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Congratulations to Eleen Koay (Brickland), Ting Siew Khim (CCK estate) and Ng Chee Wee (Bukit Gombak) for coming out tops in CCK Town’s latest eco contest!

For her upcycling effort, Eleen won the top prize of an HP Envy 6020 All-printer.

Siew Khim’s suggestions show us that old is still gold when it comes to water-saving efforts the traditional way and was awarded the second prize, an HP Deskjet 2722e printer.

Chee Wee took home the consolation prize of an HP Pavilion Wayfarer Backpack for his idea which helps one get fit and conserve electricity.

Let’s find out more from the three of them on how to reduce, reduce and recycle.

Reuse, Recycle & Upcycle as Eleen did

Having a carpenter father and a seamstress mother meant Eleen grew up watching her parents tinker with things. Naturally, she picked up their hands-on habit. Thus, when she noticed that her sofa was beginning to break down earlier this year, inspiration struck.

“The springs in the sofa were broken but the leather was still in very good condition. At the same time, I noticed that our dining chairs were looking quite worn and needed replacement,” the 33-year-old research engineer said.

She thought, why not use the leather, cushions and padding from the sofa to give her dining chairs a new lease of life? She bounced the idea off her parents, who gamely said: “Sure, that sounds workable!”

So, one weekend before Chinese New Year, Eleen, her husband and her parents stripped off the worn cloth seats from the dining chairs, took apart the sofa and got to work cutting up the cushions and leather of the sofa to make new dining seats.

By the end of the day, Eleen had six beautiful dining chairs. She even got a set of baby pillows and bolsters made from the leftover stuffing for her two children.

“The wood in the sofa was not of very good quality, otherwise, we would have made small cupboards or side tables with them. If I had the equipment to work with metal, maybe we could have done something with the sofa’s metal frame too,” she added. “There are lots of possibilities when it comes to upcycling. It’s just a matter of how creative you want to be.”

For example, her sister once made a side table out of her old car tyres. In her family, when something is broken, the first thing they will try to do is to see if it can be fixed. If it can’t, they will think about whether they can make something else out of it.

“I think it is wasteful to just throw things away because everything is so expensive,” she said.

‘Reduce’ as Siew Khim did

For Siew Khim, living sustainably is as natural as breathing. As someone who follows the news, she understood the threat of global warming is real.

“Every one of us can play a small part,” she said. The need to conserve resources is especially acute in a small country like Singapore which does not have natural resources, she added.

Her contribution is to conserve water and electricity wherever possible. For example, she grew up collecting water in a pail and showering with a water scoop and continues to do so even now at age 55. She also uses a mug for brushing her teeth instead of leaving the water running.

She uses LED lights at home, turns off electrical appliances when not in use, and recycles all the plastic packaging to use as trash bags. She also recycles batteries and other IT gadgets into e-waste bins.

Her effort to reduce the use of water and electricity helps her to keep her utility bills for her 4-room flat around $50 to $60 a month. She encourages her neighbours to live more sustainably too by offering to take their items for recycling to the correct recycling points.

Reduce as Chee Wee did

Application engineer Chee Wee, 35, is a sustainability advocate at work, and he brings the practice home as well.

He said: “I’ll always try to see what are the easy and doable tasks that can be done frequently to make an eco-difference.”

For instance, instead of using the lift, he takes the stairs when going up or down two or three storeys. Since lifts consume the most electricity when in motion, he explained that by not using the lift, he is helping to reduce the use of electricity while getting some exercise at the same time.

“Climbing the stairs reduces electricity use, is very easy to do, makes an impact and the bonus is, you get a healthier you,” he quipped.

He also tries to conserve resources in other everyday tasks such as reusing water from the washing of vegetables.

“Such mindful practices will go a long way. We just need to get started somewhere,” he added.

Congratulations to all our eco-winners! Their ideas and actions show us how we can make the 3Rs of reduce, reduce and recycle part of our daily life. Let’s all get sustainable to create a greener future for all!

It’s time to take action against litter!

You can make a difference! In support of SG Clean Day on Sunday, 30 July 2023, you may want to gather your family, friends and neighbours to conduct litter-picking activities in your neighbourhood together.

We would also like to take this opportunity to remind all residents to bin the trash and keep the environment litter-free.

Together, let’s create a cleaner and safer Chua Chu Kang Town for all!

Power Up Your $avings

Hacks to Cut Your Water Bill

Recycle Today & Save More for Tomorrow

In this new three-parter series, we bring you tips on how to save Mother Earth (and some money) by recycling & conserving water and energy.

Use less resources now to leave more for future generations!

Take Part in Our Latest Eco-Contest

Snap a photo and share with us how you save money & the environment through recycling or by conserving water or energy.

The most clever, useful or creative ways win a prize!

3 prizes are up for grabs.

1. First prize is a HP Envy 6020 All-printer
2. Second prize is a HP Deskjet 2722e printer
3. Consolation prize is a HP Pavilion Wayfarer Backpack

Send your photo to corpcomms@ccktc.org.sg with your full name, address, mobile number and email.

Accompany your photo entry with a line or more (no word limit!) to tell us how you saved $ and the environment too.

For example, you can show us how you use your Bloobox or set up your home recycling corner or snap a picture of the water-saving nozzle on your taps. Send as many entries or photos as you wish!

Contest closes on 23 July 2023!

See Terms & Conditions here.

Power Up Your $savings

Did you know you can save $40 to $120 every year by using more energy-efficient fridges, LED lights and water heaters?

Adopt these tips to conserve energy and save $$.

The more ticks the merrier your $avings 

Aircon – Save $300 a year on your power bills with a 5-tick aircon instead of a 2-tick one.

Fridge – Switch from a 2-tick refrigerator to one with 4 ticks and save $59 a year.

Water heater – Save an additional $124 a year by remembering to turn off your storage water heater quickly after use.

Switch to a gas water heater and save an additional $190 compared to an electric water storage heater, or $110 compared to an electric instant water heater.

Clever ways to cool and $ave! 

Save $386* a year by cooling down your room using the aircon and switching to the fan after a while.

Or rely on fans to cool your home and save $441 a year! Did you know the energy used by one aircon can power 11 fans?

Use your climate vouchers 

Switch to energy-saving appliances now to shave off those bills.

Households (1-, 2- and 3-HDB roomers) can use vouchers provided under the Climate-Friendly Household Programme from NEA and PUB to buy different energy-efficient appliances. Claim and use your climate vouchers before they expire on 31 December 2023.

Get more power $aving tips from the National Environment Agency here.

*All calculations are based on electricity cost of $0.299 per kWh of electricity.

Hacks to Cut Your Water Bill

Water is one of Singapore’s most precious resources, so we need to make every drop count.

