This silk cotton tree in front of Block 488C, Choa Chu Kang Avenue 5 once stood guard over the former Keat Hong Camp.
Keat Hong resident Franky Chong with 8-year-old Shiaw Jing and 5-year-old Shiaw Qian found some unusual white fluff on the floor near the tree and went by to check it out.
In April this year, when his daughter, Shiaw Qian started preschool in Brickland, Keat Hong resident Franky Chong noticed a tree near her school which was shedding soft, white fluff. Curious, he approached it for a closer look.
“When I realised it was cotton on the ground, I quickly looked up. To my surprise, I saw a big tree with cotton all over its branches,” said Franky. “As that was my first time seeing a real cotton tree, I googled for more information online.”
Franky’s daughters, 8-year-old Shiaw Jing and 5-year-old Shiaw Qian, showing off their soft, silky find.
According to Chua Chu Kang Town Council’s Senior Horticulture Manager, Kwok Hon Weng, the tree in question spotted by Franky is a Silk-Cotton tree. Located in front of Block 488C at Choa Chu Kang Avenue 5, this tree is native to tropical America and tropical West Africa and is grown in the tropics for the silky floss its fruits contain.
Commonly known in Asia by its Malay trade name, the Kapok tree produces fine, soft, elastic and waterproof floss, which has been used to fill pillows, cushions, mattresses and sleeping bags. In the early to mid-20th century, it was used to fill life jackets too.
Historical Origins from Former Keat Hong Camp
A close-up look at the silky fruits of the tree. The fine, soft, elastic and waterproof floss is used to fill pillows, mattresses and even life jackets.
According to Mr Kwok, this Silk-Cotton tree was planted in the former Keat Hong Camp compound. It was preserved by HDB when construction for the current Sunshine Gardens flats began in 2012.
If you visit Singapore Botanic Gardens, you can see an older specimen of the ‘Kapok’ tree beside Holttum Hall. A designated heritage tree, its seed was part of an exchange between Singapore and the Gold Coast (present-day Ghana) in 1932, and planted in 1934 by the former director of Singapore Botanic Gardens, Eric Holttum.
After he found out more about the tree, Franky decided to share his discovery with fellow CCK Town residents through CCKTC’s Spot & Share campaign.
“Residents can take their children to see a real cotton tree here, instead of having to travel to Singapore Botanic Gardens, which is far away. The tree is also near Sunshine Place and easily accessible,” added Franky.
Mr Kwok tells us that this species of cotton tree usually flowers and bears fruit between March and June, so the June school holidays are just the right time to take the children there to check it out.
For his submission, Franky receives a $50 NTUC FairPrice voucher.
We want to hear from other residents too! If you’ve spotted anything interesting or discovered something unusual or someone extraordinary in CCK Town, share it with us.
Email corpcomms@ccktc.org.sg. If your story tip is featured, you win a $50 NTUC FairPrice voucher.
For this June school holidays, why not go on a photo trail of CCK Town to discover gems in your backyard!
Make it your personal or family challenge!
Find the 12 spots featured in CCK Town’s 2022 calendar & share your photos with fellow residents via Instagram. Tag us @mycckhome, #CCKHome, mycckhome.
Discover this whimsical playground at Choa Chu Kang Park that’s a sure hit with the young ones, as captured by CCK estate’s Guo Shun.
See if you can find this scenic spot along the Rail Corridor in this picture shot by Bukit Gombak resident Gina Ng.
Locate this hidden spot discovered by Bukit Gombak’s Grace Zheng. Tip: These Japanese Torii gates and rustic, overgrown pavillions can be found in Bukit Batok Hillside Park.
Hunt down this iconic tree in Goodwood Gardens. Challenge yourself to capture a unique version of this winning shot by Bukit Gombak’s Lim Chiat Cheong.
Discover the serene beauty of Bukit Gombak Park, like Ong Yi Chao did.
Sungei Buloh is filled with IG-worthy spots, like Eagle Point shot by Hong Kah North’s Yong Kuo Hoong.
Keat Hong Colours estate looks stunning from behind CCK estate’s Carlo G. Palma’s lenses. Have you checked out the colours of Keat Hong at sunrise or sunset?
This morning scene at Bukit Gombak Stadium inspires an energising stretch, as shown by Bukit Gombak’s Clement Lee.
Soak in the serenity of Kranji Reservoir, as captured by CCK estate’s Bryan Goh.
Little Guilin is a favourite subject of shutterbugs. Bukit Gombak’s Alwin Saji found ‘autumn colours’, how about you?
Rustle up some woodland magic at Bukit Batok Nature Park like Bukit Gombak’s Teo Lee Kiang.
