Singapore celebs pledge to reduce plastic use

Tessa Wong, Straits Times 14 Jan 08;

PLASTIC is not fantastic, and a new youth-for-youth online campaign called [minus]plas- tic hopes to spread that message with the help of local celebrities.

Television presenter Eunice Olsen, ex-Singapore Idol contestant Paul Twohill and 98.7 FM DJ Rosalyn Lee pledged to reduce their plastic usage at the campaign's launch on Saturday at Atrium@Orchard.

Twohill and Lee have taken it one step further, by embarking on a week-long series of challenges to cut down on plastic use, such as by having dinner at home to avoid using plastic takeaway containers.

Since Thursday, they have started blogging about their experience on the campaign's website, www.minusplastic.youth.sg.

[minus]plastic is the brainchild of three final-year communications students from Nanyang Technological University, and is backed by environmental organisation ECO Singapore.

The students were inspired by the National Environment Agency's (NEA) Bring Your Own Bag campaign last year for their 'green' final-year project.

'There is a 'disposable' culture among Singaporeans, and we wanted to target youth as it's easier to change habits when you're young,' said project member Chitra Kumar.

The group hopes to collect 10,000 online pledges from young people by the end of next month.

It also plans to submit a proposal to the NEA to speak to hawkers and food manufacturers to reduce plastic use.

To make an online pledge, log on to www.minusplastic.youth.sg

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