Walk for good - Launch of Green Trails at Clean Up South West! 2023

 Clean Up South West! 2023 will take place on Saturday, 31 December 2022 ahead of the Chinese New Year, offering a platform for residents to bring down their recyclables to exchange for groceries and encouraging sustainability in the community.  Residents will also be able to try out several sustainable hands-on activities such as composting, making their own coin purse and tote bags with upcycled materials.

Partnership with Michelman Asia Pacific

2        One of the highlights at the Clean Up South West! 2023 is the launch of Green Trails @ South West. For every trail that a resident completes, Michelman Asia Pacific will contribute $25 worth of grocery packs to 1,000 vulnerable families to help with their daily expenses with a sponsorship of $25,000 towards the initiative.  The trail is curated in partnership with Michelman Asia Pacific, Grassroots Organisations, Community Gardeners, NTU Earthlink and National Parks Board. The trail features various community gardens as checkpoints to encourage residents to walk the trail and uncover interesting facts about our community gardens. Besides adopting a healthier lifestyle, using a digital passport, residents can scan the QR codes at the gardens to download stories and fun facts about the gardens, answer questions and upload photos of themselves at the gardens. Green Trails @ South West initiative would be piloted in Chua Chu Kang GRC with four community gardens in Bukit Gombak and expanded to more places in the district. 

3        This is the first time Michelman Asia Pacific is partnering South West CDC to encourage the community to do their part for the environment and the community.  For Phillip Choo, Vice President & Managing Director of Michelman Asia Pacific, "I am elated be part of the bigger national movement, translating little green steps taken by the community to benefit other vulnerable families.  We are committed to build a green, liveable and caring community in the South West District."

4        Minister Gan Kim Yong said “Dealing with climate change requires global action, but everyone can play a part to mitigate their impact by adopting more sustainable practices. We hope that by introducing the “Do Good” element into the trail, we can inspire others to step forward with their ideas and innovations to build a more caring and green nation for a better future.”

5        Ms Low Yen Ling, Mayor of South West District, says, “We are grateful for the strong support of our partners and volunteers in collaborating with us to achieve our goals for a greener Singapore.  Building an active and eco-conscious South West district requires the collective effort of all members of community. This new initiative with Michelman Asia Pacific on Green Trails @ South West will encourage  residents to reduce their carbon footprint, walk for health and contribute to creating a sustainable South West. We will continue to forge strong partnerships and community participation to shape a clean, green and gracious district."

6        Over the past 18 years, the South West CDC had collected 986 tonnes of recyclables, which is equivalent to saving more than 16,600 trees. This year, 34 schools and corporates in the District set up recycling points for a period of three months, from August to October and collected a total of close to 7.3 tonnes of recyclables. By January 2023, the CDC targets to have close to 40 community recycling points for residents to donate their recyclables in exchange for groceries.

7            Clean Up South West! is an annual recycling programme organised by the South West Community Development Council (CDC) and the National Environment Agency (NEA), supported by Grassroots Organisations (GROs) in the district, corporate partners, and schools. This is the 18th year that the programme is being organised in the South West District, i.e. since 2006. Clean Up South West! supports the Sustainable South West (SSW) masterplan^[1] ‘Our Zero Waste Journey’ pillar to reduce waste as a community and increase residents’ awareness of the importance of the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) as well as ‘Our Active, Gracious People’ pillar to celebrate and showcase the efforts of like-minded stakeholders in the community to promote environmental ownership and a caring and sharing community.

^[1] 10-year sustainability Masterplan for the South West District