Or find a magnificent bird of prey looking for its meal over the waters of Little Guilin as Bukit Gombak’s Myron Tay did.
It was a busy April for CCK Town residents — young and old — who made effort and took time to thank the town’s estate cleaners.
From acts of care like picking litter to making gifts of appreciation, the town’s cleaners certainly felt our town’s love in this second run of the annual Appreciate Our Cleaners initiative.
Kids Take the Lead
PCF Sparkletots preschoolers at Blk 3 Teck Whye Ave taking part in litter-picking drive.
Pupils across all levels of 4 PCF Sparkletots @ Chua Chu Kang centre honoured the town’s cleaners through various events and activities.
Teck Whye Ave Blk 3’s preschoolers took part in a litter-picking drive near? their school compound, and even got into an impromptu Zumba session with the cleaners.
Their teacher Trixie Dagatan said the activity helped to inspire the children to upkeep and promote cleanliness in their neighbourhood. It was also a chance for them to learn the proper way to sort different types of waste, and how that enhances sustainability.
Teck Whye Ave Blk 3’s preschoolers getting into the groove of Zumba with their teachers and estate cleaners.
Teck Whye Lane Blk 123’s pupils showed off their Appreciation Wall.
Over at Blks 19 and 123 Teck Whye Lane, the preschoolers expressed their appreciation by creating dedicated appreciation walls to thank the estate cleaners.
Teacher Jenny Obeso Bantolinao said the kids of Blk 123 turned shoeboxes into creative 3D art as part of their lessons on the importance of recycling. Parents were also roped in to help their children pen appreciation notes for the cleaners.
Giving high-fives in the air are the cleaners and kids of Blk 19 Teck Whye Lane.
Over at the centre in Blk 19, the children were asked to brainstorm ideas of how they could do their part to keep the environment clean and make the cleaners’ jobs easier,
Preschoolers from Blk 10 Teck Whye Ave held a mini-exhibition where the children showed off their models of buildings made of recycled materials. At the event, MP for CCK, Minister Gan Kim Yong also presented hampers of appreciation to the cleaners.
MP for CCK Minister Gan Kim Yong presenting a hamper to Cleaner Islam Saidul at Blk 10’s mini-exhibition event.
A closer look at some of the models made by preschoolers of Blk 10.
The children enjoyed themselves learning all about being clean and green. K2 preschooler Emma Ho, age 6, from Blk 123, said: “I will help to pick up litter next time I see it on the floor.”
“We must tie our plastic bags before throwing them into the rubbish chute,” said 6-year-old Zayn Ebraar, K2 student at Blk 123.
Care Packs for Cleaners
The thoughtful CCK estate residents and their families presented care packs to 20 cleaners in Teck Whye.
The children, of course, are not the only ones appreciative of the cleaners in CCK Town. CCK estate resident Jane Tan got together with 3 other families to buy and present care packs to 20 cleaners in Teck Whye.
The 45-year-old IT specialist said they decided to do this in the run-up to the Easter weekend to show love and care to others in the community. The 7 children among them, aged 2 to 14, packed the care packs with snacks and daily necessities and also made Thank You cards.
Jane said: “We tried to explain to the children what we were doing and they were quite excited. I think it’s a good start to get them to understand that we don’t live in our world but we also need to think of others.”
Cleaner Islam Saidul with the thoughtfully prepared care pack presented to him by some CCK estate residents.
Breaking Fast & Showing Residents Care
With restrictions to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic gradually lifted, various other activities were held too.
Vice-chairman of CCK Town Council and MP for Keat Hong Zhulkarnian Abdul Rahim held an ‘iftar’ (break fast) session with town council staff and cleaners to mark the Ramadan.
Mr Zhulkarnian interacting with the estate cleaners at the break fast event.
Over at Hong Kah North, Adviser Amy Khor joined residents and cleaners to pick litter.
Dr Amy Khor (in the centre) and Hong Kah North cleaners giving everyone a thumb’s up for doing their part to keep the environment clean.
And in Brickland, fast-food giant McDonald’s Singapore presented Brickland cleaners with a complimentary meal voucher.
MP for Brickland Don Wee joined the cleaners for a chat and meal at McDonald’s at Keat Hong Mirage.
As preschooler Annasofia Damia, age 5, of the PCF Sparkletots at Blk 19 Teck Lane succinctly puts it: “We must thank and appreciate the cleaners because they clean for us, and make our environment so clean and so beautiful.”
The second run of CCK Town Council’s Appreciate Our Cleaners campaign was yet another rounding success.
This year, a total of 70 nominations were received.
