Oral Reply to Parliamentary Question on Sustainability Campaigns by Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment

Oral Reply to Parliamentary Question on Sustainability Campaigns by Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment

Mr Yip Hon Weng: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment having regard to a recent anti-waste social experiment by NEA that seemed to generate more waste whilst raising awareness (a) whether the use of existing waste materials will be prioritised over creating new ones for future campaigns; (b) whether there are plans to seek input and involvement from local environmental organizations and advocates in planning future campaigns; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider sharing lessons from public reactions in shaping future sustainability awareness and as part of its public education efforts.

Answer:

1 With The Waste Cafe, the National Environment Agency had sought to illustrate the cumulative environmental impact of a seemingly simple act of consuming coffee using a disposable cup. The social experiment has generally been well-received. The collected used cups were repurposed into impactful educational exhibits that are roving across Singapore to raise public awareness about the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling.

2 We have noted the views of those who felt that the experiment could have been done differently and have suggested areas for improvement. We welcome feedback from all parties and will take them into consideration to improve our future campaigns.