Singapore has always pride itself as a clean and green city. Since our independence, our founding fathers have made it a priority to put Singapore on the path of sustainability and provide a high-quality living environment for all Singaporeans. From enduring efforts to green our city-state to transforming urban water catchment areas into vibrant spaces and plans to ramp up public transport infrastructure to encourage a “car-lite” lifestyle, present-day Singapore has consistently been recognised as one of the greenest cities in the world.

It is undeniable that Singapore has come a long way over the past 56 years. As we celebrate National Day this year, what better way to express our love and appreciation for our country than to #PowerTheChange and build a greener tomorrow for our future generations?

We’ve put together five easy ideas for you to make a difference as our nation furthers its green goals for a more sustainable future.

1. Keeping Singapore’s spaces clean by picking up litter

With the current work arrangement, many of us have been staying indoors most of the time and heading out for a quick jog in the evenings is a form of respite after a long day’s work. Besides working up a quick sweat, how about making more of your outdoor jog by keeping your running tracks clean?

Known as plogging (jogging while picking trash), it not only helps us do good for the environment but offers many extra health benefits! According to a Swedish fitness app Lifesum, plogging burns 53^[1] more calories than just jogging. The extra movements of bending down and picking up trash adds up to make a great workout.^[1]

To get started, all you need is a trash bag, some gloves, masks and tongs. Once you’ve filled up your bag, you can either recycle or throw it away depending on the contents you’ve picked up. While making a difference in the cleanliness of your neighbourhood, remember to keep to safe distancing measures and stay safe!

2. Plant-a-Tree to contribute to Singapore’s lush greenery

Singapore has made a pledge to plant a million trees across our island over the next decade and bring the total number of trees in Singapore to more than 8 million. Trees play an important role in creating a conducive living environment by providing natural shaded areas and serving as natural air filters. With the ramp up of this nationwide effort, it will not only further beautify our urban environment, but also increase our country’s resilience towards climate change.

Here at Geneco, we are proud to be doing our part for this movement. Earlier this year, we have committed to plant 250 trees over the next five years as part of NParks’ One Million Trees Movement as we launched our Power Eco Total Home Solution. We’ve planted our first 50 trees at Windsor Nature Park on Earth Day together with our ChangeMakers and corporate partner Standard Chartered Bank to #PowerTheChange.

Looking for a way to contribute and be a part of this movement as well? You can do so by donating the cost of a young tree towards NParks’ Garden City Fund or volunteering your time to help in forest restoration works or outreach programs. With each tree planted, it brings us closer to our City in Nature vision.

3. Donating old laptops to help individuals from low-income families

As the Covid-19 pandemic continues shifting our daily activities online, individuals from low-income families may not have equal access to digital devices such as laptops to remain connected. These individuals include students who have shifted to home-based learning as well as adults who may be looking for employment through online job databases.

Instead of throwing out our old laptops, how about donating them to Engineering Good’s Computers Against Covid initiative? This non-profit organisation collects, refurbishes, and distributes second-hand laptops to families in need. While Engineering Good has distributed more than 4000 laptops since May 2021, they are still regularly trying to fulfil an average of 150 to 200 laptop requests each month, so every laptop donation counts!

Should your laptops be of the older models which are no longer suitable for use or donation, recycle them appropriately at the e-waste bins available across our island. You may even earn points that can be redeemed for shopping vouchers when you recycle your e-waste at these bins!

4. Extending the lifespan of Semakau landfill by reducing waste

According to the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, the lifespan of Singapore’s only offshore landfill is getting shorter by the minute. At the country’s current rate of waste generation, Semakau Landfill is expected to be fully filled by 2035 which would spell trouble for our land-scarce island.

With the renewed goal of reducing waste sent to our landfill by 30% by 2030, do your part to be more socially conscious in the amount of waste you discard! Some easy ways include purchasing pre-loved goods, opting for reusable items, and composting your food waste. The idea is to design a circular economy and maximising the value of our resources by keeping them in use for as long as possible.