Said CCK Town Council Chairman and Minister of State, MTI & MCCY, Ms Low Yen Ling: “As residents continued to work from home in the past 2 years due to the extended Covid-19 pandemic, our cleaners stepped up their regular cleaning, with some going beyond the call of duty. We are greatly heartened by our residents’ keen support and appreciation of our cleaners.
“Our cleaners’ effort did not go unnoticed and were deeply appreciated. Many residents made extra efforts to highlight their nominations with photos and appreciative words. Thank you to all our residents and everyone who participated.”
Here are the 10 winning cleaners and why their nominators said they should win.
Lalilabanu (Keat Hong)
Resident Phang Soon Tuck says: “She’s hardworking and dedicated to her work. Quite a few times I’ve seen her cleaning the rubbish chute at Blk 438 despite the rain.”
Peh Cheng Swee (Keat Hong)
Resident Chui Shoong Hee says: “I see Uncle Peh already at work early in the morning before the crack of dawn. I have also spotted him working on his days off (when he was not in uniform).”
Mafuz (Keat Hong)
Resident Doris Cheong says: “Mafuz is cheerful and hardworking, and takes pride in his work. I have seen him and a few other cleaners helping to ferry seniors up to their units when the lifts were down or under maintenance.”
Hossain Anwar (Hong Kah North)
Jade Chan says: “Hossain helped me throw my rubbish during my quarantine. He went beyond his duty, and he tends to the estate like his own home.”
Mollah Aktar (Hong Kah North)
Joanne Lau says: “On top of his daily regular duties, Mollah faithfully clears up all the bulky items found in the estate.”
Sadon (Brickland)
Resident Wee Sin Tian says: “Shadon is very hardworking, kind and friendly. He always helps me place my floor mat on my shoe rack when I forget to do so on floor-cleaning days. My 1.5-year-old son likes him very much.”
Tamil Mani (CCK)
Resident Cheryl Chew says: “Our block tends to have rubbish left behind by passers-by who don’t live here. But no matter how dirty it gets, our void deck will be clean as new the next morning – a testament to how hard Tamil Mani works.”
Md Yusof (CCK)
Resident Zaleha Bte Rosdi says: “Each day, I can hear the sound of a broom sweeping from the void deck in the wee hours of the morning. It’s Yusof, hard at work. He often goes the extra mile and offers me help when he sees me carrying groceries.”
Ong Bee Kook (CCK)
Resident William Tan says: “Bee Kook is a friendly and hardworking lady. I see her going up to every floor to clean and remove unwanted items near the common rubbish chute.”
Nasir Khan (Bukit Gombak)
Resident Cheong Soon Keng says: “Nasir has been taking care of our estate for many years. He can often be seen working late and going beyond the call of duty to assist residents when we require help.”
Congratulations to all our 10 winning cleaners for 2022! Each cleaner receives a $50 FairPrice voucher, and the nominating resident gets a $30 FairPrice voucher.
Stay tuned for more on how CCK Town appreciates our cleaners.
Singapore’s largest hand-made ‘wau bulan’ (traditional Malay kite), designed and made by Bukit Gombak resident Khusaini Bin Jamari, welcomes visitors to Bukit Gombak Neighbourhood Centre.
Festive lights and decorations, yummy kueh-kuehs, cookies and other delicacies, new baju (clothes) galore — you can get them all from Bukit Gombak Neighbourhood Centre.
Where to Shop & What to Buy
Soak in the festive mood at CCK Town’s very own mini “Geylang Serai” of the West. Get ready for the occasion. Here’s how!
Swing by Toko Warisan Trading (above, first photo) or Ain Aimirah Trading (above, second photo) to get ‘matchy-matchy’ family outfits.
Or stock up on cookies from Al Barakah (top).
Make sure you don’t miss out the stalls along the walkways of Blk 374 (above) that entice with delicious snacks and goodies.
And not forgetting the delectable kueh-kueh (see above), which can be found at the stall in front of Ananas Chicken.
Looking Forward to a Bigger, Better Hari Raya Adilfiltri
Keat Hong resident Noridah binte Othman (back row, second from right) with her husband, Kamari bin Muhali (on her right) having a small celebration last year with only immediate family members. Front row, from left are the couple’s second son, Muhd Hamiyadiy bin Kamari, third daughter, NurHanis Hanani binte Kamari, eldest son, Muhd Hamizan bin Kamari, and his wife, Nordiana binte Ibrahim. Back row, from left are their fourth son, Muhd Hamizharif bin Kamari, and wife of their second son, Siti Hadeejah binte Abd Rahman, holding her daughter, Aara Basyirah binte Muhd Hamiyadiy.
Keat Hong resident Noridah bin Othman is one of the many who greeted the more relaxed Covid-19 rules with jubilation.
