Action for Sustainability Symposium 2021

Improper waste disposal and high waste generation of disposable masks have spiked and adversely exacerbated environmental issues since the onset of COVID-19 both globally and locally. Educating and advocating for reusable mask usage would help reduce disposable mask waste.

We designed a face-to-face workshop comprising of i) a pre- and post-workshop and review survey; ii) distribution of free reusable masks iii) discussion of the benefits of reusable mask usage. Click here to find out more about the project.

The high volume of waste generated from single-use plastic carriers for takeaway drinks is a prevalent issue in Singapore. To mitigate this, we designed and test a DIY sustainable alternative for takeaway drink carriers for RVRC residents. Our cup holder prototype is made primarily from upcycled clothes waste. Click here to read more about the project.

To decrease plastic contamination and raise awareness on the importance of rinsing plastics bottles/cups before recycling, the group placed rinsing devices near recycling bins to increase the convenience of rinsing plastics. Posters were also placed to educate users on the importance of rinsing plastics before recycling. Click here to find out more about their project.

To address the increase in plastic and microplastic waste creation in Singapore, the team hoped to encourage RVRC students to use more reusable containers when taking food, by improving the washing facilities in RVRC and conducting an educational campaign. Click here to find out more about their project.

To raise awareness of repurposing as an alternative to disposing PET bottles. The group tried to do this by i) a repurposing workshop; ii) an exhibition of repurposed objects; iii) tutorial video and iv) Instagram account. Click here to find out more about their project.

Click here to read more about the project.

Wastage of food in communal fridges has been a persistent issue in Ridge View Residential College (RVRC). With convenience for residents in mind, the group implemented a multi-pronged approach of 1.) Food Sharing System (FSS), which comprised of labelling stickers to indicate food items that residents want to share and a telegram group chat to facilitate food sharing; 2.) Fridge-inventory mobile applications to remind residents of their food. Click here to find out more about their project.

The group aimed to encourage Singapore’s youths to switch from liquid soap to bar soaps to reduce plastic waste and carbon footprint. They delivered a 30-minute interactive workshop to address key concerns of bar soaps among the audience, a social media campaign to raise awareness on relevant issues, and a 3-week bar soap trial to help the audience form a habit of using bar soaps. Click here to find out more about their project.

Click here to read more about the project.

The group aimed to address this by providing an opportunity for waste segregation, so as to enhance the recycling rate in the RVRC dining hall. They installed separate recycling bins for drink cartons and sandwich packaging over three weeks. Click here to find out more about their project.

The group aimed to reduce inappropriate and non-recyclable plastics in plastic recycling bins, which would in turn increase the success rate of plastic recycling in RVRC. They created a prototype bin which had a deterrence layer to reduce disposal of inappropriate plastics, and a filter that had a 98% success rate of retaining larger plastics, while eliminating smaller unrecyclable plastics. Click here to find out more about their project.

Through a public awareness campaign (check out their promotional video here), group group aims to promote upcycling as a means of reducing plastic consumption. Our campaign has three phases – social media posts, educational workshops (learn to make tote bags here!) on upcycling old clothes to tote bags as a plastic alternative, and a pilot study to gauge the effectiveness of our campaign. Click here to read more about the project.

Given that RVRC residents do not reuse ecommerce cardboard boxes, the group’s objective was to implement a two-part system to encourage its diversion away from the waste/recycle stream, into the reuse stream. Click here to find out more about their project.

The group’s objective was to raise awareness of upcycling single use drink containers among NUS students. They designed a website and conducted a 40-min online workshop with surveys. Click here to find out more about their project.

To raise greater awareness concerning the detriments of microplastics, the team put up posters elucidating the deleterious effects of microplastics and conducted a giveaway for microbead-free DIY facial scrubs, complemented by informative e-brochures and videos (check out their tutorial here!) expounding on the ease of making said scrubs. Click here to find out more about their project.

To motivate environmental protection, the team designed an interactive Plinko board comprising of colourful elements and lights that users may drop their bottle caps into, to promote the uncapping and emptying of bottles in a fun and engaging manner. Click here to find out more about their project.

To mitigate the high environmental footprint of liquid soap, the group aimed to raise awareness about the negative environmental impacts of liquid soap and promote the use of bar soap as an alternative. Click here to find out more about their project.

To address the problem of high exposure to negative news and reports on climate change amongst youths, the group used social media and set up a website highlighting positive news and achievements in addressing climate change. Click here to find out more about their project.

Electrical dryers consume substantially more energy than other household appliances. We aim to reduce the electrical consumption of dryers by educating RVRC residents on its high consumption through informative platforms – Instagram, stickers on dryers and posters, and to discourage high heat usage by using lower heat. Click here to read more about their project.

To address increasing energy consumption, we created a poster, video (check it out here!) and telegram channel to educate and encourage more RVRC residents to adopt Energy Saving Mode (ESM) which helps to reduce energy usage. Click here to read more about the project.