5. Contributing to Singapore’s goal to shift towards greener energy

As part of the Singapore Green Plan 2030, our Lion City is taking significant steps to transition towards greener energy. Some goals include quadrupling the nation’s solar energy deployment by 2025 and tapping on green energy sources from overseas through electricity imports.

Strengthening our commitment to the nation’s green plan, we recently launched Power Eco Add-on – Singapore’s first-and–only customisable green add-on for an electricity plan to help you #gogreenyourway.

To encourage and ease Singaporeans into embarking on an eco-friendly journey to build a greener home for all, this green add-on was conceived with five key benefits in mind:

1. Flexibility – The freedom to choose between Carbon Credits (CC) or Renewable Energy Certificates (REC) as a way to lower your carbon footprint.
2. Affordability – A choice of 25/50/75/100% level, so you can do your part for the environment from as low as 0.1cents/kWh. That’s just $0.40 more for each month!
3. Impact to the environment – Offset up to 3,920kg of carbon emissions. That’s equivalent to 192 rain trees absorbing CO2 in a year!
4. Simplicity – Signing up takes less than 5 minutes and you’ll be off to a great start to an eco-lifestyle. It’s that easy.
5. Authenticity – Receive an official Green Certificate for your contribution to the environment. And yes, it’s a digital e-cert.

We are also giving away free Geneco Green Starter Kits to the first 1000 sign-ups of the 24-month plan with Power Eco Add-on! Each Starter Kit consists of items such as a reusable grocery net bag, collapsible silicone water bottle, 100% recyclable foldable umbrella and silicone straw to help you in replacing the use of single-use plastics! Click here to find out more!

As Singapore continues its march towards the next 50 years, the road ahead will no doubt be challenging as we deal with the imminent pressures brought about by climate change and strained resources. However, if we each play a part and continue building upon the hard work of our forefathers, we can make a difference and #PowerTheChange for a cleaner and greener city for Singaporeans today and generations to come!

What would the first thing that comes to your mind when we mention the word “plastic”? No doubt that the usual items like food packaging, such as bags for our vegetables and groceries at the supermarket, single-use cutleries for our takeaway orders and as disposable items like shower gels and shampoo bottles would most definitely make the list.

While you may be aware that many items we commonly see and use contain plastic, you’ll probably be surprised that some of your everyday items which you have never thought of, contain plastic as well! It is undeniable that this material has a big part in our society and makes our lives convenient, but at what cost? We have rounded up a list of items and a few alternatives you might want to consider:

1. Receipts

Every time we buy our weekly groceries from the supermarket or when we shop at the mall, we are not just walking away with the plastic packaging or the bag your item comes in. Unbeknownst to many, receipts are like straws. They contain Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical used in the production of plastics and resins. Studies have shown that long-term exposure to these substances can in fact, cause negative health impacts to humans. BPA also makes receipts non-recyclable nor compostable thus, posing a threat to the environment.

Receipts are one of the unexpected sources of BPA exposure that is often easily overlooked. So, the next time you shop, you may want to consider refusing receipts or opting for digital copies as a more sustainable choice!

2. Clothing

Donning on your favourite dress or shirt for a special occasion, but have you ever considered that you might be dressed in your favourite pieces… of plastic? Many clothing items are made of textiles that have microplastics in them, such as polyester and acrylic. When we wash our clothes, some of these microplastics enter the water stream and can cause pollution. Instead, buying clothes that are made of natural fibres instead of synthetic materials can help reduce the impact significantly.

As replacing our entire wardrobe is unrealistic, here are some steps to lessen its harmful effects:

• Set the washing machine on cold water as heat damages the fabric, which could result in microplastics being released
• Wash when the laundry load is full to lessen the friction between the clothes; this way, fibres are less likely to break off
• Where possible, wash less by re-wearing clothes, which could probably be worn a few more times like denims and khakis

3. Glitter

During birthdays and festive seasons, glitter is everywhere: on packaging, in products and even on greeting cards. What seems to be a harmless decoration, may not be the case though. Glitter is made from a combination of aluminium and plastic, and are in very tiny, individual pieces. When we wash glitter off our hands, chances are they end up in our water bodies. With their size, it becomes much harder to remove them from water than plastic bottles or single-used utensils.

