jaynetoh What a green restaurant should go for is less waste and that means using plates, utensil and other things that can be washed and well, reused. I agree that the choice of material is important. Plastic plates and utensils might be a good idea, but of course, it's non-biodegradable. It would make sense to use stainless steel utensils and porcelain plates as it not only do they help you save the environment, but they add a certain amount of class to your dining establishment.

I was wondering if there is any approved “natural” dishwasher sanitizing agents that will not put more chemicals into the environment? For instance, using eco-friendly paper plates, standard lead free green plates, glasses and




utensils for dining in can help reduce negative impact to the environment. However, I think that using paper plates is not much more of an improvement. Think about all those trees used to manufacture the paper plates. They are recyclable but the waste is just too voluminous.

As for the cleaning and washing, there are ways where you could save on water. It can also help restaurants save their water bills too. One can use an eco-friendly detergent as well.
I think it's a good idea for restaurants nowadays to use green equipments in order to save energy. I've seen green commercial refrigerators, dishwashers and coolers for sale in the market. These equipments are designed to go green by using less energy or producing less harmful chemicals or waste for the environment.

jaynetoh What a green restaurant should go for is less waste and that means using plates, utensil and other things that can be washed and well, reused. I agree that the choice of material is important. Plastic plates and utensils might be a good idea, but of course, it's non-biodegradable.

It would make sense to use stainless steel utensils and porcelain plates as it not only do they help you save the environment, but they add a certain amount of class to your dining establishment. I was wondering if there is any approved “natural” dishwasher sanitizing agents that will not put more chemicals into the environment? For instance, using eco-friendly paper plates, standard lead free green plates, glasses and utensils for dining in can help reduce negative impact to the environment. However, I think that using paper plates is not much more of an improvement. Think about all those trees used to manufacture the paper plates. They are recyclable but the waste is just too voluminous. As for the cleaning and washing, there are ways where you could save on water. It can also help restaurants save their water bills too. One can use an eco-friendly detergent as well.I think it's a good idea for restaurants nowadays to use green equipments in order to save energy. I've seen green commercial refrigerators, dishwashers and coolers for sale in the market. These equipments are designed to go green by using less energy or producing less harmful chemicals or waste for the environment.

caspertan Yes. I definitely agree that restaurant, or rather all food and beverage outlets should go green.

In my opinion, saving the environment is everyone's responsibility and that includes the hawkers, restaurant owners, and other vendors.

In Singapore, or in fact many other countries, people are often so obsessed with convenience that the ignore their part of environment conservation. The reason why I say so is because, people would rather use the plastic spoons provided by the hawkers because they could save the trouble of washing the utensils after meal. They could have simply use the utensils at home and that small act can actually do a lot when it comes to saving Earth!

In addition, restaurant owners sometimes are so engross in making their food packaging appealing that they forget about going green. A lot of production cost and material can be saved and that can actually help in conserving the environment.

Therefore, I would say that it is definitely a must for restaurant and other food and beverages outlet to go green!

sharon9280 I second caspertan's comments.

I think one reason why some F&B outlets choose to use plastic utensils is because it's cheaper and it doesn't break easily. For example, in hawker centres where utensils are not handled gently. That is understandable. Plus, it may pose addional costs on them. But if a restaurant is earning enough profits, e.g. able to open many franchises, there is definitely no reason why they shouldn't go green!

As for hawker stalls, even though it's more practical for them to use plastic utensils, the owners should be encouraged to reduce the use of disposable utensils (for take away) as much as they can. But I suppose this isn't just the restaurant owners' responsibilities. It is also the consumers' responsibilities. People often put convenience before anything else. As long as it saves their time and it's convenient, saving the Earth does not matter to them. I feel that if consumers boycott non-environmetal friendly utensils eventually restaurants would just stop using them altogether. That might sound impossible for now but I believe that day will come. =)

xyrhs I would say, I am all in for it, and it would definitely be necessary in the case of 'saving the environment'.

Everyone has a part to play in going green, and that goes to hawkers too! As much as its convenient for them to use plastic utensils, it is causing way too much harm to the environment.

I feel that they could have at least play a part in encouraging their customers (take away) to reduce the use of these utensil, should there be no alternative. This could be done by imposing an additional cost when taking away. This may be a small effort in going green, but it's definitely a start for hawkers and their customers to go green.

maotao19 Yes,I think restaurant should go green.
As a part-time worker in some restaurant, I saw a lot of rubbish after one dinner finished.How could they deal with the rubbish ? That's the key to a green restaurant.

camellialimxinyi Yeah I like the idea too. Not only can we recycle the containers, I think its a great alternative to apartments for people living in disaster-prone areas too ie. people living near volcanoes etc since it's easier for them to evacuate the place in times of danger, without losing too much money/property.
Also, I think it's possible for us to use these containers as karaoke rooms or recording studios etc. but I'm not too sure if we can live in it as a home in the long-run unless you're living alone.

