be required to use designated cycling routes. We will conduct a pre-test survey to gather data on the participants’ current main transport patterns. After the test, we will conduct a post-test survey to find out if they felt that the Bicycle Sharing system was a viable form of transport that could rival the shuttle buses.

Keywords: Transport, Mobility and Air Quality, bicycle rental, cycling route, Energy and Climate

AY1617G14A – “Would availability of clotheslines reduce dryer usage in RVRC?”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Energy, Responsible Consumption

Goh Yi Hui, Clarisse (FASS), Jonathan Yeo Chang Yong (FoS), Leong Kok Liang Dylan (FoS), Marabeth Kwah Xin Yi (FoS), Tiana Singgih (FoE)

Academic Advisor: Dr. Chua Siew Chin

In Singapore, the use of electrical dryers for drying clothes is a waste of energy considering the hot local climate. Our preliminary survey showed that many residents of Ridge View Residential College use electric dryers for drying clothes. This could in part be due to the lack of adequate communal areas for the residents to dry their laundry. Our idea revolves around the substitution of electrical dryers with the conventional clotheslines. This solution provides a practical way to dry clothes indoors as it is space efficient as compared to regular clothing racks. Being retractable, the clothesline will not obstruct the residents. The clothesline will also save $1 per dryer use for students. We also want to find out whether the availability of clothesline could cause a change in students’ mindset with regards to the use of dryers. We will be conducting a pilot test with tension rods in place of a retractable line to assess the feasibility of our idea for a college-wide adoption. In short, through our project, we aim to uncover new insights on dryer usage habits and to reduce the reliance on dryers.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Energy and Climate, electric dryer, laundry clotheslines

AY1617G13C – “Saving the Spark: Identifying the cause of energy wastage”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Energy, Responsible Consumption

Celia Leo (FASS), Ho Chih Young (FoE), Ng Jing Hui Darrell (FoE), Parkhi Agarwal (FASS), Yeong Jing Wei (FoS)

Academic Advisor: Ms. Sadaf Ansari

Energy consumption, while vital to our modern day living, is a source of many environmental problems such as the burning of fossil fuels, which in turn produces vast amounts of carbon dioxide that contributes to climate change. Statistics indicate that several developed countries face the problem of unsustainable energy consumption, but the cause remains unclear in spite of ample publicity, education and established measures to curb energy waste. At an individual consumer level, it is posited that the crux of this issue lies in behavioural psychology, particularly in the field of habit formation. Our project aims to identify the key reasons behind unsustainable electrical consumption behaviour at Ridge View Residential College (RVRC). We will be conducting this through a randomly selected pool of respondents. The first step in the project is to survey the sample resident population on their current electrical use and their justification for their habits. The second step is to study their daily usage habits in-depth, in the form of logbooks to better pinpoint the exact challenges participants face in practicing responsible energy usage and mitigate inaccuracy of answers in the survey stage of the experiment. Finally, from the data collected, solutions fitting the current dynamics of the target population to combat irresponsible energy usage can then be crafted with greater effectiveness.

Keywords: Energy, Energy wastage, Responsible Consumption, Consumer habits

AY1617G13B – “Convenience, Recycling, Contamination (CRC)”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption

Ang Wei An James (FASS), Lim Zhi Zhong Walter (FoS), Shawn Lim Hui Siang (FASS), Tan Yong Jia (FoS), Terence Chou Jun Xiang (FoE)

Academic Advisor: Ms. Sadaf Ansari

GEQ Group 27 AY2015/16 identified an interesting point regarding the role of convenience in promoting recycling habits in their project. As an extension of their idea, we seek to investigate if the converse would be true: would increasing the difficulty of disposing unsorted general waste encourage the act of recycling? Thus, our team is investigating the correlation between recycling and convenience during specific time windows. Additionally, we are looking into contamination rates of the recycling bins before and after our investigation. We will be carrying out our pilot study at one of the Blocks at Ridge View Residential College (RVRC) to check if raising awareness can contribute to a reduction in contamination and an increase in recycling rates. Keeping in line with RVRC’s vision of sustainability, our goal is to cultivate better recycling habits among residents. These habits, and the methods used to cultivate them, possess the potential to be scaled up in the future to include the rest of Singapore, fostering a positive culture of being proactive when it comes to recycling. In a nutshell, we feel that there is room for improvement when it comes to recycling. Rethinking and recalibrating the current methods in place, we intend to begin by centralising general unsorted waste disposal and revising existing recycling practices if required.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Recycling, Waste sorting

AY1617G13A – “Sell By, Use By or Expired! Can raising awareness of food labels reduce food waste?”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Food, Waste Management

Chen Xuanlin (FoS), Neo Wei Hang (FASS), Tan Jia Jia Amelia (FASS), Tay Li Na (FoE), Wang Xiaodan (SDE)

Academic Advisor: Ms. Sadaf Ansari

According to a National Environment Agency study conducted in 2015, Singapore had 785,500 tonnes of food waste with only 13% of the food waste being recycled. That implies that on average, Singaporeans are wasting 140kg of food annually. To compound the issue, Singapore’s food waste has increased by 47.8% in a decade. As a small nation, reliant on imported food, a staggering 13% of its food imports ends up as waste, creating an unsustainable scenario with grave environmental implications. For processed food, a large percentage of this food waste may often result from confusing food labels that are not correctly understood or interpreted by consumers. Our project decided to explore this problem in the context of residents at the Ridge View Residential College (RVRC). A large fraction of residents purchase and store foods incorrectly in their rooms or the common pantries. This often results in food waste, evident from the numerous management-conducted food clearing exercise done in the common pantries. Our group has identified the following two points as key reasons to why this issue is happening: (1) Lack of awareness and implications of the different type of food labels, and (2) Lack of awareness of the proper storage methods of different food types. Our study will conduct surveys to measure the current awareness of RVRC residents on both these factors. We will concurrently be carrying out a college wide campaign to raise awareness about food labels and food waste through posters and social media platforms. We will document our findings and explore if increasing awareness about food labels could be an effective solution to mitigate food waste.

Keywords: Food, Waste Management, Food labelling, Food waste, Responsible consumption

AY1617G12B – “Palm Oil makes the air spoil”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Food, Responsible Consumption

Chuan Sze Min, Ayn (FASS), Hong Chuan Yin (FoS), Lim Jun Lin (FoE), Nguyen Thi Hoang Anh (SDE), Teng Lin Chiat (FoS)

Academic Advisor: Mr. Lim Cheng Puay
Industry Advisor: Ms. Zhang Wen (PM.Haze)

Palm oil is pervasive in our daily lives: from the food we consume to the toiletries we use for personal hygiene. As palm oil can be used for various purposes, the demand for palm oil will definitely increase. A report by United Nations Environment Programme acknowledges that oil palm plantations are now the main reason for rainforest destruction in Malaysia and Indonesia. In 2013, Singapore experienced the worst haze outbreak as the Pollutant Standard Index (PSI) hit 400 due to smog blown over from forest fires in Indonesia. Since then, people are more concerned about haze. Purchasing a product that contains palm oil will be akin to supporting companies which allow uncontrolled deforestation. Our group would like to raise awareness among NUS students about this pressing haze issue. This is done through engaging dialogue sessions, workshops and educational visuals. With these, we hope that more will buy products with Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) label or products that do not contain any palm oil.