Once in the water bodies, glitter could be accidentally consumed by marine life like whales, seabird, and fish. For birds, especially, the plastic could be collected in their stomachs, causing them to eventually die of starvation.

Glitters are not essential. The next time we decorate our gifts or show our appreciation, perhaps we can skip those shiny non-essentials, and opt for a simple piece of twine and some cleverly reused wrapping paper!

4. Tea Bags

In order to increase the durability of tea bags in hot water, manufacturers don’t just use paper but also a significant amount of plastic. The plastic gets broken down in the beverage and we end up either consuming it unknowingly or pouring it down the drain once we are done with our cup of tea! For a healthier alternative, we can always choose loose-leaf teas, which are also generally better for the environment. You may find that they taste better and more aromatic as well!

Simply fill a tea ball strainer with your tea leaves and use them as you would a regular tea bag. When you are done with the tea, you can discard the tea leaves and wash out your strainer. Most strainers are made of stainless steel, making it easy to clean and reusable for long periods of time. Once you are more familiar with tea preparation, you can also have fun exploring teapots and other tea ware.

5. Skincare

After a long day at work, some of us like to wind down with a good book and a relaxing candle, while some of us find joy in engaging in a skincare routine. But did you know that some of your skincare products could contain plastic?

They can come in the form of microbeads, which are commonly used to scrub off dead skin cells. Apart from causing harmful effects on your health, microbeads can also enter the water stream and pollute the environment.

There is a wide variety of cosmetic products out there that are now guaranteed free of microbeads, and we can take this into consideration the next time we grab a cleanser off the shelves.

It’s not too late to embark on your eco-friendly journey so to help you get started, we are hosting a giveaway from now till 31 July 2021 on our Facebook and Instagram! Share with us your plastic-free tips and stand a chance to walk away with an exclusive Geneco Green Starter Kit consisting of Sprout plantable pencil, foldable umbrella that is 100% recyclable, collapsible water bottle, reusable straw and grocery net bag, plus $50 shopping vouchers!

As we do our part this #PlasticFreeJuly, we can consider slowly reducing and eventually replacing these unexpected items that contain plastic from our lifestyle with greener options. Through living by conscious choices, we are not just improving our own health but our planet’s welfare as well. After all, every little act counts to #PowerTheChange.

As you stroll along the beach with your family on the weekends after a long week at work, did a stray plastic bottle or single-use utensil lying on the sand catch your eye? These small pieces of trash may look insignificant, but they reflect a larger issue – Plastic Pollution. The vast blue may seem picturesque, but underneath the waves, our oceans are polluted with trash.

How does the trash end up on Singapore’s shores?

When we dispose our trash, it is easy to toss them out and think that they are no longer a problem. However, trash does not just vanish. They may no longer be in sight, but they can still make its way into our oceans and rivers, even when that is not the intention.

What’s more, due to certain monsoon seasons in Singapore that last for an extended periods of 3 to 6 months on various parts of our nation’s coastlines, trash from neighbouring countries and islands get washed up and accumulates on our shores. This resulted in an increased efforts by the National Environmental Agency for the frequency of their cleaning operations, from four times a week to twice daily.

Common marine trash that could be includes plastic water bottles, straws and food packaging, which highlights the broader problem of mankind’s reliance on plastic and the harmful impacts it has on the oceans.

The trash debris can cause harm to wildlife, habitats and even humans. Plastic particles are toxic to marine life and can destroy many ecosystems by preventing the flow of open water. The impact of the trash in our oceans go beyond that – fishes and other ocean life may ingest these plastics and eventually end up on our dining table.