yinqing I think this idea is brilliant! Saving space is the most important point! And the containers are not 'wasted'. I will not mind living in a container as my home. Imagine your living room is the first level and then, second would be your bedroom etc. Isn't it just like an animated world? But just as camellia said, it will be more suitable as a home if one is living alone.
And, wouldn't it be nice as well if these containers can be turned into studios? Saves time going from one location to another. They just have to change containers!

ruskinong The container idea is definitely a great. I would love to have one of them. While containers are recycled. So is living space. Perhaps we could even stack them up to make it more space-saving.

greenenthusiast While theoretically it may seem like a good idea, I don't see it as feasibly being possible for Singaporeans to switch to bicycles.

Here's why:

1. Singaporeans are pretty $$-face. The idea of each person in the family having to buy a bike, and then the cost of maintaining each of these bikes is not cheap (maybe not as ex as cars, but most Singaporeans ALREADY have cars. Bikes would be additional cost)

2. Our road infrastructure is not made for excessive amounts of bicycles. As of now LTA is even making pavements and sidewalks smaller, in a bid to make roads wider. (roads meant for engine vehicles.) The reason why it is completely dangerous for bicycles to be ridden on roads with cars and other engine vehicles is the speed, swerve and brake ability differences in engine and non-engine vehicles. More accidents are bound to happen if more bicycle-riders start riding on our roads.

3. While turning to bicycles instead of cars may be reducing the toxic wastage, cars aren't our biggest polluters in the country and therefore, the effect on Singapore's CO2 levels will not be that drastic. Singapore's biggest polluters are our landfills (high amount of refuse and garbage). Singaporeans have yet to understand the power of the cliche-d REUSE REDUCE RECYCLE. This and this alone will reduce Singapore's Carbon wastage.

Just to note, I'm not against the idea completely. If it can be feasibly delivered, that would be GREAT. I'm just playing devil's advocate here.

GO SP. I'm proud to be alumnus of an institution that takes such effort for the environment. :)
DMC Kids organising this campaign: GOOD LUCK and WELL DONE! Great job all of you! really proud! :) <3 <3

--
Sincerely,
DMC Graduate :)

back2nature I ain't into going green. I suppose the city winning that award was not mainly due to cycling. Thus, I am not keen about using the go green as a reason to promote cycling.

I have been using bicycle as my main commuting mode since 1996 until recent years then it became my secondary mode. I see Singapore not being a bicycle friendly city as a sign of lagging behind other developed cities. LTA really need to look at it seriously, send people to learn from others instead of giving false excuses and using projects such as PCN that were started for different reasons to avoid facing the problem directly.

1. Cost shouldn't be of an issue. The range of cost for bicycles start from as low as S$30 to > S$10K. Thus, people can choose their comfortable price.

2. Yes, it is dangerous, but mainly because of the lacking infrastructures. Also, studies have shown that the rate of accidents reduces (surely the number will increase but not the rate) when there are more bicycles on road.

3. Agree, going green shouldn't be the reason to cycle. I would also like to add another seldom mentioned R: Reject. Reject products that are not environment friendly.

luiting In my opinion, this is a good notion as well. A change like this could bring about benefits more than preserving the environment. it could make the person healthier, as compared to sitting in the public transport, or the private transport. Though it would cost you money to get the bike, the cost pales in comparison to that of constantly having to pay for transport fees at the rate that our fees are being jacked up. However, that being said, it would most definitely be better if larger countries like china and india were to cut down on their carbon emissions or energy consumption. Their efforts will most likely if not definitely be more obvious then a small country like ours.Nonetheless, in a situation like this, everybody has to do their part, imagine, everyone going back to basics and rejecting the automobiles and public transport. That would no doubt be more effective then ever.

xian Another country is Switzerland. Switzerland has many routes built just for cyclers. I think if Singapore make an effort, it is possible that people will regard bicycle as their new form of transport. The reason why Singaporeans are not using bicycle to go from places to places is because it is against the law to cycle at pavements. It is also very dangerous for them to cycle on the main (car) road.
Many of us take cycling as a recreational activity, and we travel everyday by MRT, bus or car. This is partly due to the busy lifestyle Singaporeans are leading. Unlike the past, when public transport is a scare, people DO use bicycle to travel around. I think we could start educating our friends that cycling is not a bad choice for travelling, as it saves us money and reduce Carbon emission. :)

chenxwdawn I really like the idea of bicycles! I was in Canada last year and they have this system where you can rent bicycles. The great thing about it is that it's a city-wide effort so you can return the bikes to another bike point at your destination. In that way, you can use the bicycles for traveling short distances. I think that would be a feasible system in Singapore if LTA looks into making bicycle lanes on the roads. Cyclists aren't allow to ride on pathways but Singapore's narrow roads are far too dangerous.

ruskinong Well, i would think that Singapore is trying to change her means of transportation from conventional cars to one with only MRTs, where every part of SG is connected up by MRT.