Keywords: Food, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Palm Oil, Sustainable consumption

AY1617G12A – “Disconnect to Connect”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption

Faith Oh Ke Jing (FASS), Goh Yin Hao (FoE), Teh Wen Han (FASS), Teo Zi Lin (FASS)
Academic Advisor: Mr. Lim Cheng Puay

Industry Advisor: Mr. Hor Chor Kiat (UCI, NUS)

Social media usage has increased significantly around the world, with Singapore expecting to have around 3.2 million Facebook users by 2018. Such usage involves data centres which require a large amount of energy to function. Facebook data centres were responsible for emitting 649,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2016. We hope to encourage users to reduce their social media usage, in particular Facebook, by exploring alternative ways to engage their time. Our execution consist of two phases. The first phase is to increase awareness of the impacts of data centres and social media usage. This is done through visual posters displayed in RVRC and also oral presentation in social gatherings. Volunteers joining our programme then take a pledge to reduce their social media usage. For the second phase, we will organise different activities, such as movie screenings or a board games session, and get participants to join us. Throughout the project, we will monitor the participants Facebook usage through a tracking application called My Data Manager. We hope that this programme will initiate a behavioural change and reduce usage of social media for our participants.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Social media, Energy, Habit survey

AY1617G11C – “No Plastic Bag, ok?”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption

Muhammad Nazreen Bin Mohd Noor (SDE), Priscilla Leo Zhen Ning (FASS), Raebekah Soh Rui Min (FASS), Shai-Ann Koh Seow Yen (FASS), Soham Sheel Saini (FoE)

Academic Advisor: Dr. Chua Siew Chin

Recycling of plastic bags is largely inefficient and tedious, as both the production and recycling processes consume energy. Moreover, in Singapore, only 7% of plastic bags are actually recycled due to the poor recycling culture. A more direct intervention is to stem the use of plastic bags. To promote less plastic bags usage among students, our group proposes “No Plastic Bag, OK?”, a project in collaboration with the Subway branch at Yusof Ishak House (YIH). Food outlets at YIH are just a short walk away from Ridge View Residential College (RVRC) and are frequently patronised by RVRC residents. Yet, we have observed frequent usage of plastic bags by residents whenever they take away their meals, which is a wasteful practice, especially for such short trips. This unnecessary consumption of plastic bags results in high levels of plastic waste. Our group will primarily use pre- and post-implementation surveys to gauge the receptiveness of our project. We will also use collect data during implementation to determine the success of our project. In summary, we aim to decrease the plastic bag usage of patrons at Subway and to encourage the conscious choice of declining plastic bags.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, subway sandwich, takeaway plastic bag, packaging

AY1617G11B – “Connect & Walk for a greener campus”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Energy, Mobility and Air Quality, Transport

Chen Kuang (SoC), Chew Yu Liang (FoE), Jeremy Lee Jun Wei (FoE), Nabilah Bte Mohamad Rozaini (FoE), Neo Shun Jie (SDE)

Academic Advisor: Dr. Chua Siew Chin

NUS provides internal shuttle buses as the main mode of transportation for commuters within the campus. However, these buses become severely overcrowded particularly during peak hours. This issue will continue to exacerbate with increasing student recruitment. Should frequency of bus services increases to match the demand, the cost on man-hours, fuel consumption, labour, and other resources would be environmentally and economically unsustainable. To tackle the prevalent issue, we plan to implement a mobile application to encourage people to walk instead of taking the shuttle bus service. We also plan to create an algorithm that would allow students to plan their timetable on NUSmods such that their travel distance between classes is minimized. This would incentivize them to walk to their next class instead of taking the shuttle bus. To study what motivates commuters to walk, we plan to survey NUS students to find out the factors of consideration for their transport options. Our mobile application will then concentrate on such motivations to incentivise people to walk. In a nutshell, our research areas will involve three fields:

  1. What motivates people to adopt the different modes of transport?
  2.  Case studies of societies where the walking culture is prevalent.
  3. Study of existing/proposed ideas to encourage people to walk and why some of them failed.

Keywords: Transport, Mobility and Air Quality, Energy and Climate, shuttle bus, companionship app.

 

AY1617G11A – “Are Bioswales Effective?”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Built Environment and Green Infrastructure

Goh Wei Tjin (FASS), Jessica Cecilia Bose (FASS), Khoo Jun Hao Desmond (FoE), Lee Wenxin (FASS), Tay Wei Hern (FoE)

Academic Advisor: Dr. Chua Siew Chin
Industry Advisor: Mr. Ang Chee Wee (OFM, NUS)

Today two-thirds of Singapore’s land areas serve as water catchment areas, meaning that much of our urban surface water runoff ultimately is captured and recycled for our usage. Bioswales are green landscapes that could improve the quality of the surface water runoff, as they are designed to reduce the amounts of toxic pollutants in storm water. Bioswales are increasingly popular in recent years as part of Singapore’s green landscapes but not many people know about them, their purposes, nor their effectiveness. Our group aim to test the effectiveness of bioswales in cleansing the storm water. We will mainly be testing for pH as well as the presence of heavy metals like Lead, Aluminium and Copper, as a measure of water quality. Since testing the water collected after having gone through an actual bioswale is unfeasible due to safety precautions, our group is modelling 3 miniature bioswales to carry out the experiment. By planting rosemary, basil and mint respectively in a layering of gravel and different types of soil, we will be filtering storm water through these bioswales and testing the water quality before and after the process to check for improvement.

Keywords: Built Environment and Green Infrastructure, water pollution, water quality, experiment planting

AY1617G10C – “TAP for Water: A strategy to reduce water waste in RVRC by reducing shower time”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Water

Joshua Yap Ze Neng (FASS), Michael Tan Pau Fatt (FoE), Xu Yiqing (SoC), Zhao Xin Chen, Jane (SDE)

Academic Advisor: Ms. Sadaf Ansari

Water shortage is a crucial issue that is slowly becoming a global crisis. While Singapore currently enjoys water security, as our demand for water grows in tandem with economic growth and population, we need to be able to secure a sufficient supply for future generations. Moreover, studies indicate that people Singapore residents typically do not feel a financial pinch when it comes to excessive use and wastage of water, especially during showers. This is primarily because users do not know the quantifiable amount of water they use per day. We hope to address this awareness issue with the use of an interactive device that prompts ‘Seeing is believing’ and prompts action. Visual display devices cataloguing and indicating use have been proven to be effective in reducing water and energy usage in Australia. TAP for Water is a project to reduce water waste by Ridge View Residential College (RVRC) residents by targeting shower times as it is one of the activities that causes the highest volume of waste water. In addition to the visual display to increase user awareness, our idea also incorporates a tariff system where RVRC residents need to tap their matric card/concession card (with ID registration) to activate water-flow for shower. Our aim is to target and modify daily habits involving water waste through awareness of consumption patterns, that could be potentially charged to the user. We will conduct 3 separate tests:(1) Pre-Project Survey, to estimate the average showering time for both genders, (2) Pilot-Test Stage 1, to test the hypothesis that students will reduce their shower times if the actual duration of the shower and quantity of water used is is made known to them, and (3) Pilot-Test Stage 2, to test the visual display & tariff device and troubleshoot any technical issues when using the device. Based on a successful pilot of all three stages, we will make our recommendations to the Office of Housing Services at RVRC for adoption.