“The last 2 years have been quite sad, especially for the elderly, because of the restrictions on visitations. This year, everyone is happier and very eagerly looking forward to being able to be able to at least gather again,” said the 55-year-old home-maker.
As Hari Raya Aidilfitri is a season for strengthening bonds among relatives and friends, even though most families tried their best to catch up via virtual gatherings in the past 2 years, they can’t quite compare with the physical meet-ups, said Noridah.
Glad as her family is with the relaxed rules, they will still approach the celebrations with some caution, especially in their visits to older friends and families. They are taking care not to go in big groups.
She explained: “Even though we are now moving towards living with Covid-19, we still need to do our bit to protect our vulnerable elderly, including ourselves.”
Noridah said she and her neighbours are also hoping they can welcome the return of mass community events such as sit-down dinners where more than 250 people can enjoy the ‘makan’, complete with performances.
“The rules have just been relaxed so we cannot just go all out; we still need to have some control. Hopefully, soon we can bring some of those events back,” she said.
The 3 winners for CCK Town Council’s Energy-Saving Contest in March are:
Bukit Gombak resident Andrew Lim, Keat Hong resident Shayden Wong and Keat Hong resident Madurai Kamala Kannan.
These residents not only answered the 3 questions in the quiz* correctly, but they also shared their great power-saving tip and won a $50 NTUC FairPrice voucher each.
To mark Earth Day, which falls on 22 April, we spoke to the three residents on how they stay green.
Harvesting the Power of the Sun
Andrew’s kitchen showing the placement of his solar panel and light (above, circled in red), and a close-up of the solar light in action (above).
66-year-old retiree Andrew has been tapping on solar energy to light up his kitchen for the past year.
A closer look at the solar panel and light.
He bought a plug-and-play solar panel and light for about $100, and installed them on a West-facing window in his kitchen. Voila, he has since been enjoying ‘free’ light in his kitchen every night.
The 14×12 inch solar panel can store enough energy to power the 100W LED light for 2 to 3 hours. It’s bright enough such that Andrew and his wife do not even need to turn on their kitchen light.
He and his wife also save energy in other ways too, such as lowering the blinds to keep the sun out on hot days so they spend less energy cooling the room down at night.
Besides reducing his energy bill, Andrew urged: “Using energy from renewable sources will help us to reduce our carbon footprint. Even though we may not achieve much as individuals, every small bit of effort adds up.”
Sharing Aircon on WFH Days
Shayden’s sketch of how his family keep cool by sharing the same room.
Shayden and his parents share the same room when they work or study from home. This way, they need to turn on only 1 air-conditioner to keep everyone cool and comfortable.
Once the room has cooled down sufficiently, they also turn the aircon off and rely on the fan to keep cool and further save energy.
By doing so, the 17-year-old student said his family has seen a 20% reduction in their energy consumption for their 4-room flat in the past year. They brought their power bill from above average of their neighbours to below average and were rewarded with cost savings.
He said: “Saving electricity is very important to us as the Earth’s resources are limited, so we must use them sparingly if we want to conserve them for future generations.”
The World is in Your Hands
Madurai succinctly expresses his idea in a sketch (pictured below) along with his message “the world is in your hands”.
He said: “By saving energy, I’m doing my bit to save the environment and also help to reduce air pollution and prevent climate change.”
The 42-year-old team leader in a chemical firm has been practising as he preaches for the last 4 years.
By eliminating the use of aircon completely, using energy-saving lights, and turning the power of all devices, he has reduced his power bill by 30%.
Now that you have learnt about the residents’ winning green habits, let them inspire you to embark on your own green journey, just in time for Earth Day!
*Correct answers for the quiz are:
Q1: Filament light bulbs look better & use less power than LED bulbs.
A1: B: False
Q2: Use a fan instead of aircon as 1 aircon = __ fans.
A2: B: 11
Q3: Set washing machine to wash clothes in __ water.
A3: B: room temperature
Appreciate Our Cleaners Week is back!
After the rousing success with last year’s inaugural Appreciate Our Cleaners Week, CCK Town Council is bringing back the campaign for the second year.
Residents are invited to submit nominations for their estate cleaners to show them that you recognise and appreciate their effort.
Simply pen your words of appreciation for the cleaner or write about a heart-warming encounter with him/her. Your entry should include reasons why he or she should win. (Psst, there is no word limit!)
Boost your chances by including a photo with or of your nominee!
10 winning entries will be selected. The nominated cleaners will receive $50 NTUC FairPrice shopping vouchers each, while the nominating resident will be awarded $30 NTUC FairPrice shopping vouchers.
