In CCK Town, we have kicked off many green initiatives as we move towards our goal of transforming into a sustainable eco-town. We have installed solar panels on rooftops, introduced various recycling bins in our estates, and converted common corridor lights to LED bulbs, which consume less power.
The transformation cannot be complete without the support of CCK residents, and this month, we spotlight individuals who inspire us to lead a greener life in small but significant ways.
Turning Waste into Nutrients
Where most other families have a Bloobin recycling corner at home for their paper, plastic, metal, or glass waste, Bukit Gombak resident Lee Mei Leng goes one step further by setting aside space in her freezer for organic waste.
She stores all kinds of raw organic waste, from used tea bags, fruit peels, vegetable cuttings and even fish innards.
Once a week, the 55-year-old takes her waste collection down to Bukit Gombak Park, where she joins the Bukit Gombak Park Compost Stewards to do their magic and transform such organic waste into valuable compost!
The stewards are a team of residents led and guided by fellow resident Pui Cui Fen. In July 2023, Cui Fen set up this volunteer interest group to share her passion and wealth of knowledge on composting.
Mei Leng (far right) with fellow residents and composting enthusiasts, who come together to turn organic waste into compost at Gombak Park. From left: Pui Cui Fen, Loy Xue Ying, Joeve Lio, Angela Wong & Tan Leng Seow. All photos are courtesy of Lee Mei Leng.
Although she is not a gardening enthusiast, Mei Leng is passionate about living more sustainably.
She explained: “I was born into a family involved in agriculture, so from a young age, I knew about the importance of caring for Mother Earth. While working as an admin manager, I also worked in environmental companies that dealt with various aspects of recycling, which opened my eyes further to how we need to live more sustainably.”
Hence, Mei Leng has always been conscious about leading a life with less waste. She recycles everything she can, from drink containers to paper.
She also used to volunteer with the Waterways Watch Society, where members patrol the waterways to pick up litter and keep the waterways clean.
Last year, during her sabbatical from work, she heard about a group of volunteers doing composting at Bukit Gombak Park through her Residents’ Committee, so she joined them to learn more about the hot composting method they were using.
Hot composting is a process that decomposes carbon-rich and nitrogen-rich materials at high temperatures with the help of bacteria.
They work at an area in Gombak Park near the Butterfly Garden. There, the team piles the raw organic waste into a heap and lets nature do its work.
A hot compost heap can mature in four to five months. During that period, the team checks on the progress once or twice a week and adds raw materials where necessary.
Once the compost is done, the volunteers will divide the organic fertiliser among themselves, and they will also contribute a portion to the upkeep of the Butterfly Garden.
Mei Leng said when she first started volunteering with the Bukit Gombak Park Stewards, her husband would grumble about her keeping organic waste. However, after she took him to see their work, he understood what they were doing and was won over.
As everyone has full-time careers, the volunteers keep their own organic waste box in the freezer. This way, they can keep the raw materials from decomposing before their once-a-week check on the compost.
They have friends and neighbours who also pass them their organic waste, and they also collect the vegetables discarded by vegetable sellers from the nearby market.
Mei Leng said: “I think all of us can do our bit to try to live more sustainably. I do my bit by sharing what I do with others. Those who like what I share can then be part of the movement to spread the eco-living message further.”
She added that if everyone thinks eco-living is troublesome, then nobody will start. The role she has set for herself is one of leading by example.
Through small individual actions, she feels she is contributing by influencing people she meets to adopt eco-living.
“It is not difficult to be green. All we need to do is pause to think before throwing something away,” she said.
Rain or shine, the passionate volunteers will check on their compost at least once a week.
From Waste to Pretty Garden
The 59 passionate community gardeners at a get-together held last year, attended by Deputy Prime Minister and MP for CCK estate, Mr Gan Kim Yong (in the centre).
What do drink cartons, toilet paper tubes & styrofoam boxes have in common?
With nimble hands and a little creativity, these unwanted items can become plant pots, seed beds, and vermicomposting boxes!
These are the types of recyclables that Angie Wong, a resident of CCK estate, collects from fellow residents.
“I am the unofficial garang guni (Malay for rag-and-bone person) in the estate,” the 50-year-old chairperson of CCK Park’s community garden laughingly admitted. “I will collect these items and pass them to the other gardeners who repurpose them for use in the garden in CCK Park.”
If you walk around the CCK Park community garden, you will spot many recyclables leading meaningful “second lives.”