Keywords: Water, Responsible consumption, Water wastage, Energy wastage, Visual cues, Nudge behaviour

AY1617G10B – “Pizza Box to Paper Plates: Do awareness campaigns really reduce cardboard wastage?”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption

Lau Jun Cheng Justin (SDE), Lim Zheng Kai (SoC), Megan Sonali Lourdesamy (FASS), Ng Wen Ching (FoE), Tan Zhi Ming Jaswin (FoE)

Academic Advisor: Ms. Sadaf Ansari

Our group aims to investigate if an increase in awareness about environmental impact of consumer habits could lead to a positive change in sustainable behaviour. As residents of Ridge View Residential College, our meal plan includes food options from Sarpinos. During the course of our stay, we have noticed a particular wasteful consumer trend at Sarpinos (YIH branch) – consumers prefer to order food in take-away corrugated cardboard boxes instead of paper plates, even when they consume the food in the covered spaces around the outlet. Our research shows that corrugated cardboard boxes have a much larger carbon footprint as compared to paper plates. This prompted us to tackle this problem of food packaging wastage for our project. We intend to conduct our fieldwork and encourage patrons to make the switch to paper plates in a 3-stage process. In the first stage, we will observe and tally the typical number of consumers who do opt for paper plates. In the second stage, we will display a poster prominently at the front of the store to motivate people to choose ordering on paper plates over cardboard boxes. In the final stage, we will request the Sarpino employees to assist by asking customers if they really need a box. We will monitor and document the trend over this 3 week period to find if there would be an increase in the uptake for paper plates due to the increase of awareness.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Campaigns, Behaviour suvey, Single use plastics, Food packaging

AY1617G10A – “Food Waste Segregation: Is it a feasible option for common pantries at RVRC?”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Waste Management

Felicia Farm Li Wen (FoE), Gillian Lim Hui Min (FASS), Lai Shi Wei, Valerie (FoE), Lian Jia En, Frances (FASS), Melissa Anne Lim Yu Ting (FoS), William Tin Wai Leung (SDE)

Academic Advisor: Ms. Sadaf Ansari

The current, unfavorable method of disposing food waste is incineration at landfills. This results in severe environmental impacts, such as the emission of greenhouse gases, which in turn contribute to global warming. Such impacts can be reduced by recycling food waste. However, in order to recycle food waste efficiently, it has to be separated from general waste such as tissues or disposable cutlery. Our project will investigate this idea by piloting waste segregation at common pantries in Ridge View Residential College (RVRC). Over a period of 2 weeks, we will document the success of waste segregation by placing bins for the separation of food waste and general waste. We will begin this effort with an awareness campaign at RVRC using posters to inform residents in the first week. In the second week, we will remove the posters to observe if residents continue to separate food waste without being reminded. On the whole, our project aims to see if we can cultivate a culture of segregating food waste in RVRC.

Keywords: Waste Management, Food waste, Responsible Consumption, Food waste segregation

AY1617G09C – “All – Range Oranges – Giving ugly oranges a chance”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Waste Management

Arya Ravi (FASS), Calvin Ang Boon Wee (FoE), Chua Chen Loon, Wilson (FoS), Joshua Chew Zihao (FASS), Yee Chenxin Jonathan (SDE)

Academic Advisor: Mr. Lim Cheng Puay

Food wastage where produce is rejected based on appearance is a significant problem. In Singapore, 300 tonnes of unsold food were discarded each month. The goal of this project is to encourage consumers to purchase aesthetically displeasing (or ugly) food, specifically oranges. This is done through short slogans displayed on posters. The posters will be placed directly above the baskets in which oranges are stocked in the NTUC Xpress at University Town on the NUS campus. We will attempt to quantify this change in attitudes by conducting surveys to compare orange selection habits before and after displaying the posters. We will also conduct on-site observations to see first-hand the effect of the posters on consumers. At the end of our project, we would like to observe positive changes in consumer’s attitude towards ugly oranges. Our long term belief is that these positive changes in consumer’s attitudes can go beyond our scope and be translated to general fruit selections and consumers islandwide.

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

AY1617G09B – “Slow the Flow, Stop the Drop”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Water

Au Kai Lin (FASS), Dong Mai Phuong (FoS), Lee Jingyi (FASS), Seah Choon Kong (FoE), Then Wen Jie Chester (FASS)

Academic Advisor: Mr. Lim Cheng Puay
Industry Advisor: Ms. Karen Ho Lye Ying (OFM, NUS)

Showering forms a significant amount of monthly domestic water consumption in Singapore households. Studies also show that reducing shower time by one minute can lead to significant savings in water usage. Our group aims to examine whether the time taken to shower can be reduced by installing shower timers in the shower cubicles used by the residents in RVRC. The shower timers consist of 5-minute hourglasses which are attached onto the walls of the shower cubicles on level 3 and 4 of RVRC Tower Block. Data on the usage of shower timer and showering time was collected over a period of 4 weeks using door-to-door surveys. Secondary data based on the water meter measurement of RVRC Tower Block in February and March 2016 and 2017 was collected to compare the difference in water consumption and assess whether the installation of the shower timer has led to a decrease in water usage. The project hopes that installing visual reminders has a positive impact on reducing water usage during showers.

Keywords: Water, Shower habits, Habit change, Shower timers

AY1617G09A – “Project Plant it Yourself!”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption

Chua Yi Xuan (FoS), Lim Jia Wen (FASS), Sharina Bte Mohamed Amran (FASS), Tan Wen Xin (FoE), Tay Yong Qiang (FoS)

Academic Advisor: Mr. Lim Cheng Puay
Industry Advisor: Ms. Aditi (Pocket Greens)

Singapore is a highly urbanized country with very little land available for food production. Over 90% of our food is imported. Food security is a key concern in the light of climate change where our food supply might be disrupted. Urban farming, where edible plants are grown in buildings, has the potential to supplement an individual’s diet. Growing your own food also reduces the carbon footprint incurred in buying imported produce. Focussing on undergraduates living in residential colleges, our group engaged the RVRC community by issuing a Plant-It-Yourself kit, to be grown over the course of 5 weeks. This kit consists of seeds potted in recycled containers and a digital instruction manual. The two main criteria for success to gauge their change in mindsets are: (1) the level of interest of participants has increased, (2) they expressed interest in the continuation of growing their own food. We will gauge these through surveys which will be done at the start, middle and end of the project to evaluate whether there is a progressive change in mindset. We propose that opening mindsets of students can be the first step in making growing their own food a sustainable lifestyle.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Food, Urban farming, Food Security

 

AY1617G08C – “Think Twice About Rice”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Waste Management

Koh Yu Jie (FoS), Le Trung Hieu (SoC), Lieu Wei Zhi Ivan (FoS), Sinchita Sathish (FASS), Teo Jin Ming (SoC)

Academic Advisor: Dr. Chua Siew Chin

With growing affluence, food waste is increasingly an issue in Singapore. Food waste can be classified into post-consumed and pre-consumed. Our group choose to tackle the issue at the pre-consumed food stage, because this will ultimately reduce the post-consumed waste. Based on our observations at various canteens and from previous group’s results, we realise that rice is the most commonly wasted dish due to a mismatch between the portion of rice served and the individuals’ appetite level. This problem can be solved by better matching the individual’s need with the amount of rice served by the vendor. We intend to implement a rice level chart where customers can specify to vendors the rice quantity that they want, thereby reducing the level of food waste. Our inspiration comes from the sugar level chart implemented by Gong-Cha, where customers have the autonomy to decide the sugar level they want. Our target stall is the mixed vegetable rice stall at Business/Computing canteen We intend work with the stall vendor to implement the more/less rice ordering system over a week, and thereafter, survey the students’ responses to verify the viability of our idea. We hope that our idea can encourage you to think twice about rice when you are eating out.