Why it’s good to do beach clean-ups – and even better to do it as a family

With the current pandemic developments around the world, it may seem like we have been staying at home most of the time due to the Work-From-Home arrangements. Instead of facing the usual concrete walls over the weekends, why not take a respite and enjoy the outdoors by taking the family for a fun day out at the beach?

Our island may be small but there is still a rich marine life on our sandy beaches such as Changi Beach or East Coast Park. From bubbler crabs to sea stars and horseshoe crabs, you may even be able to spot a rare turtle sighting if you are lucky!

However, it is important to note that we should always keep a distance from these wild marine animals and leave them intact in their natural habitats as much as we can. In fact, you can even go a step further to help preserve their homes, by removing items that do not belong to their natural environment.

Use this great opportunity outdoors to educate the young ones on the beauty of nature and do something meaningful while at it! You can participate or organise a beach clean-up to prevent the harmful debris items from entering the ocean again, and also protect endangered marine species from being a lost sight for our future generations.

With an entire month dedicated to going plastic-free this #PlasticFreeJuly, everyone can do their part to make a difference for our environment, and what better way to do so as a family to cultivate eco-friendly habits that can #PowerTheChange for cleaner streets, oceans, and beautiful communities.

Often, we need to speak with our actions, and we believe a unique dining experience with the lights switched off and breaking out the candles will be the perfect starting point to show why doing their part for the earth is important.

How to organise a beach clean-up

A beach clean-up might sound like it would be complicated to organise, but in truth it’s quite the opposite! If you are interested in organising one on your own, here is how you can get started:

1. 1. Register to Clean-up the Beaches and Parks
      This is a free registration initiative as part of the Public Hygiene Council, that can be made at least 21 days in advance. Participants and families can hold their beach clean-up anytime between 9am to 6pm, at various locations such as East Coast Park, Changi Beach Park and Coney Island Park!
   2. Prepare for the Clean-up
      As you rally your family for your first beach clean-up, you definitely to make sure you are well equipped! We recommend having on hand some masks, gloves, tongs, trash bags and even a first-aid kit! You can either prepare these on your own, or you can rent a package kit from our ChangeMaker partners Green Nudge!Here at Geneco, we understand the importance of playing a part in combating the adverse effect of climate change brought about by human activities. Therefore, as part of our green efforts this #PlasticFreeJuly, we will also be sponsoring 50 sets of Green Nudge’s coastal cleanup toolkit rental for Geneco customers to kickstart their own beach clean-up. Click here to see how you can redeem if you are part of the Geneco family!
   3. The Beach Clean-up
      Don’t fret if this is your first beach clean-up and you are unsure on how to get around it! Remember the aim of the activity is to bond with your loved ones, enjoy yourselves, all while doing good for the environment! With every trash you pick up, you realise the growing amount of plastic that might be out there affecting our marine biodiversity. The problem of plastic pollution may not be stopped overnight, but we can do much with each clean-up.If you are as pumped up as we are on how to create your own beach clean-up the Public Hygiene Council even has a guide to help take us through it to ensure we do it right while preserving the environment! Do check the weather before proceeding, and to take note of the list of items that are appropriate to pick up. Also, remember to adhere to safety guidelines and observe safe distance measures during this time!

Beach clean-ups may not be the first to come to your mind when thinking about spending time and bonding with the family. However, it is a great way to wind down and take in what our Singapore coasts have to offer, while doing a meaningful activity that is beneficial to the environment.

Take this great opportunity to teach the young about the harm of single-use items, and how a simple change in their daily habits can effect a change for our environment.

To find out how else you can play a part in preserving our environment and adopt a zero-waste living, visit our Instagram and let’s #PowerTheChange for a greener future, together.

More than being known just as a month of respite to enjoy the school holidays, June has a special focus with key environment days – World Environment Day (5 June), World Oceans Day (8 June) and World Rainforest Day (22 June) – that celebrates the earth. There has never been a more urgent need to shed light on the state of our earth to encourage active involvement to restore and preserve its natural elements.