(From left) Mdm Yoke Lean, Mdm Chew Pin, Mdm Soo Hui and Angie at a Gardeners Get-Together where they showed off how drink cartons can be turned into plant pots.
Angie’s love affair with gardening and recycling started nine years ago when she became a parent volunteer for the community garden at her daughter’s preschool.
As her estate’s trash bins are near the community garden plots, every time the assistant general manager of a consumer electronics company walked past them, she was struck by the amount of waste being generated and thought about how they could be reused.
That was how her idea of upcycling and repurposing trash for use in the gardens was born. She said: “As most community gardeners are doing it as a hobby, we are always looking for cheap and sustainable ways to support our garden.”
Madam Ivy & Madam Yoke Lean turning used styrofoam boxes into vermicomposting boxes.
For example, Angie noticed that many styrofoam boxes were discarded during the COVID-19 pandemic when fresh fruits and vegetables were delivered.
She and her fellow gardeners realised these boxes could be used for vermicomposting, where organic waste is turned into compost with the help of worms.
The styrofoam boxes also help keep their harvest fresh. Angie explained, “Since we don’t have fridges in the garden, the boxes help keep the harvested fruit and vegetables from wilting too quickly in our tropical heat.”
Ms Angie Wong with son Juen Rey, then 10, daughter Yi Qing, then 8, and the huge brinjal they harvested.
In the community garden, organic waste such as eggshells and coffee grounds is also turned into compost to fertilise the plants. Rainwater is also collected to water the plants.
Angie is thankful she lives in such a supportive community. Even neighbours who are not gardeners contributed their recyclables.
“For example, my neighbours try to clean and dry their empty cookie jars before giving them to me, which I then pass to our community gardeners. When we harvest extra fruits or vegetables, we return the favour by giving them to those who contributed to our efforts. It’s a virtuous cycle,” she said.
Sometimes, her neighbours would offer her items they didn’t have ready use for. However, once she shared a photo of these items with the gardeners, they almost always devised creative ways to use those recyclables.
By growing their own edible plants and using recyclables where possible, Angie said they are doing their bit to live life more sustainably.
The community gardeners also organise events to share their knowledge with other residents.
(From left) Mdm Maureen, Mdm Tan Tuan, Juen Rey, Yi Qing, Angie, Mdm Yoke Lean and Mr Jimmy Wong at a gardening workshop they held in March 2024.
Small Acts, Big Impact
Janice and her younger son, Coji, at a tree planting event in Brickland.
Leading a more sustainable lifestyle can be as simple as using a cup to hold water when brushing teeth or turning off the lights and fans upon leaving a room.
Brickland resident Janice Tan is a student development officer and an active member of Brickland’s Sustainability Workgroup.
Formed more than 10 years ago by residents championing an eco-lifestyle, the workgroup’s objective is to support and promote greener lifestyles in the community.
To this end, it organises annual events in the estate to spread awareness about the benefits of eco-living. Residents can participate in upcycling workshops, listen to talks about hydroponics, and more.
Janice and her sons, Coji, (left), and Cody, showing off their terrariums after attending a workshop at the annual Youth for the Environment Day 2024 at ITE College West.
Janice believes such events play a vital role in spreading awareness about sustainability and convincing residents that embarking on an eco-lifestyle is easier than initially thought.
“For example, posters on sustainability can only provide information. In contrast, when residents participate in our activities, they get hands-on sessions and experiences to put their eco-knowledge into practice. I hope this encourages them to embrace and keep up their green lifestyle,” Janice shared
She shares that many residents return to participate in events organised by the workgroup after their first time, a testimony that their efforts to promote sustainability in the community are paying off.
In 2024, Janice (in centre) and Green Ambassadors from ITE College West held a well-attended pre-Chinese New Year charity flea market in Brickland selling items donated by residents.
At home, the 38-year-old mother-of-two practises what she preaches by teaching her sons, Coji, 3, and Cody, 6, that they can save electricity by turning off the fans and lights whenever they leave a room. They also use the water from washing vegetables for the plants and use a mug to hold water when brushing their teeth instead of leaving the tap running.
The family has a dedicated recycling corner at home and a mini garden outside their flat.
Janice also takes her boys with her to her eco-outreach activities whenever possible to expose them to the benefits of leading an eco-lifestyle from a young age. She hopes they can, in turn, grow up to inspire their friends as well.
She said: “If everyone plays a part through small actions daily, we can collectively make a big impact towards building a greener and more sustainable world.”
Janice, Cody and Cody’s friend picking litter at a beach clean-up event organised by their preschool earlier this year.