Keywords: Waste Management, food waste, rice, Cultural and Lifetstyle Trends, canteen

AY1617G08B – “Tracing the source of marine debris at the eastern coast of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve (SBWR)”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Natural Environment and Ecosystem

Cephas Lim En Rong (FoE), Chin Zhao Wei (FoE), Keong Ken Wei Nick (FASS), Koh Tian Kai (FASS), Tan Yikai (SoC)

Academic Advisor: Dr. Chua Siew Chin

Due to its non-point source and trans-boundary nature, marine trash has been an unabating issue for Singapore’s coastlines despite many years of coastal cleanups. Their impacts on natural ecosystems such as mangroves go beyond mere unsightliness, to potentially damaging young mangrove saplings. Using Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve (SBWR) as a case study, our project seeks to understand the flow of marine trash in Singapore. Specifically, we aim to trace the sources of marine debris found at the eastern mangrove coast of SBWR through the following:

  1. Take photos of the marine debris at the eastern mangrove coast.
  2. In a non-bias manner, collect all trash in a designated area and categorize them as “local”, “foreign” and “cannot be determined”

Our preliminary expedition suggests that a majority of the debris at SBWR belongs to Malaysia. Thus on top of more field work, we will also consider how distinct types of debris (e.g. glass bottles, food packaging) are carried to the eastern coast due to current movements (longshore drift, tide levels, monsoon wind direction).

Keywords: Natural Environment and Ecosystem, mangroves, marine trash, waste, Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve

AY1617G08A – “Deter-gent: Know Your Laundry!”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption

Bernice Liau Wei Ting (FASS), Cheng Li Yi (FoS), Chua Chung Boon Roy (FoE), Ong Yan Ting (FASS), Pua Zhao Chen (FoS)

Academic Advisor: Dr. Chua Siew Chin

Laundry detergent is an ubiquitous and indispensable household commodity. However, detergent use could cause serious environmental repercussions, as chemicals such as phosphates in detergents could end up in water bodies via the wastewater system. This could lead to eutrophication and harm aquatic life. Excessive use of detergent would thus exacerbate these detrimental effects, and yet our preliminary survey shows that among the student community, there is little consciousness of the appropriate use of detergent. With the aim of alleviating these harmful consequences of laundry detergent, our project strives to promote consumer awareness about these repercussions and encourage good laundry habits, through educating the RVRC community on appropriate detergent usage and dosage. Our project has two approaches. First, we will provide weighing scales and measuring cups in the laundry room for residents to weigh their laundry load and to measure the appropriate dosage. Charts will be put up to inform residents of the appropriate amount of detergent to use based on the weight of their load. Our second approach involves educating the RVRC community on the harmful effects of laundry detergent and provide tips to encourage a change of laundry habits. Also, we will promote the use of detergent with the Eco-green label. Educational posters will be put up around RVRC to raise awareness. Finally, the success of our approaches on survey will be based on survey responses from the RVRC community.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, laundry detergent, water

AY1617G07C – “One Camp, One Tree”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Waste Management

Aw Kailer Jonah (FoS), Caleb Lai Yiren (FASS), Cheyenne Rebecca Chew Mun Yuen (FASS), Gabriel Lye Jun Hui (FoE), Marcus Koh Wai Leong (FoS)

Academic Advisor: Mr. N Sivasothi

Our project ‘One Camp, One Tree’ addresses unnecessary paper wastage in the usage of hard copy indemnity forms. This is done by replacing the current hard copy forms with a secured online portal. By implementing this schoolwide, the project aims to save 30,000 sheets of paper. Hard copy indemnity forms serve to indemnify the institution from any injuries incurred by the participants during school activities. The online portal serves the same function and brings about additional benefits such as easier access and greater convenience for participants. Furthermore, it simplifies the data collection and collation process for the organisers. We have implemented a pilot test in Ridge View Residential College for the Coastal Cleanup event. The pilot test had a sample size of 120. After the pilot test, we collected qualitative data on the effectiveness and feasibility from the organising staff, as compared to previous sessions where the event was indemnified through the use of hard copy forms. It had garnered positive feedback from the organising team and they have adopted this procedure for subsequent RVRC events. We crafted a suitable administrative framework for organisations within NUS to adopt that would allow them to more easily use digital means for indemnity purposes instead of traditional hard copy. We then intend to promote the usage of this online platform in different faculties and residential colleges, and eventually implement it schoolwide.

Keywords: Waste Management, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Paper waste, e-forms

 

AY1617G07B – “A Meat Reduced Diet – Changing perceptions one patty at a time”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption

Chua Hui Jin, Tracey (FASS), Faith Ong Chiu Ning (FASS), Justin Lee Kee Leong (FoS), Marion Grace Tan Leeyune (FASS), Tan Zse Fong Marcus (FoE), Tang Jia Xin, Lydia (FASS)

Academic Advisor: Mr. N Sivasothi
Industry Advisor: Vegan Burg, Whole Earth and Genesis Vegan Restaurant

In the past 50 years, a 24% increase of meat in the weight of food in the global diet has led to a 108% increase in biomass demand. The processing of livestock is considered more resource intensive (Bromberg, 2004) compared to meat analogues2 (Joshi and Kumar, 2015). Hence, the purpose of our research is to study the plausibility of introducing meat analogues into one’s diet to reduce meat consumption. Preliminary investigations through an online survey (125 respondents) reported that 98% eat meat as least once a day. Also, 61% were open to the idea of replacing actual meat with meat analogues. This was followed up with face to face interviews to affirm the authenticity of the online survey. The interviews paralleled the results obtained in the survey. Moreover, differing proportions of texturised soy protein, (20%, 40%), were tested through a blind taste test (42 respondents), in which its aim was to gauge the combination that replicated the satisfaction of real meat the most. The results showed that there was no significant difference between the taste of the food sample containing 20% of meat analogue and the control sample (100% real meat). A 20% replacement of meat with texturised soy protein, when extrapolated to the whole of NUS, would result in a reduction of approximately 25.5kg of CO2 per serving of meat consumed.4  In addition, above 88% of respondents accepted both 20%/40% of meat analogue in the samples given. With improved techniques of food processing, the possibility of a 40% replacement proportion might be more acceptable. These promising results create an avenue to (i) Conduct a taste test on a larger scale, and (ii) Collaborate with small F&B restaurants such as The Royals Bistro, to work out the feasibility of incorporating meat analogue into their menu.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Meat consumption, Diet choice, Sustainable food choices

AY1617G07A – “Reducing distance to bins promotes recycling in RVRC undergraduates”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption

Cheong Sue Ning (FoS), Kommareddi Lakshmi Sirisha (CEG), Liu Renxing (SoC), Ng Choon Kiat William (FoE), Toh Yunqi Cheryl (SoC), Zhong Yibai (FoE)

Academic Advisor: Mr. N Sivasothi

In NUS, recycling bins are placed around the campus to promote recycling habits among students. However, based on two surveys conducted in Ridge View Residential College (RVRC), we found out that almost 70% of respondents rarely or never recycle. Among these respondents, the most commonly cited reason was inconvenience and laziness. As for residents who habitually recycle, the reason given by them was convenience. The contrast in response between the two groups has led us to investigate if proximity affects recycling rates. Currently, the recycling bins in the tower block are only placed at one end of each floor which makes it inconvenient for the residents whose living on the other end to do recycling routine. From the survey conducted, 82.4% of the sample residents in tower block had agreed that having closer recycling bins might motivate them to recycle more. Many studies include Folz’s experiment had also shown that residents are more willing to participate in recycling activities. Folz’s result had revealed that communities with curbside collection had higher participation rate than the communities with local drop-off, which is 45% compared to 25%. (Domina & Koch, 2002) Hence to find out the impact of distance between residents and recycling bins towards recycling rate, our group have reallocated the bins in tower block next to the lift lobby – a more central location – so that residents have equal accessibility to the bins.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Recycling, Recycling Habits, Recycling Bins

AY1617G06C – “Reducing Water Consumption from Showering by Changing Habits in RVRC”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Water

Bendagiri Matam Keerthi Chandra (SoC), Harith Hakim B Hesheam (FoE), Ho Xin Ying (FASS), Sharmaine Toh Pei Xuan (SDE), Toh Ding Chao (FoE)

Academic Advisor: Mr. Lim Cheng Puay
Industry Advisor: Mr. Kenny Lee Jun Wei (OED, NUS)

Showering takes up about 29% of a household’s total water consumption, yet, a minute less in the shower can save nine litres of water. By changing one’s showering habits, significant amounts of water can be saved. Several initiatives by NUS that reduce water wastage include the use of water-efficient fittings and the installation of thimbles in taps. Events such as the InterHall Environmental Awards competitions were held to cultivate sustainable practices amongst hall residents. However, such efforts do not directly impact an individual’s water consumption habits. Our group aims to affect a change in individual shower time. Water meters that provides real time information to users have been utilized in households worldwide, whereby water consumption was reduced by up to 15%; as of 2014, people in England and Wales. We will be testing the effectiveness of water meters in a residential college setting by installing water meters in eight shower cubicles of RVRC. The dynamic feedback provided would decrease users’ showering time, therefore increasing water savings. Through this project, we hope to raise awareness of each individual’s water footprint in the shower and reduce their showering time over the long run.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Water, Showering time, Habits survey

AY1617G06B – “The Coffee Ribbon Project: Can coffee grounds be given second life?”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Waste Management

Ameerali Hassanali (FoS), Kommareddi Lakshmi Sirisha (FASS), Liu Renxing (FoS), Ng Choon Kiat William (FoE), Toh Yunqi Cheryl (SDE), Zhong Yibai

Academic Advisor: Mr. Lim Cheng Puay

In a highly urbanized country with a 45-hour average work week like Singapore, coffee consumption is rapidly increasing. Coffee generates an average of 50 tonnes of grounds, which is incinerated together with other food waste. Besides the issue of the limited capacity of Pulau Semakau for waste disposal, wet coffee grounds present problems with waste incineration, as its incineration requires more energy. Our group aims to alleviate the problem by re-purposing coffee grounds for other uses. Through this, we aim to not just help to alleviate coffee’s polluting effect, but also create an alternative material for practical usages in daily life. By combining coffee grounds with materials such as beeswax, resin and we intend to create a material block that does not easily turn moldy, has certain tensile, strength, impact absorbent and hardness properties. To test for these desired properties, we intend to use equipment found in the engineering laboratories to obtain reliable tests and data through which we can evaluate our material. To further substantiate our material, we intend to use the same evaluation for other materials and compare that with our material to show that our material is feasible for adaptation into products.

Keywords: Waste Management, Coffee waste, Upcycling, Circular economy

AY1617G06A – “Drop Your Soap”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption

Joel Tan Jun Yang (FASS), Lee Jia Yin Valencia (FASS), Nelson Ng Nuo Song (FoE), Nur Maisarah Bte Mohammad W (FASS), Toh Wei Wang (FoE)

Academic Advisor: Mr. Lim Cheng Puay

One source of plastic waste from students living in residential colleges will be that of plastic soap bottles. Of the 110 RVRC residents surveyed in our study, the average resident used 1.46 soap bottles in a semester. In RVRC alone, this means that its 650 residents produce approximately 85.4kg of plastic waste in a year. This presents a significant source of plastic waste which is present in all student residential areas in NUS. As such, our team is interested in exploring implementation of shared soap bottles within RVRC so as to minimize plastic waste generated. Ultimately, our study aims to reduce the residents’ usage of their own soap by 20%, from 1.46 bottles per semester to 1.17 bottles per semester. Our project is carried out in three phases. First, we collected crucial background information about the soap consumption habits in RVRC and the environmental impact of plastic waste. Data of these habits was obtained through an RVRC wide survey. Based on this data, we designed a pilot test for a shared soap system in RVRC, taking student preferences into consideration. Second, we will conduct the test for three weeks at E Block for one male and one female washroom. At the end of testing, we will gather data of soap usage and user response to predict the effectiveness of the soap sharing system if implemented throughout RVRC.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Soap, Plastic waste, Recycling

AY1617G05C – “How can we reduce food wastage in RVRC fridges?”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Waste Management

Chew Keng Onn (SDE), Fung Si Qi (FASS), Joy Keren Lee Ern (FoS), Tay Yu Teng (FoS), Yany Chan Ziqi (SDE)

Academic Advisor: Dr. Chua Siew Chin

Food waste in Singapore has been steadily increasing. Food spoilage from excessive groceries contributes in part to the food waste problem. In RVRC, we observe that the communal refrigerators are often packed with expired food, leading to food wastage. Expired food remains in the refrigerator long past their expiry dates. The likely reasons for these expired food include owners forgetting about the products and their expiry dates, or being irresponsible in clearing the products. The excessive and spoiled food compromises the hygiene of the communal refrigerators and takes up shared space. We aim to create a system to change the wasteful behavior of the residents. Our goal is for fridge users to take more ownership of their purchased groceries. We proposed a reminder scheme for individuals to monitor their products and a food labeling system to instill responsibilities among users. We will conduct surveys to gather a general consensus about food waste and feedback on our proposed system from common fridge users. Subsequently, we will be monitoring selected fridges across RVRC to create an inventory and categorize expiring or expired food products. We hope to better understand the issue of food wastage and hence create a solution to unnecessary food wastage, starting from the fridges of RVRC.