In this second of our three-part series, we share some hacks to save water and cut the water bill.

Did you know that if you can reduce your water usage from the average of 140 litres per person per day to 130 litres per person* per day, you could shave at least 7% off your water bill?

Simply remember W-A-T-E-R !

*PUB’s Make Every Drop Count  

W is for washing clothes on a full load

About 15% of our daily water usage in a household is used for washing clothes. So why not start the washer only when you have a full load?

You can save up to 40 litres of water every day, or 288 litres of water every week.

Using a more water-efficient washing machine can gain further savings. A washer that is rated four ticks can save up to 27 litres of water per wash, compared to a three-tick washer.

So, look out for those ticks to save, when you buy a washing machine.

A is for always using half flush where possible

Did you know that flushing the toilet bowl accounts for 17% of our daily water consumption?

Using a half-flush instead of a full flush each time saves you 1.5 litres of water per flush.

T is for turning off the shower when soaping

Showering is the biggest water guzzler in our homes, sucking up almost a third of the water used daily.

By just turning off the shower when soaping, you can save up to 27 litres of water each day.

You can double your savings by getting a water-efficient shower head which reduces water flow without sacrificing performance.

If you haven’t done so, request for your free PUB water-saving kit here. The kit consists of a set of thimbles that help to regulate flow rates from your taps and showerheads.

Also, make sure you fix leaks whenever you spot them because just losing a drop of water a second can amount to 4 litres of water wasted every day.

E is for ensuring the tap is off when brushing teeth

Did you know the bathroom tap that we use for handwashing and brushing teeth guzzles up to 12% of the water used every day?

Just keeping the tap off when you are brushing your teeth will save you up to 23 litres of water every day. That can fill up 153 mugs for rinsing your mouth.

R is for rinsing vegetables in a container

Extending these habits to the kitchen, which accounts for 16% of our daily water usage, will save you another 33 litres of water every day. Simply use a container to rinse fruits and vegetables instead of washing them under running water.

If you have plants at home, you can also reuse the water used for washing and rinsing rice, fruits and vegetables to water your plants.

And by washing dishes in a filled sink instead of letting the tap run, you save a further 28 litres! This translates into 15.5 kettles of water.  

Every little drop counts. By taking the above small steps, you not only save precious water but save big on water bills too!  

Sources:

https://www.pub.gov.sg/watersupply/singaporewaterstory

https://makeeverydropcount.pub.gov.sg/water-saving-tips/

https://www.pub.gov.sg/savewater/athome

Recycle Today & Save More for Tomorrow

Have you collected your Bloobox, the free home recycling bin, given by the National Environment Agency (NEA)?

Recycling begins at home. It doesn’t take much to embark on a greener lifestyle.

Did you know that recycling helps to reduce prices of raw materials for manufacturing, which in turn helps keep prices low for consumers?

For example, making soft drink cans using recycling aluminium saves 95% more energy compared to making them from virgin metal ore.

Simply set up your own home recycling corner with the free NEA-issued Bloobox & you are on your way to helping Singapore achieve our national target of 70% overall recycling rate by 2030!

Choose a convenient location in your home for your Bloobox. For most people, that sweet spot tends to be next to the trash bin (see above).

The Bloobox can hold up to about 5kg of recyclables. Once it is full, place the items collected into the blue recycling bin downstairs or toss them into the recycling chute in your estate.

Here are 5 green tips on how to maximise the Bloobox:

1. Your Bloobox does not need to be “fed”. Food or food-stained wrappers/containers are a strict no-no.
2. Instead, feed Bloobox paper, plastic, glass and metal. Just make sure you rinse & dry them before tossing them in.
3. Separate your e-waste. Those need to be placed into the standalone e-waste bin in your estate.
4. Always flatten cardboard boxes so you can fit more items into your bin.
5. Bloobox can be washed & reused. When it cannot be used anymore, simply fold it up & drop it off into the blue recycling bin.

See here for more tips on what can and cannot be recycled.

Follow these tips and you won’t go wrong!

Conveniently located near letterboxes, these new recycling bins make it easy for you to get rid of junk mail neatly while being green at the same time.

70 such bins are now deployed at HDB blocks in CCK Town.

Brainchild of Keat Hong resident

Keat Hong resident Sutarsan (left) taking Mr Zhulkarnain through how he came up with such an idea for a flyer recycling bin.

This initiative is Keat Hong resident Mr Sutarsan’s green idea. Tired of the daily mess and eyesore of unwanted ads littering the floor, he came up with the suggestion of having a dedicated bin next to letterboxes for residents to dispose of junk mail which could then be recycled.

This not only helps to keep his block litter-free but also educates neighbours about recycling.

With this idea in mind, he approached CCK Town Council and his estate’s Residents’ Network. His flyer recycling bin idea was then piloted in 2 blocks in Keat Hong — with great success. 

Green resident initiative supports eco-town 

Subsequently, the Town Council rolled out the flyer recycling bins to other parts of the town as part of its eco-town drive.

The bins were launched by MPs Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahman (Keat Hong) and Don Wee (Brickland) at Block 483B, Choa Chu Kang Avenue 5 on 12 March 2023 (see picture below). Kids from PCK Sparkletots and Greenery Childcare Centre joined in the fun by decorating the bins with stickers printed with compliments by HP and labels contributed by Avery Dennison.

Keat Hong MP, Mr Zhulkarnain, said he was very proud of how this resident-led initiative has grown and that many more residents are now benefitting from this simple, yet brilliant idea.

Mr Wee, who is also CCK Town’s Sustainability Champion, said: “The 3Rs’ of reuse, reduce and recycle form key thrusts of Singapore’s zero waste and recycling efforts.

“This successful effort shows that residents can make a sustainable difference with their ideas for our green town!”

Green Spots for Great R&R

Nature Therapy in Your Backyard

Step Up with Nature!

Blessed with abundant scenery, CCK Town has some of the country’s best parks. Head out for some relaxing nature therapy to breathe in the fresh air and bask in the greenery.

In this 3-parter series, we will explore some of the fun trails you can enjoy in our beautiful green town.

Green Spots for Great R&R

Nature helps us bond better with one another and the world at large. Research has shown that residents who live in estates with more greenery around them spend more time socialising with one another and enjoy a better quality of life.

So, in this finale of our 3-parter series on how to benefit from the lush greenery in CCK Town, we take you to green spots where you can spend quality time relaxing and bonding with your loved ones.

Check these out for some much-needed R&R (rest & relaxation)!

Community gardens

Community gardens are great places to get some Vitamin D in the sunshine, pick up a new hobby and get to know your neighbours.

Even for those without green thumbs, just bring along your favourite drink and a ‘kaki’ (meaning friend in Malay) or two, and have a good time nurturing your friendship amid blossoming plants.