Send your nominations to CCK Town Council by 17 April 2022 via:
- Google form https://forms.gle/M7zKadU5pAZg4ZyM7 or
- Email to corpcomms@ccktc.org.sg
Send in your nominations now!
See Terms & Conditions here.
Save 1 tree with every 40kg* of paper you recycle! And for every tree saved, you are reducing carbon emissions by up to 40kg per year.
As we mark Earth Day on 22 April, CCK Town residents will find it easier to do their bit for the environment with 4 new SGRecycle bins around the town this month.
The bins are located at:
Block 440 Bukit Batok West Avenue 8
Block 223 Choa Chu Kang Central
Block 818 Choa Chu Kang Avenue 1: Opposite McDonald’s
Block 251 Choa Chu Kang Avenue 2: In front of Residents’ Network
SGRecycle is a social recycling initiative by SGPaperRecycle, which has more than 100 bins islandwide. Users get reward points when they deposit recyclables in these bins.
The 4 SGRecycle bins in CCK Town accept non-contaminated general waste paper, old magazines and books as well as corrugated carton boxes. Carton boxes will need to be flattened before deposit.
For every 1kg of waste paper deposited, residents receive 6 SGRecycle points. Accumulate 1,000 points to redeem $10 cash or EZ-Link credits.
Start doing your bit now as a personal challenge to see how many trees you can save in a year. Or make it a family challenge for you and your children. And earn some cash incentives too!
*40kg paper = about 20 reams of A4-sized paper
1 ream = 500 sheets = approximately 2kg
A spare bed for a visiting grandmother, a cherished but underused cabinet, a dining table that a family had outgrown — these were among the furniture that Brickland residents had generously contributed towards Project Circular.
Project Circular, born during last year’s CCK Town HaCCKathon, aimed to give discarded furniture a new lease of life through upcycling.
35 pieces of new and chic furniture were created by 39 second-year Ngee Ann Polytechnic design students. Nine of them were showcased by Scanteak and the Polytechnic in March.
Part of the project’s bigger vision is to educate residents and participants about the Circular Economy, where discarded items can be reused to make new products, thereby reducing waste and inspiring responsible consumption.
Over 1 tonne of furniture was collected for this upcycling project, which is a collaboration between Brickland residents, CCK Town Council, Ngee Ann Polytechnic and Scanteak, with the support of the CNA Green Plan.
Too Good to Throw
Many residents donated furniture that their families had outgrown or were left unused. The residents’ most common refrain: They were too good to throw away.
Resident Eric Choong (in orange) supervising the removal of his mahagony shelf.
Resident Eric Choong donated a mahogany open shelf cabinet custom-made in Indonesia. Said the 53-year-old: “We liked it very much but never got around to using it, so I am happy that it will be put to good use in this project.”
Though he did not recognise his old cabinet, which had been reborn into a desk-cum-shelf named DUO, he felt efforts such as Project Circular were worthy pursuits because the more people recycled their unwanted furniture, the fewer trees would have to be cut down to create new products.
Brickland resident Eric Choong (in colourful striped shirt) with Ngee Polytechnic student Samuel Tan (in white shirt) checking out the exhibition.
(From left) Teo Zu Er, Mao Mei, Cheryl Ling and Leow Den Jo, four of the five creators posing with DUO, a desk-cum-shelf which incorporated parts of resident Eric Choong’s mahogany cabinet.
Resident Leow Geng Hui (standing, on left) looking on as volunteers prepare to transport his dining table.
Another resident Leow Geng Hui, 36, who wanted to get a bigger dining table, parted with the dining table he bought when he first moved into his Brickland home.
Resident Tan Taw Ying donated this 7-year-old bed frame.
Resident Tan Taw Ying donated a 7-year-old bed frame. It was originally intended for her mother to use when she visited. However, due to the closure of borders over the Covid-19 pandemic, her mother, who is residing in Johor Bahru, has not been able to come.
“I was planning to give the bed frame to the garang guni (rag and bone man) but thought it would be good if it can be recycled instead,” added the 38-year-old.
Challenging Project to Cut Their Teeth
When the Ngee Ann Polytechnic students first received the donated furniture, they were thrilled at the exciting possibilities that unfolded before them. They were limited only by their imagination and ability to execute their ideas.
Lim Cai Qian’s first thought was “What an exciting project!”. She added: “I had always wondered how I could contribute to sustainability through design. Being able to participate in this project is like a dream come true. I was able to put sustainable design into practice by upcycling donated furniture.”
Lim Cai Qian showing off her Joie de Vivre, a table which can be pulled apart to be used by two persons.
However, as this project was a first for most of the students who had never dismantled old furniture and rebuilt something from scratch before, there was some apprehension on their part.
