Green has never been more in than now. The debate about whether all that extra carbon in the atmosphere caused by human activity has trapped enough heat in the world to cause tsunamis, floods and droughts has been raging for decades. But it has only been recently that the side which lay the blame at our door have gained the winning hand in this argument. So much so that documentaries on climate change like Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth have become unexpected hits. And alongside is a plethora of UN reports stating how bad the situation really is. This all helps to raise the profile of global warming to the point that unlikely organisations from fashion houses to even petrol companies have all rushed to profess their green credentials.
Even on our island, a country relatively unaffected by climate change (apart from the annual haze, it is not exactly snowing in Kranji nor has the PIE become a hurricane corridor yet, has it?), attitudes are changing. The Government has announced a $350 million plan to encourage the growth of clean energy industries and in March, HDB announced that new flats in Punggol will have solar panels and water recycling systems. This Green revolution is not only happening at the Istana however, with Singaporean scientists coming up with a urine-powered batteries (we kid you not) to people going on eco-savvy holidays, being friendly to Mother Earth has permeated throughout our society. Here is a look at how eco-friendliness has become part and parcel of everyday life and how green you can become without having to be a vegan hippie.
TECH SMART
Power hungry gadgets have always been the bane of the environment. But with a whole range of eco-friendly gadgets out there, there is no reason why you cannot be a tech geek and be all green at the same time.
With a population where well over 70 percent of households have computers, proper disposal of IT products is crucial. And tech firms have already begun recycling programs and are increasingly coming up with gadgets made of recycled or recyclable parts.
The people at HP have been at it for ages, and last April they instituted a National Recycling Week where the public could drop off unwanted PC products at SingPost outlets islandwide. To find out more about HP’s ongoing recycling program head to www.hp.com.sg.
Not wanting to be outdone, Toshiba launched the first green PC in 2005, which complies with European set standards for the minimal use of hazardous substances in electronic production. It is one of the first PCs designed with a view of making the materials recycle-friendly. Check out http://pc.toshiba-asia.com/greenpc/eco/index.jsp for more info.
Not just focusing on the waste potential of all that gadgetry, techie wizards have come up with gadgets that are not only more energy efficient, but ones which even substitute the use of coal-powered with far more pleasant, non-carbon producing power supplies.
With most of our energy coming from burning fossil fuels, using energy efficient products is very important. Brands like Bosch (Rina Electrical, #05-02/03 Shaw Centre, 1 Scotts Rd., 6737-4351) designs each appliance to be energy-saving and minimizes the consumption of natural resources. All their refrigerators uses CFC-free cooling products and their products are part of the Singapore Green Labeling scheme (http://www.nccc.gov.sg/energylabel/els.shtm) by the Singapore Environment Council.
Cars are getting into the act as well. Hybrid cars like the Toyota Prius (Toyota Paya Ubi Sales, 17 Ubi Rd. 4, 6741-6888) and the Honda Civic Hybrid (Honda Ubi Showroom, 370 Ubi Rd. 3, 6840-6888) use both petrol engines and special batteries as the main power source, and the electric batteries are charged both by the petrol engine and upon braking. With long term savings on fuel on these sorts of cars and Hollywood stars being spotted riding in them, these cars are green and cool.
The people at Solio (www.solio.com) definitely love their sun—not its tanning or even its life giving properties—but rather its ability to create some of that electricity juice. They have come up with a solar powered charger that will charge most of your gadgets at no cost to the environment. Although not available at any shops here, you can be a proper techie and buy them from the web.
FASHION CONCIOUS
Long gone are the days when all that fashion knew about being eco-friendly was that fur was not very PC. With a renewed emphasis on both organic and recycle product materials, being green has opened up a whole new area for fashion.
The ECO LUXE 2007 fashion show held in April showcased the green credentials of three designers from around the world. Made from organic products, you can lay your hands on those clothes only through special order at Curiocity Gallery (#A1-02, 38 Bencoolen St., 6334-6022).
Untouched World’s Peri Drysdale (www.untouchedwood.com) uses only completely organic materials. At ECO LUXE 2007, Drysdale unveiled an organic denim range completely made from certified organic cotton and a collection that uses a super-soft, machine washable, organically certified Merino. The work of Sarah Ratty of CIEL (www.ciel.ltd.uk) was also showcased at the fashion show and not only did her collection look good with clean-cut, chic lines, it also scored high on the eco-friendliness mark with her use of organic silk, organic cotton and bamboo fibre.The third designer at the show was Katelyn Aslett (www.katelynaslett.com). For her uber-feminine, couture collection, instead of going all high-green-tech, she went back to the past and drew on the ancient process of felting which uses natural wool to create her clothes.
Not only are clothes going organic, so are accessories. Check out local fashion line Mea Culpa’s new eco-friendly wood pendant collection. Designed by Angelina Teo, these laser-cut pendants and earrings are made using recycled sawdust boards. Meant to be a counterpoint to non-biodegradable acrylic so commonly used now in pendants, these wooden offerings are available from www.iamtoblame.net
It’s not just small boutique designers taking up the green flag. Big name brands are joining in the action as well. Timberland (#01-01/03/101 Centrepoint Shopping Centre, 176 Orchard Rd., 6735-9050) has gone green with the use of organic cotton to some degree in most of their apparel and have even gone as far as to use eco-friendly water soluble glue in their shoes.
And it’s not just about going organic in the use of our materials. Recycling goods is paramount if we are to live in a greener environment and some brands have instead of going organic are going recycled. One of these brands is the pioneering U ROADS. These are shoe-makers with an eco-difference. Their soles are made out of recycled tyres, and the recycled logo is embossed on each shoe. And with an endorsement from none other than the UN Environment Program, being green has never come so well-heeled. They retail from $199-349 at Venue (44-46 Club St., 6323-0640).
ECO-INDIVIDUAL
Fashion houses, car companies and tech giants are all turning green, but it is also through individual effort that our planet’s health will improve. And a whole slew of government incentives, common-sense measures and using eco-friendly alternatives in your daily life make being green a piece of cake.
For an urban society such as ours, we have become experts at generating waste. Our annual waste production has increased five-fold since 1970 and in our land scarce country this is a problem! But it’s not just up to companies to become more recycle-friendly, you should too. There are around 4,600 recycle bins islandwide where you can dump your empty drink cans, bottles or unwanted flyers. Check out recycling point locations at www.sec.org.sg.
If you are too lazy or your rubbish is too substantial, you can recycle your household trash as part of the National Recycling Programme. This virtually door-to-door service collects your recyclables such as paper, plastic, glass, metal and old clothing on a fortnightly basis—and condo dwellers have no excuse not to sign up as they can get their condo in the recycling loop as well. Find out more on http://app.nea.gov.sg/ and click on Environmental Information, Waste Minimisation and then Recycling Programs.
And with the average Singaporean using 625 plastic bags a year, this is time for you to switch to a roomy cloth shopping bag. With some supermarkets doing their bit by asking customers to donate 10 cents for every plastic bag on the first Wed of every month (and IKEA charging permanently for plastic bags), you have no excuse.
Eco-living does not just have to be a chore either. With an increasing choice of conservation tours and eco-tourist destinations on the books of some estate agents, you can now travel and be green. Hit websites like www.adventures.com.sg for those looking for something more adrenalin pumping or www.atriumecotravel.com for something more sedate.
WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE
The Green revolution has spread everywhere, from fashion to tech to travel. In nearly every facet of our life we now have a choice to go green if we want to. And although it is true that some people consider cattle flatulence and the smelly methane they produce to be the more serious cause of global warming, you still have no excuse not to be labelled the 21st century hippie.
Old local recycling habits