For bicycles, i would say that they are promoting it. But not as much as MRT systems which have a higher chance of persuasion as compared to converting to bicycles since they are fast and convenient.

wangdi18 Yes, if the change come ture, there is not only no traffic jam, but also a way to reduce polluted air. What is more, riding a bicycle is good for your health. It has been proven that riding bicycle can help you develop a strong heart and muscular limbs. in addition, you do not worry about parking problem at all. So I think it is a good idea about making Singapore green through cycling.

bu02 If the country was cooler i wouldnt mind cycling. However if i were cycle to somewhere, lets say work, i wouldnt wanna come in sweaty.
I think the MRT system is just enough for "long" distance travels.
Its still ok to cycle when ur destination isnt that far

hazwari06 In my opinion,it would be great to use bicycles instead of cars because it's a way to reduce air pollution. This would also bring more benefits to singaporeans' health.It might take awhile for singaporeans to adjust but it would be a good culture to cultivate for urban-dwellers like singaporeans.Cycling also cuts down on transport expenses and is good exercise for everybody. Of course, it will take a longer time for people to travel on bicycles, but the reward is breathing in cleaner air and living a healthier lifestyle. Health is very important in this fast-paced society. If you fall ill, then precious time and money would be wasted.
HENCE, making singapore green through cycling will improve every singaporeans health, character and spirit.

elaine1226 I don't agree to it. Although it will save the environment, it will make work less effective, causing workers to be less incompetent due to the energy spent to ride to work and after work. It will be a great exercise for everyone to use bicycles rather than cars, but how hardworking can every single one be?

blinglim It is a good job what Nickelodeon is doing. By targeting the young children with all these Green messages and in the form of interactive games, pledges, quizzes, etc, children will grow up with these knowledge in them. I believe it will definitely help in the 'Green situation' in the long run.

By the way, i went on the website and tried the BIG GREEN Quiz. You should go take the quiz too! See how much you can score without looking it up on the net!
I got 8! :D

jade It is certainly an effective initiative! As going green becomes a growing trend, the target age group has significantly widened and new media becomes increasingly influential. I agree that children should be encouraged to engage in green habits from young, so that they will be more likely to continue being environmentally-friendly in future. The site proves that going green can be fun, and goes to show that if children can do their part, so can we.

Here is another fantastic site which shares various green messages and success stories, targeting teenagers and adults in this case - http://www.go-green.ae/

repeaterbeatermaliki01 Even though it is commendable that they are raising awareness of 'going green' amongst kids, however, these messages will mean nothing to kids if they do not know the importance or the 'true' meaning behind 'going green' since most kids will just brush it off as just an another advertisement. Yes, they may learn a thing or two on how to go green, but do they practice it?

I've seen it on Nickelodeon and it didn't really leave an impression on me. Most of the time, it shows random kids talking about how to go green. Talking about going green doesn't make the world more 'greener'. From what I see, they just gathered kids all over the world just to talk about going green, rather than asking the kids to do things that would enable them to go green. If they had showed some activities of going green done by these kids, other kids may be motivated to do so but sadly, I see none. So, at the end of the day, what do they achieve actually? Are their goals met? I doubt it somehow.

Action speaks louder than words. They should organise events on how to involve kids and to actually make them have a hands-on experience of going green. Through this experience, kids may actually know the importance of going green because hearing it on tv and experiencing it first hand is different.

wahidah Yeap, repeaterbeaterkid said exactly what I thought.

I've seen the advertisements and so have my 12 year old siblings who are probably their main target audience. They didn't seem impressed, but rather nonchalant about it. I don't think it left an impression.

It carried across their content loud and clear but it was forgettable and ... nyeh.

It would be great, if it was carried across as a campaign and kids in Singapore actually get a hands-on experience in matters like these.

abysmal We all love to read that is why we love to buy, recycle, give as gifts, borrow and collect books. However, we also tend to discard them and probably have them added to our landfill, which is not favorable to the environment. Now that the Apple iPad and the Amazon Kindle is around, where we can read everything that we want from news to magazine articles to different Ebooks without having to cut down trees to make more books. It is much more environmentally-friendly and you can store all your favourite books into your iPad to read anywhere, anytime(:

xoxo Personally, i don't feel that buying your own books may be a harm to the environment. Yes, library is a sharing place, you do not need to recycle or throw away these books. Everyone would be able to read these books by just scanning their library card. But why so much of a hassle when you can just buy your own books?