Explore the rooftop community garden in West Ridges at Block 440, Bukit Batok West Avenue 8 (above) or admire the colourful edible fruits and vegetables (see below) growing at Block 489, Choa Chu Kang Avenue 5 in Sunshine Gardens.

BBQ in the great outdoors

Enjoy a meal with great company among lush greenery.

With no more pandemic restrictions, it’s time to bring back those barbeque parties with your clan.

Grill your favourite meats and more at this BBQ pit at Teck Whye Garden (above) near Block 132, Choa Chu Kang Avenue 1.

This BBQ pit at Tembusu Park, opposite Block 276, Choa Chu Kang Avenue 2 is near a supermarket in case you need to top up ingredients for the grill!

Places to bond with your fur-babies

Hey, fur-parents, Bukit Gombak Park has a dog run with a gentle slope (pictured below). There, you can let your four-legged fur kids race around unleashed while you sit back to relax and catch up with fellow dog lovers.

(Photo credit: NParks)

With plentiful green spots, you can rest & relax with family & friends in CCK Town. Be sure to check them out this weekend!

Nature Therapy in Your Backyard

Sometimes, the best things in life are free!

In this 2^nd of our 3-parter series, we reveal some of the glories of Nature your neighbours have discovered in various parts of CCK Town.  

Brickland

All it takes, sometimes, to enjoy the wonders of nature is for you to just gaze out of your window! This beautiful fluffy formation (see below) called altocumulus clouds was spotted over Choa Chu Kang Grove by Keat Hong resident Jonathan Woo.

188 endangered trees were planted here 3 years ago as part of the One Million Trees movement. The trees included pometia pinnata (nickname island lychee) and sandoricum koetjape which bears ball-shaped yellow or brownish fruits that resemble the langsat and mangosteen.

Research has shown that spending time in nature or even looking at nature can help to improve one’s emotional and physical well-being. It can reduce blood pressure, muscle tension and production of stress hormones.

Bukit Gombak

Little Guilin in Bukit Batok Town Park is a popular relaxing and photo spot for residents.

Linger for a while longer and you may spot a red dragonfly taking a breather on a terrapin’s back like Hong Kah North resident Foong Thai Kwong did.

Chua Chu Kang

Keeping your eyes peeled when taking a stroll in Choa Chu Kang Park may bring surprises. Hong Kah North resident Janet Tan found this little critter (below) carrying a leaf.

Keat Hong

Birds, crocodiles, mudskippers and other animals are regular sightings at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.

However, if you are as lucky as Bukit Gombak resident Myron Tay, maybe, you can spot an otter (or two) catching forty winks (pictured below).

Hong Kah North

These amazing glow-in-the-dark mushrooms (pictured below) had been spotted by photography enthusiasts in Bukit Batok Hillside Park.

CCK resident Bryan Goh braved the dark one day to capture these beauties.

Nature’s best trails

Did you know by participating in the National Steps Challenge, you can earn rewards such as shopping vouchers while staying fit?

To stay active and healthy, everyone is encouraged to clock at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity and 5,000 steps daily under the revised Singapore Physical Activity Guidelines.

Why not hit some of these trails below to clock your steps (and earn your rewards) while enjoying our beautiful parks?

Keat Hong: Kranji Marshes

Panorama of Kranji Marshes and Kranji Reservoir from Raptor Tower. Photo by Yong Kuo Hoong

Raptor Tower (Photo credit: NParks)

Get a workout by heading out along New Tiew Woods to look for woodpeckers and monitor lizards or ascend Raptor Tower for a panoramic view of Kranji Marshes and Kranji Reservoir.

Hong Kah North: Park near Block 461C, Bukit Batok West Avenue 6

Ease yourself into the National Steps Challenge with a stroll around this flat park. Photo by CCKTC.

For those who need to ease themselves into a more active lifestyle, take a stroll around this small park near Block 461C at Bukit Batok West Avenue 6.  

Choa Chu Kang estate: Choa Chu Kang Park

Check out the forested areas around the playground. Photo by Guo Shun.

Take a stroll in the forested area bordering Choa Chu Kang Park and find yourself among the remnants of the old fruit tree plantations. Go bird-spotting and see if you can locate the small stream in the park.

Brickland: Keat Hong Garden

Take a brisk walk around Keat Hong Garden. Photo by CCKTC.

A brisk walk around Keat Hong Garden will net you 1,500 steps. An easy and relaxing path with no elevation which is perfect for residents just embarking on their National Steps Challenge for the first time.

Bukit Gombak: Bukit Gombak Park

Enjoy nature in Bukit Gombak Park. Photo by Lee Ting Leow

Enjoy a panoramic view of the surrounding forest and greenery by going on a 400m-looped hill trek in the park. Swing by the butterfly garden and see how many species of butterflies (and their young) you can spot.

Photo by Baskarasethupathy Swaminathan

It’s our collective responsibility to keep the public spaces clean!

There is a role for everyone to play! In support of SG Clean Day on Sunday, 12 February 2023, you may want to gather your family, friends and neighbours to conduct litter-picking activities in your neighbourhood together.

We would also like to take this opportunity to remind all residents to bin the trash and keep the environment litter-free.

Together, let’s create a cleaner and safer Chua Chu Kang Town for all!

In recent years, more residents have become aware of the beauty of our CCK Town through the CCK Town Council’s annual calendar, which feature beautiful photographs taken by fellow residents.

We speak to our top 3 winners about what inspired them.

A challenge to make things different

First prize winner Bryan Goh has captured alluring Little Guilin at sunrise more than 10 times and the CCK estate resident was surprised but gratified to have won this year.

Bryan’s winning shot of Little Guilin at sunrise.

Bryan (right) receiving his prize from Mr Gan Kim Yong, MP for CCK estate and Trade & Industry Minister.

He said: “Living near Bukit Batok Town Park, I love heading there to capture the picturesque Little Guilin over and over again.

“I never get bored because as a photographer, I enjoy the challenge of finding a way to make my photographs of the same place look different. By shooting from different angles or at different times of the day, I’ll get a variety of photos which do not look the same. “

Bryan added it is probably common for photographers to return to the same location. “It is a “necessary dedication” to get a better shot.”

He said he is lucky his job as a real estate agent offers him the freedom to indulge in his hobby. On mornings when he does not have to start work early, and if the weather promises to be good, he would be up at the crack of dawn to traipse to some picturesque spot to shoot.

Always bring your camera!

Photography, for second-prize winner Yong Kuo Hoong, is a reminder that life is unpredictable.

The Hong Kah North resident said he visited Kranji Marshes at least four times, and he’s never managed to encounter the same lighting conditions as on his first visit (pictured below).

Sadly, all he had with him then was his mobile phone. He said: “The view was breath-taking and refreshing. It was something I had never seen before. The sun was bright, and the sky was blue.”