To address Singapore’s high levels of water consumption, we developed a prototype that provides the option to funnel cold water from the shower into a bucket. This is to encourage collection of cold water which are wasted while waiting for the water to warm up before RVRC residents’ shower. Click here to read more about the project.

To raise awareness on the importance of reducing solid waste and to provide useful means to do that, the group created and tested a digital platform to promote the sharing or donation of hostel essentials amongst NUS campus residents. Click here to find out more about their project.

Within RVRC, accumulation of unaccounted and expired food in refrigerators produces large amounts of food waste. Our objective was to enhance the current food labeling system in RVRC fridges through digitization. We implemented a Telegram bot that i) logs items placed into fridges, ii) reminds users near expiry, and iii) stores a database of shared food items that users can access. Click here to read more about their project.

Laundry contributes to a huge amount of water usage globally, yet many do not do their laundry on full load. In order to fulfill the objectives of raising awareness and nudging changes in laundry habits, we implemented i) a pre- and post-survey; ii) an educational poster; iii) a weighing scale for residents to assess and increase laundry loads over time, and iv) a focus group discussion. Click here to read more about the project.

Realizing that simply raising awareness is ineffectual in enacting changes in showering habits of RVRC residents, our objective was to develop an audio-visual reminder that actively alerts users to stop showering within a stipulated time. We installed a shower-alarm device that activated a combination of flashing LEDs and an alarm buzzer. Click here to read more about their project.

Water security is an essential issue in Singapore. Given that rainwater is highly accessible in Singapore, we propose to use rainwater as an alternative water source. We designed a rainwater harvester that filters, stores and dispenses rainwater. We executed a trial where cleaners would dispense the collected rainwater for mopping Block C’s ground floor. Click here to read more about their project.

Lack of awareness of proper recycling methods is a key factor in Singapore’s low recycling rate. Hence, inculcating knowledge about plastic recycling is important, especially at a young age, to enhance the recycling rates in the long-term. Therefore, the team created and tested a card game for children aged 9-12 years, to enhance their knowledge of plastic recycling. The game was part of an interactive workshop conducted in a school setting with the target age group. Click here to find out more about their project.

The project aims to reduce rice wastage at RVRC dining hall by upcycling the unserved rice into a desirable consumable product for RVRC students. The team formulated an easy-to-follow recipe to produce tasty bread made from white and brown rice, and proposed the recipe to the dining hall caterers for serving during breakfast. Click here to find out more about their project.

To reduce fruit wastage, the group aimed to shift RVRC students’ consumer demand for ugly fruit. This will encourage Dining Hall vendor to minimise fruit wastage and in turn, fruit suppliers, in the future. Click here to find out more about their project.

With the extensive generation of used beverage cartons (UBCs) globally and the inefficient UBCs recycling system in Singapore, it is crucial that the end-of-life of these packages is addressed appropriately. The team conducted interactive educational sessions where RV residents are able to learn and adopt upcycling in their daily lives. Click here to read more about the project.

As increased awareness of food left in fridges can reduce food wastage, so the group aimed to make food stored in RVRC’s fridges easily trackable while increasing users’ awareness of when their food expires. Click here to find out more about their project.

To tackle waste management with single-use packaging, we tested the feasibility of a long-term zero-waste snack store in NUS. Our store was then operated for 4 weeks in RVRC. It was unmanned, sold loose snacks sourced from zero-waste suppliers, and required customers to use their own containers at purchase. Click here to read more about their project.

Food wastage has been a persistent problem in RVRC. The group aimed to investigate the effectiveness of peer support on encouraging students to reduce their plate wastage. Click here to find out more about their project.

Air-conditioning is widely used in Singapore due to the year-long hot weather. However, air-conditioner requires a large amount of energy and is the second highest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Singapore. To tackle the lack of accessible substitutes to air-conditioning, the team developed an alternative cooling solution to help nudge users to work in a warmer environment.

They created an eco-friendly air-cooler using reusable materials, and reached out to youths via a i) 5-day challenge for user acceptance and ii) DIY workshop for experiential learning. Click here to find out more about their project.

The group aimed to reduce these categories of food waste. They installed a central collection point at two pantries, supported by a Telegram Bot and channel, for residents to share food in a timely manner instead of disposing it. Click here to find out more about their project.

To address the inconvenience of washing the lunchboxes by hand, the team designed and tested a dishwasher prototype as a more convenient alternative. First, they measured the prototype’s effectiveness based on three key design criteria: hygiene, time required to wash, and water consumption. After making required design adjustments, the team invited RVRC residents to test the prototype. Click here to find out more about their project.

The loss of habitat forces wildlife into urban areas, leading to human-wildlife interaction. With RVRC located next to the Kent Ridge forest, there is higher likelihood of such encounters. To educate RVRC residents to respond in such encounters, we provided the information required in handling such interactions. QR codes were pasted on residents’ doors. If residents encounter animals in their rooms, they can scan to obtain instructions on safe handling of wildlife.

Click here to find out more about their project.

The group examined the impact of 3M solar films in enhancing occupants’ thermal comfort and lighting conditions in RVRC tower block. Click here to find out more about their project.