Yes, printing out may be an issue and a waste of paper, but the same logic applies to buying your own book - you can always pass the book down your generations or alternatively, you can always donate these books to needy homes or schools. Either way i feel that purchasing your own book isn't harmful to the environment, you get read your favourite book over and over again. (:

camellialimxinyi I agree with both toinkie and xoxo. There are always two sides to an issue and since I will only read a book once, I prefer going to a library to borrow a book. I used to have a whole collection of book at home, and as the numbers grew, the books became more of a nuisance than a collection since I had to maintain/keep them. I ended up donating those that were in good condition and recycled the rest. Thus, I feel that what actually matters is that you handle the books appropraitely and not letting them go to a waste by throwing them away, that is, if you prefer to buy new books.

iamnotme I think it depends on the kind of book you are looking for. For example the latest or new ones. It's really sad to wait so long for the book to be loaded into the library. Furthermore, these 'newer' books will definitely be snatched in seconds. Hence, this is the scenario in which I'll prefer to purchase the book rather than waiting to borrow it.

So it all boils down to how eager you want that book instead of just trying to save paper and going to the library instead. No offence but I still find the library totally cool and people should definitely give it a shot if you're look for a book from a relatively old collection or for research materials. :)

wahidah Why don't we ... just stop printing altogether? I know this is near to impossible, but think about it. At the rate we're going now, practically everyone has a smartphone. Wouldn't it be smashing if everyone could just download information and read it off their smartphones? In the future, you could go to the library and instead of books, there'll be millions of chips that you can just pick off the shelf, download into your smartphone and read! El brilliante, no?

notsosunnily I've been to Marina Bay Sands before, and the first thing that struck me was the shimmery metal plates over the entrance of the hotel. They're so pretty in the sunlight and that saves on unnecessary outdoor lightings that most shopping malls and landmarks in Singapore use to increase the attractiveness.

Also, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands are designed in a way to save energy yet appear beautiful and classy. :D They have huge windows covering one side of the mall which helps save on lighting in the mornings and afternoons. They are also able to minimize the air conditioning usage due to their little indoor "river". The fountain (still under construction) flows into a mini river that goes the length of the mall itself and helps to lower the temperature of the building.

GO MBS!!

sean03 I think one of the best things organisations and companies around the bay area did was to ensure proper dumping of their garbage annd pollutants. My father told me that when he was a little boy the bay area and the singapore river was filled with mess and garbage. It was a huge rubbish dump that stinked. I was there last week and I can't beleive how much the waters around the region has changed. The best thing was that I saw fished and turtles occasianally coming up to the surface to breathe. Keeping up with this "greening" of the bay area will only make the central business district and bay area a much pleasant place to go.

thelion Although many believe that it is becoming a trend to "take the lead in building a greener sustainable building infrastructure", I agree with you that it is indeed very "heartening to see more businesses applying corporate responsiblity into their business plan". And in your example, you mentioned Marina Bay Sands. I have yet to visit the place itself, but from what I can see, it is indeed an infrastructure that never fails to let me feel starry eyed.

We live in the 21st century; the most important thing about being in this new age is the STYLE.

By trying to build a building that is much more environmentally friendly, one must also bear in mind that the style is important too. If we forgo the style factor to just build a dull-looking eco friendly building[let's assume its a tourist attraction], then I believe we might as well not build anything at all since it will be a waste of resources.

I realised building a Green and modern infrastructure actually creates more “WOW” factor[maybe it’s just amongst the people I know], I mean look at our very own Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 3. Maybe its due to the fact that we are human beings, and as human beings, nature will always be a part of us. Therefore being in the 21st century, having a fusion of both style and eco-friendly buildings will definitely make many “feel” at home in a way or another.

One last noteworthy point… IF we are removing or renovating old buildings with new stylish eco-friendly buildings, are we wasting and contributing more to waste?

Although many believe that it is becoming a trend to "take the lead in building a greener sustainable building infrastructure", I agree with you that it is indeed very "heartening to see more businesses applying corporate responsiblity into their business plan". And in your example, you mentioned Marina Bay Sands. I have yet to visit the place itself, but from what I can see, it is indeed an infrastructure that never fails to let me feel starry eyed.

We live in the 21st century; the most important thing about being in this new age is the STYLE.

By trying to build a building that is much more environmentally friendly, one must also bear in mind that the style is important too. If we forgo the style factor to just build a dull-looking eco friendly building[let's assume its a tourist attraction], then I believe we might as well not build anything at all since it will be a waste of resources.

I realised building a Green and modern infrastructure actually creates more “WOW” factor[maybe it’s just amongst the people I know], I mean look at our very own Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 3. Maybe its due to the fact that we are human beings, and as human beings, nature will always be a part of us. Therefore being in the 21st century, having a fusion of both style and eco-friendly buildings will definitely make many “feel” at home in a way or another.

One last noteworthy point… IF we are removing or renovating old buildings with new stylish eco-friendly buildings, are we wasting and contributing more to waste?