But the weather thwarted him on his subsequent visits, though he felt he couldn’t just blame Mother Nature. As a photographer, he needed to find ways around it.

At last, on his final visit, he managed to capture his winning shot with a gentle sunrise.

“Was I satisfied? Yes. But I felt that the weather could have been better. From then on, my motto was: Always bring a camera with you!” said the teacher with a laugh.

Hong Kah North MP Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan presenting Kuo Hoong his prize.

For residents, by residents

Even though a photo of Eagle Point at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve had won the top prize in the 2022 CCK Town Council calendar, Hong Kah North resident See Chin Foo was determined to capture the picturesque spot through his lens.

The beauty of photography, said the IT sales manager, is that “no two photos are the same”.

Every photographer has his angle or technique.

Many people have been to Eagle Point, but few would have seen the place in the way he had captured it.

Chin Foo receiving his prize from Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan, MP for Hong Kah North and Senior Minister of State for Transport and Sustainability & the Environment

The long exposure he used for his photo (above) revealed a magical landscape where the water and clouds appeared milky and blurry, as if in a painting.

He said winning the third prize and having his photograph seen in every home in CCK Town was a great way of getting his effort recognised.

Besides participating in competitions, he also shares his photographs on his Facebook page.

He said the annual calendar is a particularly lovely initiative by the Town Council because it is a project by residents, for the benefit of fellow residents.

“I have had neighbours tell me that they look forward to receiving the calendar every year because they never realised that CCK Town can have such beautiful scenery. And it is extra nice that these photos are taken not by outsiders but by residents who live in the town,” he said.

With Chinese New Year just around the corner, this is the time when many Chinese families embark on their spring cleaning.

As you get rid of the old and welcome the new, here are some tips to help you declutter while doing your bit for Mother Earth.

Keep — only if the item is in use

Rule number 1: Items are worth keeping only if you use them regularly.

Anything you have not used or touched for the past 2 years, it makes good sense to clear them away.

That doesn’t mean they are destined for the rubbish chute which will contribute to the landfill!

For things that are still in perfectly good condition, consider the next two steps.

Give or donate items in good condition

Items such as old bedding, toys or clothes that are still in good, useable condition can be donated or given away on Carousell or to established charities such as The Salvation Army.

Newcomers like Green Square or Cloop take in old textiles and even old shoes and bags as part of their bid to help consumers move towards a zero-waste lifestyle.

There are also many Facebook groups such as 1^st Dibs Zero Waste Community or Singapore Neighbourhood Freecycle 2 where participants give away items.

You can even donate used clothing at fast fashion retailers. H&M, for instance, collects clothes from any brand in any condition under its Garment Collecting Programme.

Recycle items & give them a second life

As you spring clean, do your bit for Mother Earth by recycling paper, plastics, metals, or glass products. Items made from these 4 materials can all be conveniently disposed into the blue recycling bins near your block.

#RecycleRight by taking these 3 steps: Check, clean & recycle.

Check the blue bin’s label to confirm your items are suitable for recycling- here’s a list of what is recyclable or not.

Do not toss toys, clothes, e-waste or bulky furniture into these bins.

Clean your toiletries/detergent bottles, jam jars and other food containers before recycling. Dumping wet, greasy or food-contaminated items may dirty other items in the bin and render them un-recyclable.

Recycle by dropping them into the blue bin.

Throw away if items are broken or cannot be recycled or given away

Finally, for items that cannot be salvaged, off they go into the bin.

To dispose bulky items, you should contact the Town Council at 6559 0388 to book a time and date at least 3 days in advance. This free service is provided by the CCK Town Council and each HDB household can request for removal of up to 3 items per month.

With the upcoming festive period, the Town Council will be providing an additional service to assist residents in their spring-cleaning efforts. From 1 January to 31 January 2023, residents will also have the option to leave their bulky items at designated areas at their void decks for removal. This service excludes renovation debris and large furniture or items such as 3-door wardrobes, 4-feet cabinets, pianos, safes or other extra-large items.

There you have it, 4 simple steps to a more sustainable and eco CNY!  Have a happy and earth-friendly  Lunar New Year!

CCK Town has many beautiful gems  — your 2023 CCK Town Calendar shows just some of the many spots that captured the interest of our resident shutterbugs. 

This is where magical glow-in-the-dark mushrooms grow, and cute otters catch forty winks. There is also a hill where stars appear to ‘rain’ from the heavens.

To kick off 2023, share with us your most interesting sight in CCK Town and you may just win an HP Envy 6020 printer worth $108 if your suggestion makes a story.

Our last Spot & Share winner Franky Chong introduced everyone to a silk cotton tree he discovered growing in front of Block 488C Choa Chu Kang Avenue 5.

Email your find to corpcomms@ccktc.org.sg and provide as much details as possible, including your contact information.

Spot and share this new year! 

CCK estate Bryan Goh found these magical glow-in-the-dark fungi in Bukit Batok Hillside Park.

Bukit Gombak resident Myron Tay caught this otter catching forty winks at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.

Brickland resident Kang Qiang’s patience  was rewarded with this star trail photo at Goodview Gardens.

The beauty and allure of our endearing and enduring CCK Town was once again captured most magnificently by our resident shutterbugs.

Check out the 12 winning photos featured in CCK Town’s 2023 Calendar! Look out for your copy of the calendar coming your way!

Admire the stunning vistas captured by our 12 residents.

Our top 3 winners are:

CCK estate resident Bryan Goh, who clinched the top place with his fascinating shot of Little Guilin (pictured below). His prizes worth over $700 include an HP Deskjet 6020, a Fitbit Luxe Fitness Tracker, a 1-year Microsoft 365 family licence, and $300 worth of FairPrice vouchers.

Second prize was awarded to Hong Kah North resident Yong Kuo Hoong, whose dreamy depiction of Kranji Marshes (shown below) won him close to $500 worth of prizes comprising an HP Deskjet 4120E, a Fitbit Inspire 2, a 1-year Microsoft 365 family licence, and $200 worth of FairPrice vouchers.

This is third time lucky for Kuo Hoong, who snagged the top prize in the photo contests for the 2021 and 2022 Calendars.

For his photo of serene Eagle Point in Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve (shown below), Hong Kah North resident See Chin Foo was awarded the third prize worth over $300. He won an HP Deskjet 2722, a Fitbit Aria Air Smart Scale, a 1-year Microsoft 365 family licence, and $100 worth of FairPrice vouchers.

The other 9 winners (not shown in any order below) win a $50 FairPrice voucher each.

Sungei Buloh is a favoured subject for Keat Hong resident Jonathan Inal too.

Hong Kah North resident Foong Thai Kwong took this charming photo of a red dragonfly resting on a terrapin in Little Guilin.

