Photo by Douglas Lee
“My fellow people! Let’s come together and do recycling. If everyone recycles then encourage one another to do so, our environment will be cleaner and less worrying for sure…”
The celebration at the Keat Hong Zone '3' Residents' Committee (RC) activity centre began with this joyous tune of ‘Everybody Does Recycling’. The jolly scene of Health Minister Mr Gan Kim Yong dancing to the Taiwanese Tzu Chi song along with the residents was very heartwarming indeed.
The monthly recycling activity at Block 474 CCK Avenue 3 has been going on for a year and in conjunction with the first anniversary, Tzu Chi volunteers had jointly organized a tea session with the RC members to thank the residents for their continuous support.
Mdm Lin Li Xuan still remembers the day when the recycling point was launched on 13 March 2011 and she had brought her grandchildren to find out more about recycling at the Block 474 void deck. The senior has since become a regular volunteer at the monthly activity. She shared with the participants that ever since she started participating in the sorting work, she had become aware of the scarcity of Earth’s resources and had since encouraged her family to cut down on electricity and water consumption. “Cutting down on these means cutting down on your utility bills too!” the resident-volunteer quipped.
Every month, close to 30 volunteers gathered at the void deck of Block 474 to sort recyclables collected from around the estate. There are also about 20 families or so who would personally bring their sorted recyclables to the recycling point. Looking back and seeing the familiar faces in the video, a sense of community filled the participants. RC chairman Mr Chan Huan Kee, who is touched by his fellow residents who share the same enthusiasm in protecting the environment, also took the opportunity to address and cheer on his people.
Mr Zhang Ming Yi and his wife Hu Wen Zhuan, both Tzu Chi donating members, have been treating the monthly recycling day as their family day since their first participation last November. Every month, the couple will bring along their two children and parents to participate in the sorting of recyclables. The family practices what they learnt by allocating a small area of their kitchen to store recyclables while Mrs Zhang also collects her kitchen waste like fruit peels and leftover greens to make eco-enzyme.
“We give it to the neighbours who are willing to try it,” said the couple. They also shared their joy in domestic recycling by taking photos of their family sorting out recyclables and sharing them with their neighbours. The couple hopes to convey the message that incorporating recycling into one’s daily life is not difficult and it is great to practice it together with one’s family as it not only helps impart environmental consciousness in the younger generation, it also helps to strengthen the family bond.
“We sincerely thank our residents who sort their recyclables before bringing them down to us,” said Brother Wan Hoong Kit, the volunteer in charge of the CCK recycling point, to the participants. However, he observed that there are still some residents who are still unfamiliar with the sorting methods. Thus, in the past year the volunteers had been diligently promoting sorting tips and engage residents to try sorting their recyclables at the recycling point.
Sometimes when they see still-durable electrical appliance being sent to the recycling point, the volunteers would suggest the sender to consider keeping it so as to prolong the lifespan of the device.
“There is only one Planet Earth and it is our responsibility to protect it. Let’s not just do it with our hands but also promote the cause to our family and friends using our mouths,” appealed Guest of Honour Mr Gan Kim Yong to the residents in both English and Mandarin.
Together with some 10 RC members, the Health Minister cheered on everyone present to keep on creating awareness and be steadfast on the cause. When our photographer pressed the shutter for the group photo at the end of the event, all participants happily shouted, “Recycling at Keat Hong, YES WE CAN!”
Indeed, with many hands, we can create a beautiful Singapore and a cleaner Earth.
At the start of the tea session, volunteers rallied the participants with the dynamic song ‘Everybody Does Recycling’. (Photo by Douglas Lee)
Health Minister Mr Gan Kim Yong urges the residents to extend beyond practicing on individual level and start promoting recycling awareness to people around. (Photo by Douglas Lee)
Zhang Ming Yi and wife Hu Wen Zhuan sharing on the benefits of engaging family members in doing recycling. (Photo by Douglas Lee)
The tea session was attended by people of different ethnicity. Seen here is Sister Wang Jing Zhu translating for a resident who does not understand Mandarin. (Photo by Douglas Lee)
“Recycling at Keat Hong, YES WE CAN!” (Photo by Douglas Lee)
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