Right-cycling: Remove, Rinse, Recycle was an awareness campaign about contamination in recycling in Singapore. There are no recycling campaigns in Singapore highlighting this issue even though the local contamination rate was reported to be between 35-50%.

The campaign’s target audience were primary school students aged between 10-12 years old. As such, the team collaborated with four schools – namely Bukit Panjang Primary, Jurong West Primary, Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Primary and Princess Elizabeth Primary – to participate in the campaign. Activities included assembly talks, student workshops and booths to educate students on contamination in recycling and the right way to recycle.

The Highlights

There were high-targeted engagement throughout the campaign. The team managed to reach out to more than 2,500 students and over 985 participants at their roadshow booths. Even after the end of the campaign, teachers from partnering primary schools requested for the education materials to continue it at their respective schools. This certainly helped to build sustainability in the effort, rather than once-off at the various roadshows.

The campaign also achieved media coverage through the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources.

The Memories

Assembly talk at Jurong West Primary School.
Participating in a quiz at Princess Elizabeth Primary School.
Hard at work preparing a presentation poster during a workshop.
Having fun learning about recycling.
Prizes for all who participated in the game booths!

Reflection #1 – The Challenges

Organising an event of such a scale was relatively new and the team had to estimate their resources well. It took them a few tries but they managed to refine their processes along the way and became more efficient.

The team was also relatively unprepared when interacting with their young target audience and encountered a few surprises along the way. The students had very short attention spans and thus, it became quite chaotic at times when dealing with a large group of children. The team eventually managed to learn along the way, how best to keep them in order and retain their attention.

Reflection #2 – The Takeaways

  • Proper management of time and resources is crucial in executing a campaign of this scale and without it, things will be all over the place. It is always good to start early. This will give ample buffer time and help keep schedules on track.
  • Focus on the strengths of teammates instead of berating them on their weaknesses. This can help to maximise the efficiency of the whole team.
  • Constantly recognise the efforts of other team members so to maintain the harmonious relationship within the group. This will help to motivate one another as well as make the whole experience more pleasant for everyone.