Children enjoying the new playgrounds at The Arena @ Keat Hong caught the winning lens of Bukit Gombak resident Gina Ng Zhi Ting.

Bukit Gombak resident Aaron Ngiam offers an evening glimpse of the HomeTeamNS Bukit Batok.

CCK estate resident CT Lin showed off the vibrancy of Teck Whye estate.

This charming parent-child pair enjoying a jog along Choa Chu Kang Avenue 4 was captured by Keat Hong resident Keith Tan.

Goodview Gardens looks so pastoral when captured by Brickland resident Kang Qiang.

Keat Hong resident Sreeraj C took viewers to rustic Sungei Tengah.

CCK estate resident Tan Wen Jin gave everyone this high-rise view over Brickland.

What is this pair of old MRT seats (pictured above) doing in the void deck of Block 252, Choa Chu Kang Avenue 2? It is your chance to take a ride on the train of sustainability!

These are the first community seats upcycled from retired MRT trains installed in Brickland estate this November. In the coming months, residents can look forward to another 17 sets of these seats to gradually make their journey across CCK Town and into your void deck.

(From left to right) Lim Yi En Eaden, Alisha Zafrah, Muhammad Salim and Klaudia Chong excitedly showing off the new community seat.

Together with 80 excited preschoolers from PCF Sparkletots Preschool @Brickland 807C, Brickland MP Don Wee unveiled the first pair of upcycled MRT seats as part of CCK Town’s sustainability efforts (pictured above).

The children were all geared up to “ride the train” and learn more about upcycling. They found out that old MRT train parts such as the passenger seats and metal handrails are not easily recyclable and would have to be thrown away.

Hence, the Action for Green Towns collaboration between SMRT and 15 PAP Town Councils has gotten together to “rescue” some 14,400kg of reinforced plastics, metals and other hard-to-recycle materials from Singapore’s only landfill, Pulau Semakau, which is expected to be full by 2035.

The entire project is expected to upcycle at least 1,500 MRT seats into community seats at void decks as well as other communal areas. Another 1,400 handrails will be repurposed as safety handrails for less mobile residents.

About 900 intercom panels and LED light covers found in trains will also be transformed into plant holders for use in community green gardens.

Are you ready to give the new community seats the thumbs-up like Muhammad Salim, Klaudia Chong and MP Don Wee (pictured below)?

Snap and share a shot of yourself on our “sustainability train” to show your support for a greener CCK Town. 

Make your action count!

#Action4GreenTowns #Sustainability

It’s our collective responsibility to keep the public spaces clean!

Everybody can do their part! In support of SG Clean Day on Sunday, 30 October 2022, you may want to gather in groups to show your commitment by cleaning up your community together.

We would also like to take this opportunity to remind all residents to bin the trash and keep the environment litter-free.

Together, let’s create a cleaner and safer Chua Chu Kang Town for all!

Snap & Win: CCK Town 2023 Calendar Photo Contest

Submit your entries here or email corpcomms@ccktc.org.sg 

The third run of CCK Town’s annual calendar photo contest is now open!

Submit your entries by 16 October 2022 and stand a chance to win attractive prizes and have your photo showcased in CCK Town’s 2023 Calendar.

This year, we are looking for pictures that embody the “3Ps” of CCK Town: Passion, Places and Panorama.

Passion: Show how and what residents love about our Town – be it their favourite spots or activities residents engage in.

Resident Latifah Hasan (centre, in red) enjoys dancing and hanging out at Keat Hong Community Club with her ‘kakis’.

Places: Share the beautiful nooks and crannies in our Town.

Have you visited Bukit Batok Hillside Park and its beautiful Japanese-style Torii gates featured in Grace Zheng’s winning shot last year?

Panorama: Wow viewers with those stunning vistas you captured of our Town.

Show off awesome & picturesque scenes of CCK Town as Lukman Chow did with his entry last year.

The top 3 prizes are:

• 1^stprize (worth over $700): HP Deskjet 6020, Fitbit Luxe Fitness Tracker, 1-year Microsoft 365 family license and $300 worth of FairPrice vouchers
• 2^ndprize (worth almost $500): HP Deskjet 4120E, Fitbit Inspire 2, 1-year Microsoft 365 family license and $200 worth of FairPrice vouchers
• 3^rdprize (worth over $300): HP Deskjet 2722, Fitibit Aria Air Smart Scale, 1-year Microsoft 365 family license and $100 worth of FairPrice vouchers
• 4^th to 12^th prize winners will each receive $50 FairPrice vouchers

Submit your entry here or email corpcomms@ccktc.org.sg

Closing date: 16 October 2359 hours

Winners will be revealed in December 2022.

Stay tuned for photography tips from the top 3 winners of last year’s photo competition. Learn how you can submit the best shot to up your winning chances!

See Terms & Conditions here.

The race is on for shutterbugs across CCK Town to win a coveted spot in CCK Town’s 2023 Calendar. (Join the photo contest here or email corpcomms@ccktc.org.sg) 

We spoke to the top 3 winners of the 2022 Calendar Photo Contest to bring you their winning tips and the inspiration behind their beautiful photos.

Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

The key to getting a good shot is patience, said Hong Kah North resident Yong Kuo Hoong, whose photo of the sunrise at Sungei Buloh’s Eagle Point (below) clinched the top prize in the 2022 Calendar photo contest.

Kuo Hong, a geography teacher, also won the top prize in the 2021 Calendar Photo Contest with his photo of sunrise at Kranji Dam (see below). 

“I love taking photographs and since the theme of the last contest was nature — my favourite subject — I decided to just give it a try again,” said the two-time winner, who got hooked on photography at university.

Though he was unable to travel overseas in the past two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, he said the time spent exploring the hidden nooks and crannies of our sunny isle has “opened [his] eyes to the beauty that can be found within Singapore’s shores”.

Kuo Hoong said CCK Town Council’s contest was a really good idea because it showed the public that natural beauty does exist in urban Singapore — if one knows just where to look.

For his winning shot, he captured Sungei Buloh’s Eagle Point at sunrise as it allowed him to show off his forte, sunrise photography, and to challenge himself shooting in a new location.

He checked out the photos that had been taken of Sungei Buloh Eagle Point and researched online for the best available vantage points.

Patience, he said, is critical to getting a good shot. He visited Eagle’s Point at least twice to maximise his chances. He explained: “You may not get the shot you want immediately. The weather may be too cloudy but if you wait a while, the light may change, and you will be amply rewarded.”

Be adventurous

For real estate agent Bryan Goh, the pandemic provided him with an opportunity to take photos in unusual settings.

In the past, the CCK estate resident would head to the Central Business District to enjoy the annual New Year’s Day fireworks. When the venue of the fireworks was changed to the heartlands in 2021 due to the pandemic, he was game to try something different.

