Even teachers are in on Anderson Secondary student's green movement
At most canteens, vendors use plastic disposables for takeaway orders.
Not at Anderson Secondary School.
This is the result of campaigning led by 14-year-old Clarissa Song, the youngest-ever winner of the EcoFriend Awards given by the National Environment Agency (NEA).
Clarissa knew she had to do something after learning about how marine animals were choking to death on plastic objects that had found their way into the ocean.
The Sec 2 student had observed that plastic items were used in her school canteen for takeaway orders.
"I noticed the stall vendors gave out plastic bags, cutlery and straws, which I found to be unnecessary," she said.
With the help of her fellow Green Club members, she approached the canteen vendors in March to get them to stop using plastic disposables.
While initially reluctant as they feared fewer students would buy from their stalls, the vendors eventually agreed to stop using disposables for packing, in line with Clarissa's Refuse Plastic Project.
Plastic disposables are no longer used in the canteen. Those who want to pack their food orders have to bring their own lunchboxes.
"Even teachers have joined in by bringing their own lunchboxes when they pack food from the canteen," Clarissa said.
Yesterday, she received her EcoFriend Award along with nine others at a ceremony at the Mandarin Orchard hotel
The other winners include Ms Kia Jiehui, who co-founded a movement in 2010, which has given some 10,000 old pens a new lease of life.
These awards are given out annually by NEA to individuals in Singapore who have contributed significantly to environmental sustainability.
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