Keywords: Waste Management, food waste, refrigerator, Cultural and Lifestyle Trends

AY1617G05B – “Can incentives and better placement of recycling bins improve recycling rates in NUS residences?”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption

Chua Rui Ming (FoS), Ngo Chanh Anh Minh (FoE), Teo Bei Fang (FoS), Wong Jia Hui, Benjamin (FoE)

Academic Advisor: Dr. Chua Siew Chin

Despite measures implemented by the National Recycling Programme for the past fifteen years, domestic recycling in Singapore has stagnated at low rates of about 20% from 2005 – 2015. Similarly, our group observed low recycling rates within various residences in NUS. In an effort to boost the recycling rates in NUS, we propose two methods to encourage people staying in NUS residences to recycle. The first method, inspired its success in other university campuses, involves better placements of recycling bins to enhance the convenience of recycling. The second involves the introduction of community incentives to encourage members to recycle. To demonstrate the feasibility of the second idea, we will assess its appeal among students, and prototype a program that could track students’ recycling rates. These two methods would be tested out in different phases at Raffles Hall and Ridge View Residential College. Conclusions on the effectiveness of the measures proposed would be drawn via a comparison of recycling rates in each location before and after the measures were implemented.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Waste Management, recycling bin, reverse vending machine

AY1617G05A – “Consumer sentiment for Zero-Waste supermarkets in Singapore”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption

Ng Wai Yee Ryan (FoS), Rachel Tan Rui Qi (FoS), Teo En Qi (FASS), Teo Yi Jiat (FoE)

Academic Advisor: Dr. Chua Siew Chin

Our team aims to investigate the feasibility of establishing zero-waste supermarkets in Singapore. The zero-waste grocery store was pioneered by two Germany-based social entrepreneurs, and reduces food waste through allowing consumers to choose the exact quantity of food they want to purchase. It also eliminates the packaging stage of the food production process. Consumers are encouraged to bring their own containers and bags, and purchase food items based on the weight of the products. The Ministry of Environment and Water Resource reported that food and beverage packaging comprises one-sixth of all domestic waste in Singapore in 2016. Household recycling rates are also relatively low in comparison to other developed countries, and public education campaigns have been unsuccessful in engendering commitment to recycling. We hope that the zero-waste supermarket, geared at prevention of waste, rather than retroactive mitigation of the impacts of waste, will improve environmental protection in Singapore. In order to answer the question of whether or not zero-waste supermarkets are viable in the local context, consumer demand for such a shopping experience is an important concern of corporations considering the shift towards zero-waste. Hence we aim to focus on the consumer aspect by investigating consumer likelihood to patronize such supermarkets, should they be set up in Singapore. Our project comprises a survey of the local population on their current grocery-shopping habits, as well as their willingness to go “zero-waste”, and a detailed analysis of the survey results within the Singaporean cultural environment.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, zero-waste, supermarket, packaging

AY1617G04C – “Ridge HaUS: Co-creating public spaces for social interaction”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Built Environment and Green Infrastructure

Law Kai Xiang (SDE), S Lawanya (FoE), Soh Xian Hui (SDE), Tan Zheng Kang (FoE), Yeoh Wan Qing (FASS), Zhu Victor (FoS)

Academic Advisor: Prof. Adekunle Adeyeye
Industry Advisor: Dr. Trivic Zdravko (SDE, NUS)

Public spaces provide the platform for social activities and are crucial for social interaction in a community. Our project aims to explore ways to maximize the utilization of public spaces in Ridge View Residential College (RVRC). Currently, public open spaces around Old Kent Ridge Blocks are largely underutilized. The few built facilities present, such as the BBQ Pit and the Amphitheater, are inadequate in attracting student use. We conducted a literature review to identify the factors influencing human interactions as well as possible features that could be adopted to construct attractive and socially conducive public spaces. Our project incorporates participatory design by the residents at RVRC as our methodological framework to accurately reflect the needs and preferences of the users while simultaneously instilling a greater sense of ownership for the communal spaces. The college population was first surveyed to identify the spaces of greatest interest and to gather information on factors influencing the use of public spaces. This will be followed by a focus group discussion to streamline data into concrete co-created designs and finalize implementation details for the construction of a feasible prototype. We will conclude our project with the submission of a set of recommendations to the RVRC Management for adoption consideration.

Keywords: Built Environment and Green Infrastructure, Participatory design, Space utility, Green spaces

AY1617G04B – “Coolcon: Green is the new Red”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Built Environment and Green Infrastructure, Energy

Chin De Zhi (F0S), Lin Yuqi Eunice (SDE), Nur Atiqah Bte Ahmad Suhairi (FoS), Theng Poh Ying (FoS), Yellore Gaurav (FoE), Yiow Zhi Yun, Jermaine (SDE)

Academic Advisor: Prof. Adekunle Adeyeye
Industry Advisor: Prof. Peter Ho (FoS, NUS)

In the absence of air-conditioning in residents’ rooms, year-round high humidity in Singapore is the chief cause for Ridge View Residential College (RVRC) students experiencing discomfort. Our project will be focusing on a specific design solution to combat humidity and improve thermal comfort of residents in RVRC using environmentally friendly methods. We propose to design a cheap and low-maintenance DIY air-cooling device made of readily available recycled materials – cardboard and plastic bottles. These materials are ideal for a sustainable solution as as they are insufficiently recycled in Singapore. Our idea is inspired by the project ‘The Eco Cooler’™ that debuted in Bangladesh as the world’s first ‘zero-electricity™ air conditioner’. It eliminates the need for energy to run the cooling system, thus producing zero waste products. The mechanism adopts the Joule-Thomson Effect where a change in temperature occurs when air is forced through a narrow opening. For data collection, we conducted a trial in the high rise RVRC Tower and Old KR blocks for a week each, using our neighbour’s room as the control while testing it out in our own rooms. Results were analyzed when fans in both rooms were either operating or not operating concurrently to reduce confounders. After receiving feedback on our results from our Industry Advisor, we modified our design to tackle humidity instead and will be conducting further tests to measure and assess the impact of the device.

Keywords: Built Environment and Green Infrastructure, Energy, Air-conditioning, Room cooling

AY1617G04A – “Reducing energy and water consumption in RVRC: Introducing SustainaBoard”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Energy, Water

Feng Weihan (SDE), Giles Ee Wei Sern (FoE), Ho Ren Da (SDE), Isabelle Anastasia Tan Yinn Lyn (FASS), Lim Yun Hui (FASS), Raelyn Lee Yi Ling (SDE)

Academic Advisor: Prof. Adekunle Adeyeye

In 2016, households contributed about 15% of the total energy consumption in Singapore (Energy Marketing Authority, 2016), a marked increase from 9% in 2005 (Low Carbon Singapore, 2011). On the other hand, domestic potable water consumption has only decreased slightly from 49% of total potable water use in 2009 to 45% in 2015, in spite of local policies and campaigns to lower consumption. With these key statistics in mind, and in view of Singapore’s reliance on external sources of energy and power, our team decided to address this problem at the college level. The goal of this project is to reduce electricity and water usage in Ridge View Residential College (RVRC) through SustainaBoard -an electronic display which we will design to primarily feature real-time water and electricity consumption statistics of RVRC residents. We aim to use this device to test if raising awareness of the potential savings consumers can achieve can create the eventual inculcation of long-term sustainable habits. Based on the feedback and results from the pilot, SustainaBoard has the potential to be further improved to include more features. The scope of the project can also be expanded upon in the future through collaboration with the other residential colleges and halls to increase awareness of domestic consumption and to promote sustainable living on campus. Furthermore, this project can look into including the conservation of other non-renewable resources instead of water and electricity alone.