“The heartlands fireworks may not be as grand, but it is a nice change of scenery; you get a photo that’s not the run of the mill,” he said. His tip: Keep trying different things.

His picture of the fireworks cascading over CCK Town won him the most likes in CCK Town Council’s First View from Your Window Instagram contest earlier this year.

His photo of sunrise at Kranji Reservoir (pictured below) won him the second prize in the 2022 Calendar Photo Contest.

Bryan had also participated in the Town Council’s 2021 Calendar Photo Contest with this scene of youths playing basketball (pictured below).

All You Need is a Little Planning

Retired polytechnic lecturer Clement Lee is a familiar face in Hillview as the volunteer photographer is often on the ground to capture community events — free of charge.

The Bukit Gombak resident first picked up a camera during his junior college days. He said: “Back then, it was an expensive hobby because you had to pay to develop every single shot that you took on film.”

However, he said the advent of digital photography has made the hobby accessible to many more people as one can snap as many photos as one likes and just choose the best to print.

Since his retirement a few years ago, he started spending more time honing his craft and going on overseas shooting trips with his photo buddies. Since the pandemic, he has been exploring the island in search of nice spots and has shot countless sunrises and sunsets.

His favourite haunts to shoot in CCK Town are Little Guilin and Bukit Batok Nature Park, which are near his home.  These two locations are featured in his entries for the 2021 and 2022 Calendar Photo Contests.

Little Guilin is featured in Clement’s entry for the 2021 Calendar Photo Contest.

His winning entry for 2022 cast the spotlight on a group of residents stretching in front of Bukit Gombak Sports Complex. He said: “Sunrises and sunsets are very common, so I wanted to inject a human element to show people at their early morning exercise.”

Planning, he added, is needed for good photos. For example, he had to wake up at 6am to be there at 6.30am to catch the people in action with the sunrise.

Inspired by Clement, Bryan and Kuo Hoong? Put these tips into action and up your chances of  getting your best shot into the 2023 calendar!

Join the photo contest here or email corpcomms@ccktc.org.sg

With Mid-Autumn Festival round the corner, retailers are coming up with ever more extravagant packaging to entice consumers to purchase their mooncakes.

While these boxes make for pretty gifts, the elaborate packaging generate more waste which is harmful for the environment.

This problem of excessive packaging that cannot be recycled is not confined to Mid-Autumn Festival. On various occasions where gifts are exchanged, whether it is Valentine’s Day or Christmas, packaging waste will be generated.

The more elaborate the packaging, the less likely it can be recycled. The glossy laminate and the decorative ribbons, metal studs or tassels all make recycling impossible. All that has only one place to go: straight into the incinerator.

In fact, packaging waste contributes to a third of the 1.8 million tonnes of domestic waste generated last year, according to statistics from the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment!

Repurpose or re-use where possible

Although you cannot recycle mooncake boxes or fancy packaging, with some creativity, you can repurpose them for other uses.

They can double up as serving trays or for keeping small items, from jewellery to sewing kits to stationery.

Or, turn them into pretty lanterns! Some can even be reused as bags.

Pretty mooncake boxes getting a second lease of life as containers to store treats and organise small items.

The right way to recycle

You can do your bit for the nation’s greening effort — for the past two years, only about 13% of Singapore’s domestic waste gets recycled. 

Learn what can go into the blue recycling bins and what gets recycled.

For example, consumers may conveniently deposit paper, plastics, glass and metals into the blue bin, assuming they will all be recycled. But many are not aware that only certain types of paper, plastics, glass and metals can be recycled. According to data given by the National Environment Agency, up to 40% of contents found in recycling bins cannot be recycled currently due to contamination from other non-recyclable products, including food and liquid waste. By identifying and placing only recyclable items into the recycling bins, consumers can do their bit to make sure everyone’s recycling efforts are not in vain.

Check against these charts from the National Environment Agency before you head for the Bloobin!

Paper

Plastics

Glass

Metal

HDB rooftops have become cool and green spaces. Besides solar panels, community gardens have also sprouted up there too.

Residents of Sunshine Gardens will, no doubt, be familiar with the flourishing community garden (pictured above) that has taken over the rooftop of the multi-storey carpark at Block 489 Choa Chua Kang Avenue 5 in the last few years.

This plot is lovingly tended by eight residents who generously share the fruits of their labour with everyone in the neighbourhood. They take turns to look after the garden – some attend to the garden daily, while others do so once or twice a week.

One of the lead gardeners, 64-year-old Uncle Tey Ka Leong (pictured above harvesting a watermelon), a resident of Sunshine Gardens, said in Mandarin: “We like to experiment and grow all kinds of edibles. As long as we have the seeds, we will try cultivating them.”

Every few weeks, bushels of fresh produce, ranging from kailan, cabbage and spinach, would be brought to the nearby Residents’ Committee (RC) room to be distributed to residents.

Papayas, okras, Chinese radish and pomegranates are some of the delightful myriads of edible fruits and vegetables cultivated by the hardworking community gardeners.

Gardening as exercise

Uncle Tey started gardening as a way of getting fit. When he first moved into Sunshine Gardens seven years ago, his health wasn’t good.

Gardening would let him do something useful: grow something edible while getting the much-needed exercise recommended by his doctors.

He cleared a patch in front of his block for his first garden. His first crops were chilli, banana and sweet potato leaves.

As he knew nothing about gardening, he turned to YouTube. He said whatever he picked up on gardening came from those free online tutorials.

A Town Council staff who noticed Uncle Tey’s talent/ green thumbs encouraged him to pursue his gardening passion by balloting for a community gardening plot as part of the Community Improvement Projects for his estate.

Guava tree laden with fruit in the garden.

Challenges of growing edibles

Mr and Mrs Ye are among the volunteers seen daily pottering in the garden.

Uncle Tey takes turns tending the garden with four residents who come almost daily, while the remaining volunteers come once a week or every fortnight.

Laksa leaves, chilli and pandan leaves – the must-have Asian cooking ingredients that can be found in the rooftop garden.

These days, the challenging hot weather has made their efforts doubly hard. Last year, they could harvest about four to five baskets full of leafy green produce in three to four weeks. This year, they can barely fill a basket per harvest.

Yet another challenge they face is the presence of unwanted visitors who can’t resist helping themselves to the garden produce, and inadvertently kill the plants in the process. Uncle Tey said he hopes fellow residents can leave the harvesting to him and his fellow gardeners, as all the produce is shared with the community.

Gardening tips for good harvests

Pumpkin, xiao bai cai and white brinjal flourish in the lush garden.

The secret to Sunshine Gardens’ bountiful harvests: Daily and frequent monitoring of the plants’ health. According to Uncle Tey, one of their most important duties as resident gardeners is to check for pests as well as whether the plants have sufficient water.

