South West ECo Day Out 2015

On the 1st of February 2015, Earthlink NTU was invited to set up a booth for ECo Day Out 2015, organised by South West CDC to encourage local residents to recycle more. Earthlink s subcommittee members from the Events Executive External (EEE) portfolio arrived an hour before the starting ceremony to set up the booth. After an opening speech by Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan and Ms. Low Yen Ling, the mayor of the South West District, the event was started. Almost immediately, a small crowd had gathered in front of Earthlink s booth.

Earthlink s booth hosted a mini-game where participants had to sort 5 items into recyclable waste and non-recyclable waste bins. Participants were presented with various waste items such as batteries, drink cans and packets, plastic wrappers, and tissue. Those who could successfully sort the items into their respective bins were gifted with a small cactus plant. Apart from that, if the participant listened to a short explanation about small things everyone could do to help the environment, they are awarded a stamp. When they successfully collect 5 stamps from the various booths in the area, they could exchange it at the main counter for a goodie bag.

The cactus plants proved popular, as there was no shortage of people visiting the booth. Earthlink s members did not get a moment s rest throughout the event- they were busy keeping the crowd in line, conducting the mini-game, and handing out the plants. Most people that visited the Earthlink booth were surprised to learn that some items, such as batteries and plastic drink bottles can be recycled. In fact, the booth was educational to the people that hosted it as well- EEE subcommittee Richmond admitted that he did not know that batteries are recyclable before this event.  We could only start recycling batteries en masse recently, as the methods used weren t efficient enough before. he added.

Apart from Earthlink s booth, many other booths also hosted interesting activities. The National Parks Board taught participants how to weave pandan leaves into various things like grasshoppers, roses, and fish, while the Repair Kopitiam taught participants how to change faulty wires and fuses, use drills and saws, and basic DIY in general to discourage people from simply buying new things when something breaks.

After a hectic 2 hours, the last of the plants were handed out. As Earthlink s members finish packing up the booth, all of us were invited to lunch by the organizers. South West CDC staff members were surprised by the fact that we brought our own lunchboxes and cutlery, and commented that they should make that a standard practice among their staff. EEE director Lim Jin Way was happy with everyone s efforts, and was pleased to call the event a success.