Keywords: Energy, Water, Responsible Consumption, Feedback, Behaviour survey

AY1617G03C – “Laundry Share in RVRC”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Energy, Water

Derek Tan Jun En (FoE), Sew Shu Wen (FoS), Teo Mingjie (FASS), Wen Qiao (FoE), Ye Xingchun (FASS)

Academic Advisor: Mr. Lim Cheng Puay
Industry Advisor: Ms. Karen Ho Lye Ying (OFM, NUS)

Clothes washing is an essential part of daily household chores. Our project aims to maximise water efficiency and reduce wastage in laundry practices. Studies have shown that consumers tend to underload wash cycles, suggesting that excessive amounts of water and electricity are used beyond the optimal number of cycles required. Given that each washing cycle in RVRC consumes 50.8L of water and 1.2kWh, the accumulative wastage over time and across the population is likely to be substantial. As past sharing economy models have been successful, adapting it into communal laundry system could create a more sustainable living environment. We propose laundry sharing as a method to improve the efficiency of each individual washing cycle. We will trial the laundry sharing initiative and the feasibility of a pay-it-forward culture within RVRC. Firstly, we will perform a pilot survey to collect data on the awareness of laundry water usage and interest on laundry sharing. Next, a trial run is conducted with survey results on preferences factored in. Water usage changes will then be analysed to determine the potential savings and possible limitations. Lastly, a post-trial survey will improve the feasibility of the project. This project contributes to improving water saving habits and alleviates water and energy consumption in the long run.

Keywords: Water, Energy, Laundry share, Sharing economy, Habits survey

AY1617G03B – “Light Siew Dai”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Built Environment and Green Infrastructure, Energy

Chua Bok Woon (CEG), Lee Jing Wen, Alicia (FASS), Ng Jun Sheng (FASS), Oon Chong Sheng Ryan (FoE), Ryan Sim Wei Jie (FASS), Tham You Wai (FoE)

Academic Advisor: Mr. Lim Cheng Puay
Industry Advisor: Mr. Chin Ting Kwang Noel (BCA)

Day-lighting systems, which capture sun rays and reflect them into buildings, can complement existing lighting installations in buildings to reduce energy consumption. Our group will examine light pipes as such a day-lighting system to reduce electrical dependency, specifically on cheaper alternative materials compared to current commercial models. This will be achieved with qualitative analysis and research by consulting experts from the Building & Construction Authority and NUS. A quantitative study by creating an experimental prototype light tube system using a cheaper, reflective material, “Mylar” will be carried out. We will then compare various lighting systems (e.g., LED, ambient lighting, etc.) and evaluate of the efficiency of the alternative material proposed as well as consider possible sites of integration and implementation. We will also engage RVRC students about our product to understand end-user receptivity and response towards light pipes, and the feasibility of light pipes lined with the alternative material we have proposed. This is done through a visual engagement and recording their experience with the prototype we have constructed. Through these various approaches, we will determine the feasibility and potential of light pipes as a complement to existing lighting systems.

Keywords: Built Environment and Green Infrastructure, Energy, Lighting, Light pipes

AY1617G03A – “NoteAbility: Reusing notes instead of throwing them away”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption

Lim Zhong Yi Eugene (FoE), Lok Han Wei Kelvin (FoE), Muhammad Shafiq B Sabar (FASS), Sheikh Umar Bin Shaik Abu Bakar Banafe’ (SoC), Tan Ning Xuan (FoE)

Academic Advisor: Mr. Lim Cheng Puay
Industry Advisor: Ms. Elaine Sam (NUS SAVE)

Printing of lecture notes and their eventual disposal is an environmental concern, as shown in a study done by University of Michigan, where they reported 1.5 million kilograms of paper waste was generated annually. NoteAbility is a student-driven initiative, where unwanted notes are collected from students, then re-distributed to their peers via an online platform. We hope to tap on the the potential of reusing unwanted notes, by passing them on from one cohort to another, instead of discarding after use. This platform will manage the balloting for the notes, and facilitate distribution. A pilot project will be conducted in RVRC, during which notes will first be collected from the students, then quality-checked, before eventual redistribution. Ultimately, this platform aims to reduce printing of new notes, by encouraging students to share their old ones. This brings about savings in resources required for paper production, printing, and paper waste management. We hope that this environmentally friendly practice of recycling lecture notes can be implemented at a larger scale after this project.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Paper waste, Recycling, Lecture notes

AY1617G02C – “Project Match-Make”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption

Adil Bin Azmoon (CEG), Cao Yexin (FoS), Gary Heng Hui Shen (FoE), Leong Yi Shuang (FASS), Maegan Liew Chew Min (FASS)

Academic Advisor: Ms. Sadaf Ansari

The academic curriculum at most faculties in NUS carries a high proportion of project work. This increases the likelihood of every student working on at least one, if not several projects during their studies. Project work not directly pegged to modules are also encouraged for student learning and experience, with NUS having a yearly Student Achievement Award that recognize these efforts. However, the conclusion of student projects at the end of an academic module or stipulated deadline tends to abruptly end work on them without prospects for continuation. This means that previously invested intellectual and financial resources are often wasted when the projected deadlines cause discontinuation of further development of student ideas. Titled ‘Project Match-Make‘, our team aims to bridge the pool of existing student-led projects with the students who would potentially want to work/continue on similar projects. This would ensure the long-term sustainability of such ideas and projects. Our project involves the development of a school-based platform that serves as a medium for students to publicize their ideas and recruit new talent, and to aid interested students in seeking out relevant existing project ideas in their field of interest. Our intended project audience is the NUS student body.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Collaboration

AY1617G02B – “Fifty shades of Green: Study on the efficacy of green walls in NUS”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Built Environment and Green Infrastructure

Agnes Gan (FoS), Deric Khoo Jia Wei (CEG), Ezbon Sio Jia Jun (FoE), Gan Cai Zhi Wilson (FASS), Jia Hao Jeffrey (FoE)

Academic Advisor: Ms. Sadaf Ansari
Industry Advisor: Ms. Henrietta Woo (NParks)

With expanding urban development, forests and agricultural land all across the globe are rapidly being replaced by buildings and skyscrapers. The density of urban development in cities with scarce land, such as Singapore, compounded by high rise buildings, leaves limited opportunity for greenery and landscape. This carries a wide range of negative environmental impacts, key among which is the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect that changes the urban micro-climate with intense pockets of higher temperature and disturbs ecosystems in the immediate vicinity. The simplest method to combat this phenomenon is the reintroduction of plants and trees. Increasingly, this is being achieved in cities by the use of green walls, which are said to mitigate the UHI effect by decreasing ambient temperatures in the surroundings, while simultaneously improving biodiversity and user perception of urban spaces. Our project examines these attributed benefits of green walls as effective replacements of natural landscapes on the NUS campus, especially when considering their high installation and maintenance costs. We chose to test the efficacy of 5 different green walls at 4 locations around the NUS campus – VENTUS, FoE, SDE and Kent Vale Residences. We aim to assess the performance of these green walls with respect to their key projected benefits; reduction of ambient temperature around the walls, increased biodiversity on and around the wall, and positive human perception of the green walls as effective replacements of natural landscapes. We will be using a combination of fieldwork and surveys to collect our data for analysis.