He said that edible plants need frequent watering, especially given the recent intermittent hot and dry spells.

The resident gardeners water the plants twice a day. Uncle Tey said: “The trick is to ensure that the soil is sufficiently moist, but not wet, and not parched and cracking.”

Uncle Tey has to take extra care to water the plants nowadays, due to the hot weather.

They also make sure the right kinds of fertiliser are used. For example, dried chicken manure is good for leafy greens.

The passionate gardeners also keep a vigilant eye out for pests. For example, if slugs are found, they will clear the affected patch immediately. They then leave it to fallow for the next two weeks to allow the sun’s heat to kill any remaining pests (or their eggs).

Growing an edible garden is hard work, said Uncle Tey; they require much more effort than ornamental plants! But the reward of seeing their farm-to-table produce is well worth it!

*Residents who are keen on gardening can form a gardening interest group with their Residents Network and apply to ballot for a community garden plot through the People’s Association or NParks allotment gardens.

As one of Singapore’s three eco-towns, Chua Chu Kang Town has been spearheading and implementing actionable initiatives in our estates. We recently held the inaugural HaCCKathon with our residents, grassroots leaders and green advocates to co-develop plans to further green our environment.

Our Sustainability Champion, Mr Don Wee shared that as part of the commitment to create sustainable homes in Singapore, all 15 PAP Town Councils will upcycle decommissioned parts from MRT trains to enhance residents’ living environments while reducing waste to landfill.

From 2022 to 2025, the 15 Town Councils will upcycle at least 1500 seats, 600 intercom covers, 300 LED light covers and 1400 handrails from trains. This upcycling initiative will reduce about 14,400kg of waste from being disposed into the landfill, and allow Town Councils to save over $275,000 in amenities costs to deliver better value for residents.

Based on suggestions from residents, the MRT parts will become seats in community areas to rest and connect, plant holders in community green spaces, hand rails for accessibility and safety for less mobile residents, and other amenities. Residents will be able to see these interesting MRT parts in Chua Chu Kang Town soon!

Together, let’s play an active role in creating a better and more sustainable home in Chua Chu Kang Town! Share your eco-sustainable ideas and suggestions at corpcomms@ccktc.org.sg.

It’s our collective responsibility to keep the public spaces clean!

In support of SG Clean Day on Sunday, 31 July 2022, we encourage all residents to help clean up your neighbourhood. You may want to gather your family, friends and neighbours to conduct litter-picking activities in your community together.

We would also like to take this opportunity to remind all residents to bin the trash and keep the environment litter-free.

Together, let’s create a cleaner and safer Chua Chu Kang Town for all!  

Wondering how you can reduce your energy consumption (and the shock to your wallet) without too drastic a change to your current lifestyle? Here are some hacks!

Unplug It

Don’t let idle appliances suck power (and money) while doing nothing.

Leaving the TV, microwave or laptop charger on standby mode means allowing them to siphon power even when they are not actively in use.

Leaving a 200W desktop computer switched on overnight (8 hours) daily will cost at least $152  more a year.

Standby power can account for up to 10% of your home energy use. So turn off or unplug appliances when not in use.

Time it

Let the timers that come with your home appliances do your work for you.

For example, you can save about $26* a year by simply programming your air-conditioner to turn off half an hour earlier than usual. The room will remain cool and you save some money to boot.

To reap greater savings, time the aircon to run for an hour and subsequently switch to a fan to cool the room and reduce your power bill by $331* a year.

Turn on appliances like water heaters only when you need to use them. Did you know that leaving a storage water heater switched on for the whole day could cost an additional $107 *? Instead, you should turn it on for only 10 to 30 minutes before use.

Cover It  

Ensure you cover all liquids and food before storing them in the fridge.

Uncovered items = more moisture released = compressor working doubly hard to keep the fridge cool = higher power bill

Take note also that the warmer your room is, the harder your aircon has to work to cool it down. To minimise the sun’s heat, keep the curtains or blinds closed. Or use solar-blocking window film to reduce the sun rays.

Try these hacks now. Adopting these habits takes minimal effort and fattens your savings!

*based on June 2022 electricity tariff of 26 cents per kWh of electricity

Earmarked by the Government as one of three eco-towns, CCK Town is gearing up for a greener future.

Residents are involved in multiple initiatives for sustainable living as the Town ups its ante with more efficient use of energy and zero waste efforts. CCK Town is also home to green icons such as the Tengeh Floating Solar Farm and Singapore’s largest freshwater marshland, Kranji Marshes.   

Just how green are you? Have you tried our latest Green Trivia Challenge put up on the digital display panels at the lift lobbies?

Check out the answers below:

Q1: One of the world’s largest inland floating solar farms is located at ____ Reservoir in CCK Town. It is the size of ___ football fields.

Answer: The size of 45 football fields, the floating solar farm at Tengeh Reservoir is one of the world’s largest inland floating solar farms. The 60 megawatt-peak farm contains 122,000 solar panels, which are durable enough to last 25 years. It can power about 16,000 four-room flats and reduce carbon emissions by about 32 kilotonnes annually, which translates to taking 7,000 cars off the road.

Q2: Solar panels have been installed on the rooftops of more than ___ HDB blocks in CCK Town.

Answer: So far, more than 200 HDB blocks in CCK Town have been outfitted with solar panels on the roof top.

Q3: Kranji Marshes in ___ estate is home to more than 170 species of birds, 54 types of butterflies and 33 kinds of dragonflies.

Answer: Kranji Marshes, one of Singapore’s largest freshwater marshlands, is located in Keat Hong estate. The 56.8-hectare nature reserve is home to a wide array of flora and fauna, including more than 170 species of birds, 54 types of butterflies and 33 kinds of dragonflies. Birds that can be spotted include the Changeable Hawk Eagle, the White-bellied Sea Eagle, Purple Swamphen and Common Moorhen.

Q4: CCK estate’s community gardens produced about ___kg of vegetables last year.

Answer: Under CCK Town’s 2015–2020 Masterplan, CCK Town has introduced 37 community gardens. These plots are managed by resident gardening representatives. In CCK estate, the community gardeners produced about 80 kg of vegetables last year, which was shared with residents.

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.

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

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.

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!

Loving the beautiful photos showing off the nature and serenity of our Town in CCK Town Council’s 2022 calendar?

More than 1,400 beautiful photos were received during the call for submissions, which CCK Town Council Chairman Ms Low Yen Ling said was “greatly heartening”.

“The impressive quality of the photographs submitted, coupled with the volume of entries — which was 5 times more than last year — made the job of judging extra challenging!” said Ms Low.

Despite the daunting task of judging, she added: “It was a joy to see our residents’ love for CCK Town shine through the many entries, which presented every-day scenery in a different light and through their eyes.”