Tan Kok Khin doubted and worried over his ability to complete his product because he did not have any prior experience or craftsmanship skills.
The students said they were thankful not only to their lecturers but also to the Scanteak team who gave them very useful and practical advice on how they could improve their products.
Tan Kok Khin was inspired to design this HOOP coffee table which doubles up as a fun “goal or hoop” for paper ball tossing games that family and friends can play at home.
For example, Kok Khin struggled with constructing the support for his HOOP table. His designs were simply not strong enough. After consulting the Scanteak team, he learnt to improve the stability by adding inner structures to make his table stronger and more durable.
Student Tan Kok Khin spent more than 100 hours to bring his HOOP coffee table to life.
The tight 4-weeks’ timeline to create the final products was also challenging for the students. So it was with much pride, joy and relief when they saw that their finished products had turned out exactly as they had imagined.
“The project allowed our students to experience first-hand how they could contribute and be part of a circular economy with their design skills and creativity,” said Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s Director of School of Design & Environment Mrs Pang-Eng Peck Hong, who added that the school’s objectives had been met.
For those who missed the exhibition, Project Circular will be featured on CNA as part of its Green Plan campaign. Catch the show on television on the Singapore Green Plan – The Green Economy, on 2 May 2022 at 9pm.
With Earth Hour coming up on 26 March, let’s take a look at how we can be kinder to Mother Earth (and our pockets) at the same time.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) has tips aplenty on how households can save cost and electricity. (Pssst, the link is useful for the quiz!)
Did you know using curtains, blinds or solar-film coated windows can help to block unwanted heat from the sun, especially for east- and west-facing windows, and help you save electricity from having to cool the room down?
Positioning your TV or computer screens perpendicular to your window helps to reduce glare and minimises the need to increase screen brightness, cutting power usage.
Take Quiz & Win Prize
Take the power-saving quiz below to check your knowledge on reducing power consumption.
Stand a chance to win a HP Hyper X Cloud Stinger S – Gaming Headset worth $99 when you submit your answers with 1 photo and caption to show us how you conserve electricity at home.
The top 3 entries with the correct answers and most creative suggestions to save electricity, win!
Email corpcomms@ccktc.org.sg by 27 March 22.
Quiz
Q1: Filament light bulbs look better & use less power than LED bulbs.
A: True B: False
Q2: Use a fan instead of aircon as 1 aircon = __ fans.
A: 1 B: 11 C: 111
Q3: Set washing machine to wash clothes in __ water.
A: hot B: room temperature
See Terms & Conditions here.
Have you seen vintage items like this old telephone in CCK Town? (Photo credit: G Kuek)
Noticed an unusual trend or interesting development in your estate? Share with us what’s brewing or unique in your hood!
At the Hillview Heritage Alley at Hillview Community Club, you can view retro items like this old telephone (pictured above). Outside of the heritage gallery, can such retro items still be found in CCK Town? Perhaps you know of a coffeeshop that still sells coffee in recycled condensed milk tins?
Or maybe, you know of an inspiring or fascinating neighbour? For instance, Keat Hong centenarian Madam Soh Lian Tee (pictured below) has lived through World War II and the tumultuous birth of our Singaporean state.
Maybe one of your family member is a centenarian like Madam Soh Lian Tee who has witnessed Singapore’s history in the making? (Photo credit: Madam Soh’s family)
We want to hear your ideas! If your story tip is picked to be featured in CCK Town’s digital lift panels, you will receive a $50 NTUC FairPrice shopping voucher.
Share with us your story tip by emailing corpcomms@ccktc.org.sg and provide as much details as possible, including your contact information.
We want to hear more from you about the special people and things happening in CCK Town!
Brickland resident Eric Choong (dressed in orange tee and shorts) donated his mahogany cabinet, which was moved with the help of fellow residents. The volunteer movers are (from left) Toh Ai Tin, Ong Liping, Seph Tan and Tan Chin Tee.
What do most of us do when we have old, unwanted furniture at home? We dispose!
But what if our trash can be turned into something new and useful?
Beauty of Circular Economy
HOOP (above) is a coffee table given a second life (from its old form, pictured below). It acts not just as a coffee table but also as a catalyst for family interaction as they play toss the ball into the hole.
The idea of turning discarded household items into new furniture was first mooted at CCK Town’s HaCCKathon held in October 2021. The event, facilitated by Ngee Ann Polytechnic, saw over 80 residents coming together to co-develop an eco-plan to transform CCK Town into a sustainable eco-town.
After the HaCCKathon, Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s School of Design and Environment, CCK Town Council and the Brickland Sustainability Workgroup got together to bring the idea of upcycling old furniture to life — and Project Circular was born.