Keywords: Built Environment and Green Infrastructure, Sustainable Urban Design, Urban Heat ISland, Green Wall, Energy Consumption

AY1617G02A – “Ugly Food : Different Aesthetic, Still Tastes Fantastic”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Waste Management

Fong Wei Zheng (CEG), Martyn Wong Hao Ren (CEG), Ong Jian Cheng (FoE), Tee Jun Hao (FoE), Teo Pei Yun (FASS), Yick Wan Yi (FASS)

Academic Advisor: Ms. Sadaf Ansari

Every year, about 65% of the global agricultural produce is lost or wasted. This is a severe issue as food production accounts for 65% of the global greenhouse gas emissions and requires extensive natural resources such as water and land. This waste is more prevalent in industrialized and medium-and-high income nations, such as Singapore. A key contributor to this waste is ‘Ugly Food’- raw produce that is rejected due to its poor visual appearance – like misshapen, discoloured or bruised fruits and vegetables. According to a survey done by Electrolux in 2015, about 83% of Singaporeans only purchase fruits and vegetables that look fresh and good, avoiding ugly food that remains largely unsold and is eventually disposed of. Their survey also showed that 75% of Singaporeans would consume ugly food if they considered it equally nutritious and delicious as other food. This shows a widespread consumer misconception about ugly food – assuming ugly food to be a source of contamination, of poor nutritional value, and a health and safety risk. Our project investigates the cause of these misconceptions in Singaporean consumers by conducting consumer surveys at NTUC FairPrice Xtra – a supermarket that sells ugly food. Our project also targets raising awareness by hosting an Ugly Food Day at Ridge View Residential College (NUS), that includes conducting a double blind test sampling of fruit juices of ‘ugly’ fruits vs normal fruits. The final aim of our project is to gather evidence to propose practical strategies to combat this problem, both on campus as well as beyond, by raising awareness and changing consumer mindsets.

Keywords: Waste Management, Food Waste, Ugly Food, Food Security, Fruits

AY1617G01C – “From Foods to Roots: a sustainable adaptation of the Berkeley Composting method in RVRC”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Waste Management

Deng Yimin (FASS), Ong Chee Kiang (FoS), Ryan Tan Wei Keat (SoC), Tan Zhan Peng (FoS), Wong Zhuo Ting (Business School)

Academic Advisor: Ms. Sadaf Ansari

Considering the many fruit juice stalls operated in cafeteria on the NUS campus, an abundance of fruit pulp is disposed of as waste daily. With large areas covered by landscape, significant leaf litter is also generated as waste. Composting can effectively bridge the life cycle of these easily bio-degradable wastes of fruit pulp and leaf litter by turning them into useful compost. Inspired by the setting up of the Edible Garden at Ridge View Residential College (RVRC), our project aims to explore the feasibility and pilot a a student-led sustainable composting system. We also aim to document our learning experiences in a booklet for sharing with other student groups on campus. Aligning with the goal of a student-led system, our project had three main considerations. Firstly, the composting period must not exceed the duration of a semester, since monitoring the set-up would be difficult during the long semester break. Secondly, the set-up should be easily implemented to allow subsequent student groups to take up and sustain the project. Thirdly, the system should run on little or no operating/maintenance cost, excluding initial setup cost, in order to be deemed truly sustainable. With these principal considerations, we chose to test bed the Berkeley Composting Method as the most suitable option that fulfills all three criteria; it has a short composting period of 3 weeks, requires a simple set-up procedure of 4 to 5 steps, and has no operational costs apart from initial capital. We conducted two separate staggered pilot tests, to rule out incidental variations and gauge the feasibility. We will be sharing recommendations for future attempts based on this.

Keywords: Waste Management, Composting, Food Waste, Fruit pulp,

AY1617G01B – “Self Serve Seconds: A potential strategy to reduce leftover food waste at RC Dining Halls”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Food, Waste Management

Jermayne Teo Xuan Minn (Business School), Kion Shi Rong (SoC), Lee Si Ying, Tammy (FASS), Natasha Lee Yun Zhen (FASS), Tan Wen Yi (FoS), Teo Wei Ling (FoS)

Academic Advisor: Ms. Sadaf Ansari
Industry Advisor: Mr. Rico Chang (OHS, NUS)

Food waste is unsustainable and undesirable. Besides the meaningless squandering of natural resources, it causes significant and dire environmental impacts. Our team decided to continue a study done by Ridge View Residential College (RVRC) students in AY2015-16, which discovered that food caterers at NUS Residential College (RC) dining halls err on the side of caution and typically tend to over provide student meals to ensure that residents have sufficient food to eat with a wide variety of food choices. Our study found that this is further compounded by the caterer’s inability to correctly predict the number of students going for each meal, or the take-up rate for the different types of food. We found that these factors lead to a significant amount of cooked food being left unserved on a daily basis – often as much as 15%, as indicated by the caterer of the RC dining halls. RVRC will have its own dining hall in AY2017-18, and as future residents, our team focused on exploring a potential solution to reduce the amount of unserved cooked food, by allowing paying student diners to have ‘Self-served Seconds’ at each meal after the close of dining hours. In order to gauge operational challenges as well as student perception to our proposed solution, we pilot tested this idea during term time at the CAPT-RC4 Dining Hall. Our findings assess the success of this initiative by measuring the amount of servings wasted before and after the implementation of our pilot test. Our study also integrates this data with survey responses from student participants of the pilot test to give an overall measure of success of our idea and potential changes for future adoption at RVRC.

Keywords: Waste Management, Food waste, Catering, RC Dining, Catering Waste

AY1617G01A – “Insert Card Pls: Investigating electricity wastage in RVRC shared spaces”

rvrnjy Abstracts, AY 2016/17, Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Energy, Responsible Consumption

Isaac Tan Yun Hwee (FoS), Kwek Ee Siang (FoE), Lee Wei Jie (FASS), Li Haotian (FoS)

Academic Advisor: Ms. Sadaf Ansari

Our group conducted a survey on the energy consumption patterns in the student lounges at Ridge View Residential College (RVRC). The results, which polled 78 RVRC residents, showed that more than 75% of the respondents had observed lights, fans and air-conditioning left switched on when no one was using the shared spaces. Additionally, around 50% of the respondents admitted forgetting to switch off these appliances before leaving the lounge themselves. Using these results, our team demonstrated that the net electricity wastage could amount to as much as S$11000 every month. To verify our survey results and the resulting electricity waste estimation, we conducted further investigation with a two-week observational study on the student electricity consumption patterns in the Conference Room, Meeting Rooms 1 and 2 at resource@rv. This fieldwork was done anonymously and was targeted at frequent users of these shared spaces, i.e. residents who use these facilities more than once during the observation period. To follow up, these students were sent a personalized survey to investigate if their perception of their own consumption pattern was, in fact, consistent with their documented actions. These results were collectively analyzed to identify student electricity waste patterns in shared spaces, investigate possible reasons for lack of individual and collective responsibility and recommend effective improvements to the Office of Housing Services at RVRC for future implementation. Key among these recommendations is pilot testing of a matric card reader to activate electricity use, placing individual ownership of electricity consumption in shared spaces.

Keywords: Culture and Lifestyle Trends, Responsible Consumption, Energy, User Behaviour