While it may seem daunting to take the first step, there are easy green activities we can incorporate into our daily lives that can make a difference and #PowerTheChange. We have put together simple actions you can take to do better for our planet.

Plant a tree to watch our Garden City flourish

Trees are extremely beneficial to the environment. They help to filter the air, reflect radiant heat and mitigate the Urban Heat Island effect. On top of that, they provide shade in open spaces, making it more conducive for activities like transportation and exercise.

Geneco is proud to join NParks in the One Million Trees Movement as part of the SG Green Plan 2030. As an organisation, Geneco has committed to 250 trees over the course of five years, and we had the honour of planting our first 50 trees at Windsor Nature Park on Earth Day this year. You can also be a part of this movement by NParks by contributing to planting more trees with a donation, or be a volunteer through the Friends of Trees SG programme as well!

Build a capsule wardrobe to challenge your inner fashionista

The term ‘capsule wardrobe’ may sound sci-fi and futuristic, but what it simply means is to curate a small set of clothes that you can wear for almost any occasion. The idea is often related to minimalism, but anyone can build a capsule wardrobe with a few key pieces. It is great way to take stock of your wardrobe to practise conscious consumption and to reduce unnecessary purchase of clothes you don’t really need – which is definitely a plus for the environment too with a reduction in textile waste.

In fact, according to Forbes, most of us only use 20% of our entire wardrobe and the remaining 80% is under-utilised^[1]. Yet, many of us still go shopping for new clothes when the latest fashion trends hit the store. While we understand the appeal of retail therapy and “looking good, feeling good”, this can lead to unnecessary wastage and stress (especially when you spring clean and realise you have too much!).

Capsule wardrobes are a great way to break this cycle. You can start by choosing a few staple pieces, such as sandals, sneakers, shorts and t-shirts – these are pieces that we might already have in our closets and are weather appropriate for our sunny island. As we re-enter our office spaces again, we can also include a couple of simple office dresses for the ladies or a nice set of shirt and trousers for the gents.

If you fancy a challenge, you can check out Project 333 or the Capsule Wardrobe Challenge and put your wardrobe curation skills to the test. The key is to get creative with existing pieces and find new ways to utilise what you already have. At the end of the challenge, you might realise that one does not need that many clothing items in our closet. As you look to consider discarding them, consider trading them in with one of our ChangeMaker partners – REFASH. Not only do they buy and sell pre-loved clothing, but they aim to work towards a zero-waste fashion industry.

Change the game by choosing to actively recycle

Recycling rates in Singapore have dropped in the past year due to the impact of the pandemic^[2]. However, that should not stop us from doing our part and changing the fate of our waste by making a conscious effort to recycle.

Below are 3 simple steps you can follow to kickstart your recycling journey:

Step 1: Check the blue bins on what can be recycled (National Environment Agency has even provided a list here)

Step 2: Ensure all items are rinsed and not contaminated with any food or liquids

Step 3: Drop clean recyclables into the communal blue bins

Recycling is not as tough as it seems. All you need is a little research on what can be recycled, proper guidelines and consistent practice. Bonus points if you can get your friends and family to join in!

Choose Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs)

You might have heard of the term Renewable Energy, which is essentially energy produced from natural resources. This is an option that is better for the environment, as compared to traditional energy sources that tap on finite resources.

Renewable Energy Certificates are unique and credible instruments that signify each megawatt of electricity produced is generated from renewable sources. Not only are they unique and cannot be reused once issued but purchasing them is also a much more viable option for individuals, especially when one may not have the resources and infrastructures for solar panel installation.

Geneco provides the option of bundling the purchase of RECs with our suite of green electricity solutions for any homes at your convenience. We empower households and companies to go green when you choose Geneco’s renewable energy solutions for a more sustainable journey.

If you have the space for solar panel installation, why not consider Geneco’s Power Eco Total Home Solution, whereby we make it easier for you with financing solution, exclusive rebates and even more savings on your electricity bills!

By simply taking the steps above, anyone can play a part in protecting the environment at an individual level. Let this month signify your first small step to #PowerTheChange with Geneco and keep our earth green and healthy!