This project seeks to educate participants about a concept called the Circular Economy. It helps to reduce the amount of waste thrown away by transforming rubbish that would have gone into the incinerators and landfills into something useful. It promotes responsible consumption and helps companies to become more eco-friendly.
CCK Town Residents, Scanteak and CNA Join Hands with Ngee Ann Polytechnic
At the start of this year, a group of enthusiastic Brickland volunteers helped to spread the word among fellow Brickland residents to source for unwanted pieces of furniture.
Subsequently, with the help of CCK Town Council and estate cleaners, these volunteers helped to move and transport the tonne of discarded wood furniture to Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s School of Design and Environment.
At Ngee Ann Polytechnic, 39 second-year Design students set to work, spending 7 weeks conceptualising, designing and constructing new furniture pieces out of the unwanted furniture.
Popular local furniture manufacturer, Scanteak, stepped in to offer the students design, construction and marketing expertise from its top management and most experienced craftsmen, while local media giant, Mediacorp, supported the project by documenting the entire process as part of its CNA Green Plan Campaign.
This project would be a key feature of a TV episode on the Singapore Green Plan 2030 which will be aired on 25 April 2022 on CNA, focusing on the Green Economy, one of the five pillars of the plan.
See the Upcycled Furniture in Person
Born out of wooden panels salvaged from donated furniture (above), the Casita (pictured below) is a cat-friendly piece of furniture which is both a human seat and also a cat’s home-cum-lookout tower.
Out of the 35 pieces that were designed, a total of 9 pieces were selected to be put up for public display at Scanteak Toh Guan Showroom.
They will also be for sale and all proceeds will be donated to Brickland Cares to fund future green initiatives and community needs.
Check out the selected upcycled furniture pieces now!
Date: 12 to 15 March 2022*
Time:
- 12pm – 9pm (Mon to Fri)
- 11am – 9pm (Sat & Sun)
Where: Scanteak Toh Guan Showroom 8 Boon Lay Way, #02-22/23, Tradehub 21, Singapore 609964
Project Circular shows what can be done, if we treat our waste with a little bit of creativity, instead of just throwing it away.
Born from the ashes of old chairs (above), the Chairlax (pictured below) is a foldable chair on the ground for the casual mobile gamer.
Do you know the variety of recycling collection points near you?
Alba e-waste bins
Alba e-waste bins are available in CCK Town for residents to deposit their information and communication technology (ICT) equipment (such as printers, computers, laptops, mobile phones, tablets, network equipment, set-top boxes, and desktop monitors), light bulbs and portable batteries for recycling. Residents can earn points that can be redeemed for shopping vouchers when they recycle their e-waste at these bins.
Click here for the types of e-waste each bin can accept.
Locations:
- Keat Hong Community Club
- Sunshine Place
- Teck Whye Shopping Centre
- Hillview Community Club
- Hong Kah North Community Club
- Block 816B Keat Hong Link
- ITE College West
- Lot One Mall
Cash-for-Trash
Cash-for-Trash is an incentive programme by Public Waste Collectors, where residents may bring their recyclables to the Cash-for-Trash stations and cash is given in exchange for recyclables.
Please note that all Cash-for-Trash stations are currently suspended due to the enhanced COVID-19 measures implemented.
Click here for more information on Cash-for-Trash.
Locations:
- Block 323 Bukit Batok Street 33
- Block 448C Bukit Batok West Ave 9
- Block 35 Teck Whye Avenue
- Block 414 Choa Chu Kang Ave 4
- Block 469 Choa Chu Kang Ave 3
- Block 807B Choa Chu Kang Ave 1
- Block 218 Choa Chu Kang Central
- Block 15 Teck Whye Lane
Paper Recycling Machines
SGRecycle is a social recycling initiative by SGPaperRecycle Pte Ltd where a network of more than 100 SGRecycle stations are deployed around Singapore islandwide to collect waste paper (aluminum cans, plastic PET bottles and fabrics coming soon) and in return for incentives/reward points.
Click here to learn more about the incentives/reward points.
Locations:
- Block 440 Bukit Batok West Ave 8
- Block 251 Choa Chu Kang Avenue 2
- Block 223 Choa Chu Kang Central
- Block 818 Choa Chu Kang Ave 1
Reverse Vending Machines
Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) are machines which are able to identify, sort and collect empty plastic drink bottles and aluminium drink cans and reward users when the containers have been accepted by the machines.
Click here to learn more about the machines.
Locations:
- Bukit Gombak ActiveSG Sport Centre
- Lot One Mall
- Hong Kah North Community Club
Old Shoes Collection
Give your used sports shoes a second life! Be part of the nationwide effort to recycle used sports shoes into materials that could be used for jogging tracks, fitness corners and playgrounds.
