We’ve got news! By 1 July 2019, Suntec Singapore will phase out plastic straws. Over 2.2 million plastic straws are used in Singapore every day. To change this, we’re joining over 270 Food and Beverage outlets in the city and phasing out plastic straws from our convention centre. This is a major industry wide effort and a proud achievement of the PACT (Plastic ACTion - WWF-Singapore initiative supported by the National Environment Agency (NEA) and Zero Waste Singapore
Join us in our effort to #UseLessPlastic!
As we celebrate Earth Day on 22nd April, we reflect on how our single-use plastic consumption is heavily polluting our ecosystem. Our planet is in a dire situation, with plastics being reported contaminating our food chains. Microplastics have been found entering the diet of fish, shellfish, and birds, as well as our own food. Plastics are carcinogenic when ingested, and this will increase the risk of cancer.
Eight million tons of plastic flow into the ocean every year, and straws comprise 0.025 per cent of that. Despite the small percentage, going straw-free is a good start in helping to reduce ocean pollution. Recently a video went viral, where a plastic straw had to be removed from a turtle’s nose by marine biologists. Plastic straws which have been irresponsibly discarded, and landing up in the ocean may physically hurt ocean wildlife.
In conjunction with Earth Day, Suntec Singapore is proud to announce that we are going Straw-Free! Going Straw-Free will be the first step in our efforts towards zero-waste. We want to thank the following partners for their support, and giving us valuable advice in making this happen: Singapore Youth for Climate Action - SYCA, Zero Waste Singapore, Plastic-Lite Singapore.
As part of the Earth Day week, Suntec Singapore invited Sembcorp to give a presentation to our staff on recycling. The educational presentation taught our staff how to identify the different types of recyclables, since not all waste materials can be recycled.
We were also taught on the proper handling of recyclables. Who knew that a small food stain on the recyclable material could deem the whole batch of waste as unrecyclable! It was also important for us to know that bottles and aluminium drink cans need to be rinsed through or fully emptied before they can be put up into the recycling bins.
We hope that through this talk, our staff will be able to further educate fellow colleagues, friends and families on the proper recycling methods.
In support of Earth Hour this year, we joined organisations worldwide in switching off our non-essential lightings and our building façade lighting. As the central business district is slowly blanketed in darkness, a glimmer of hope shines through that the earth will be saved, as we bring awareness to climate change and electricity usage.
We hope that through this simple act every year, we can bring awareness to everyone so that the future of our children and their grandchildren, will be preserved. Join us next year in switching off, and plugging back to Mother Earth!