The June holidays are fast approaching and even though we are encouraged to stay in as much as possible, that should not stop the kids from having fun at home! However, we know that it is not easy finding indoor activities that will not only keep the little minds occupied but are also eco-friendly and fun for everyone.

There’s no need crack your brains as we have put together our very own list of green and sustainable activities for the children to get on board with this June holidays!

1. Make your own seed paper

Paper that will sprout into different kinds of plants and flowers? It may sound like magic, but it is absolutely doable with seed paper. The best part is that you can even make your own! Seed paper is biodegradable eco-paper with seeds embedded within. Plant it in a pot of soil, water it regularly, and be enthralled as you watch it grow day by day.

The steps are simple enough that any child can create it on their own. Simply choose your favourite seeds and then gather scrap paper materials from around the house to blend. NASA Climate Kids has even included a step-by-step instruction to get you started on this craft!

Use this handmade paper to write a lovely message for friends and family during the time apart. It is a great way to remind them that you are still thinking of them while at home and gifting them a green surprise as well!

2. Create your own obstacle course at home

Having an obstacle course will not only keep the kids preoccupied, but it will also get them to stay active while enjoying endless hours of fun. Utilise cushions, sofas, tables and more to create an obstacle course befitting of any indoor playground in town.

For example, you can build a tunnel simply by draping a blanket or a towel over two chairs (or more) or get them to hop from one spot on the floor to the another and pretend-play that the floor is consumed with lava! Even the simple hallway can be used to make your own laser maze with newspaper streamers in a zig-zag pattern between the walls and encourage the kids to work their way through without touching anything.

Get your child involved in building the obstacle course using materials from around the house. It’s a great way to show how items around the home can be upcycled to create a fun time instead of buying toys or electronics. Make it as challenging as possible with different items, but always remember that safety remains the number one priority!

3. Learn Science with fun challenges

Help children better understand the world around them by exploring the wonders of science at home with some simple experiments such as learning about buoyancy or how gravity works.

In fact, the James Dyson Foundation Challenge Cards are a great way to engage children in home-based learning and crafts to introduce the many mysterious concepts behind our Earth. Stimulate the young minds with the scientific fun behind these crafts and you may have got yourself a little Einstein.

Taking a leaf out from their books, attempt a quick craft by using cardboard materials to create a boat that floats. It is the perfect challenge the next time your children ask how boats sail on the seas!

4. DIY Bowling Alley

Remember the times we could just go to a bowling alley? Miss the adrenaline of scoring a strike? Create your DIY bowling alley from the comfort of your own home with your kids, using recyclable materials.

Not only is this activity a guaranteed fun, but it also allows children to expand on their creativity when creating their own bowling pins out of plastic bottles and paper rolls. Using vibrant colours of paint, give each bowling pin a unique design. We know children of all ages are bound to love this fun experience.

5. Zero Waste Recipe Challenge

The best part about being at home is that we can indulge in some home-made cooking and what better way to get the entire family involved in making this meal. Not only is it a healthier option, it also is a great way to reduce food waste and limit the use of packaging from doing takeaways or food deliveries.

As the name suggests, the challenge is to not leave any waste behind after cooking a scrumptious meal for your family. One way to do it is by planning your grocery trip to purchase just the right amount of food required. During the cooking process, don’t throw away all the trimmings, peels, or shells after usage. Where possible, use them for stock, or as compost if they are completely inedible. Easy recipes to conquer this challenge include a zero-waste pizza or these delightful chocolate chip cookies.

While it may be easy to turn to some screen time to keep the young ones occupied and spend the days, it’s always important to ensure quality family time is spent. What’s even better is to take this opportunity to share and educate your child on the 3Rs (reducing, reusing, recycling). and the power of sustainability. Not only will this help encourage appreciation and ownership for nature, but it can also establish a relationship that could translate to the future generations wanting to do more to #PowerTheChange for a more sustainable lifestyle and preserving the earth.