Click here for more information on the project.
Location:
- Bukit Gombak ActiveSG Sport Centre
- Choa Chu Kang ActiveSG Sport Centre
The youths’ ‘loot’ of recyclables — after a hard day of going door-to-door collecting e-waste & old clothes from seniors living in Teck Whye.
Passionate about promoting a green lifestyle among Singaporeans, four youths rallied their like-minded peers to perform door-to-door electronic waste (e-waste) and textiles collection in CCK estate before Chinese New Year (CNY).
Lim Jin Pin, 20, Yesenia Lim, 20, Vienna Anong, 18, and Letitia Chen, 18, were behind the collection drive for 8 apartment blocks in Teck Whye where many seniors live.
The three full-time students and one National Serviceman recruited another 20 youths to join them in collecting e-waste and old clothes from the seniors for recycling.
Yesenia had learnt about the residents needing more help in recycling while preparing a food distribution programme for vulnerable households in the Teck Whye area last June. So when Jin Pin broached the idea of an e-waste collection drive, Yesenia suggested to do so in Teck Whye and to twin it with collection of unwanted old clothes too.
Doing Something Meaningful with Their Time
Jin Pin, who has always been into green initiatives, said: “The spark that got the ball rolling was the realisation that while many people know about recycling plastic bottles, cans, glass and paper, seniors especially may not be aware that e-waste may also be recycled.
“This means that much of the valuable recyclable metals found in electronics are being thrown and wasted. So we decided to come up with this special recycling drive targeted to help our seniors.”
Took Two Months to Get the Project Going
Do you recall seeing this advertisement about the collection drive?
The quartet said they took about two months to plan and organise the collection drive, bearing in mind wet weather plans and safe distancing measures.
In early January this year, they went door-to-door giving out pamphlets informing residents at the 8 blocks in Teck Whye that they would be returning two weeks later to collect e-waste and textiles for recycling. The CCK Town Council also helped publicise the collection on the lift panels of the 8 blocks and arranged for special collection bins.
Jin Pin said since majority of the residents were not home when they visited and they left the pamphlets under their doors, he wasn’t sure what the response would be.
Residents’ Response Overwhelming
The youths went door-to-door collecting e-waste and old textiles.
So when the 24 youths split into two teams for the door-to-door collection from the 8 blocks around Teck Whye’s Blocks 8 and 120 on 23 January, they were gratified at how much they managed to collect.
More than 138kg of e-waste was amassed and close to over 30 bags of old clothes. The most common e-waste was old monitors and TV screens.
Jin Pin said: “It was great that we managed to also take the chance to educate the mostly senior citizens in the estate about e-waste. And many asked us if we were planning to run this drive again.”
With the residents’ positive response to the recycling drive, the green champions decided they would return again next year around the same time to mount another collection.
Active Youths Bring Positive Change
The Teck Whye green drive was organised by YOUthnited (an informal youth volunteer group) with support from CCK Town Council. The town council arranged for recycling company ALBA to provide two e-waste recycling bins on the day of the drive.
Youthnited Founder, Yesenia, said she used to volunteer extensively with another informal youth volunteer group in the East. As a Westie, she thought it would be good to start something similar in the West, and YOUthnited was born in 2021.
She hopes to galvanise more youths to take the initiative to plan their own volunteer projects and make sustainable, positive change to society.
As you entertain your family and friends this Chinese New Year (CNY), do your bit for the environment too by recycling the cans or bottles of drinks served.
Deposit your plastic drink bottles or aluminum drink cans at these Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) (pictured left) and earn rewards.
For every 10 drink containers successfully deposited, you can choose to get:
- 10 CapitaStar dollars
- ActiveSG $0.50
- 5 Sentosa Fun Pass Tokens
- 30 minutes free ride on Anywheel shared bikes
Since this Recycle N Save initiative was launched in October 2019 by F&N Foods, with support from the National Environment Agency (NEA), about 9 million drink containers have been collected through 50 RVMs deployed island-wide.
In January 2022, F&N and NEA announced they are embarking on the next phase of the drive by redeploying the RVMs to more schools and also to new locations such as business parks, office buildings and mixed developments in a bid to widen the programme’s reach.
There are also plans to upcycle the cans and bottles collected into 3D-printed artworks such as everyday objects like benches and planters.
In CCK Town, the RVMs can be found at:
- Lot One Shoppers’ Mall
- Bukit Gombak Sports Centre
- Hong Kah North Community Centre
Have questions about the initiative? You can get them answered here.
This year, make your CNY a more eco-conscious celebration!