Here are the top 3 winners of the contest:

1^st Prize goes to Hong Kah North’s Yong Kuo Hoong for his photo of sunrise over Sungei Buloh’s Eagle Point, which is the feature photo for the month of June.

His prize, worth $528 and more, comprises $300 NTUC FairPrice shopping vouchers, exclusive CCK Town NETS FlashPay cards worth $80 and a one-year license for Microsoft 365 Family software worth $148. He also receives a HP printer.

Kuo Hoong also bagged the top prize with his shot of a tranquil sunrise over Kranji Dam last year.

2^nd Prize is won by Chua Chu Kang estate’s Bryan Goh with his take of a serene and mysterious Kranji Reservoir, anchoring the month of September.

Bryan’s haul is worth $408 and more, comprising $200 NTUC FairPrice shopping vouchers, exclusive CCK Town NETS FlashPay cards worth $60, and a one-year licence for Microsoft 365 Family licence worth $148. He also receives a HP printer.

3^rd Prize goes to Bukit Gombak’s Clement Lee for his shot of residents gearing up for their morning exercise at Bukit Gombak Stadium, anchoring the month of August in the calendar.

He walks away with $268 worth of prizes and more, comprising $100 worth of NTUC FairPrice shopping vouchers and exclusive CCK Town NETS FlashPay cards worth $40. He also receives a HP printer.

The remaining 9 winners each receive $50 NTUC FairPrice shopping vouchers. They are:

Chua Chu Kang estate’s Guo Shun’s photo of the playground at Choa Chu Kang Park kicks off the calendar in January. 

Bukit Gombak’s Gina Ng Zhi Ting’s shot of the Rail Corridor graces the month of February.

In March, the calendar is anchored by Bukit Gombak’s Grace Zheng Yi Jie’s photograph of Bukit Batok Hillside Park.

The month of April is framed by fluffy white clouds over the iconic trees at Goodview Gardens taken by Bukit Gombak’s Lim Chiat Cheong.

Bukit Gombak Park graces the calendar in May – photographed by friend of CCK, Ong Yi Chao, who admires the town’s natural beauty.

Graceful lalangs against Brickland’s Keat Hong Colours estate in the backdrop is Chua Chu Kang estate’s Carlo G. Palma’s contribution for July.

Bukit Gombak’s Alwin Saji’s photo of Little Guilin seemingly awash in autumnal colours aptly features in October.

Magical sunlight through the foliage in Bukit Batok Nature Park is Bukit Gombak’s Teo Lee Kiang’s contribution for November.

Bukit Gombak’s Myron Tay’s majestic shot of a bird of prey closes the year in December.

Find out more about what inspired our top 3 winners in our feature story coming up in February.

View the digital version of CCK Town Council’s 2022 calendar here.

Ready to welcome 2022? Get ready to mark your dates in the CCK Town Council’s 2022 Calendar!

A showcase of  residents’ love for CCK Town, our 2022 calendar will reveal interesting nuggets about your fellow residents’ and MPs memories and connection to the town.

Latifah Hasan who has lived in Keat Hong for over 20 years said the Keat Hong Community Club (CC) is like her second home.

“(The CC is) where my ‘Aunty Kakis’ (friends) and I would often hang out and makan (eat). From durian-tasting, bowling and dancing sessions, to National Day and countdown  to New Year celebrations and catching the World Cup live – some of my fondest memories are of the time spent with my family and friends at the CC,” she said.

Did you also know that MP Don Wee and Keat Hong resident Joon Barua and his family have something in common? What might it be?

MP Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim also has some interesting connection to our town that he will share in the calendar.

All these and more will be unveiled soon. Look out for your copy coming your way.

Stumped for ideas on how to spend the December school holidays? Why not take a refreshing green holiday right in CCK Town?

Here are some suggestions for an eco-December. 

1) Check Out all the Park Connectors in Town

Stroll, jog, roller blade, skate or cycle your way through the various Park Connectors  that run through CCK Town. Get some fresh air and exercise while reducing your carbon footprint by using an eco-friendly way to get around.

The 5.4km Choa Chu Kang Park Connector linking Choa Chu Kang Park to Bukit Batok Town Park is the longest. It has a particularly scenic 1km stretch along Brickland Road which will delight nature lovers with the sight and smell of lush greenery and bright, colourful flowering plants that bloom all year round.

Fitness enthusiasts can jog or cycle along the 2.05km Hillview Park Connector connecting Bukit Batok Nature Park to Dairy Farm Nature Reserve. Drop by the Rail Mall for a breather and some snacks and drinks before you continue further. 

Those who are more adventurous can even attempt the 150km Round Island Route. More details on the Park Connector Network can be found on the Nparks website. 

2) Learn More about Sustainability & Be an Eco-Warrior

Have you visited the revamped CCK Public Library with its indoor garden, hydroponics room and new digital learning tools?

Themed around (Re)connect with Nature, visitors can learn about urban farming and take part in various other activities. Visitors can see plants growing in the hydroponics showcase and embark on an augmented reality trail to learn about the wildlife and natural landscapes in Singapore.

Designed with sustainability in mind, the library is fitted with lower shelves to allow more natural light to enter, and many of the new fittings, such as the tiles and carpet, were made from partially recycled materials.

Participate as an individual or as a family and show off your eco-living chops in National Library Board’s Eco-Warrior Competition. 

Look out for The Great Make-Over Project CapitaLand Hope Foundation which will be seeking your ideas and solutions to reimagine and reinvent spaces for sustainable living.

3) Upcycle Household Waste into Useful Items

Upcycle your household “waste” such as glass bottles, plastic files and paper into nifty gift bags, pretty lamps and useful mask holders.

Check out these videos for  a host of useful gifts and items that you can make by reusing these items. Do it as a family and enjoy the bonding time which will not only save you some money but make you an eco-warrior too!

For waste that you cannot upcycle, why not recycle them? Don’t forget that CCK Town has 19 and more than 740 blue recycling bins conveniently spread out across the town. Plus Cash for Trash and Recycle N Save stations too!

If you have more ideas and suggestions on how CCK Town residents can spend an eco-December, do email us at corpcomms@ccktc.org.sg 

Have a green December and happy holidays!

HaCCKathon event moves CCK closer to sustainable living

(Left to Right): Mr Don Wee, Member of Parliament for Chua Chu Kang GRC (Brickland), Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, Mr Lim Kok Kiang, Principal of Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Ms Low Yen Ling, Mayor of South West District and Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim, Member of Parliament for Chua Chu Kang GRC (Keat Hong).

Imagine living in an estate where you can charge your electric car in your carpark, where food waste goes into a compost hub which is used to fertilise community rooftop gardens, which are used in turn by residents to grow fruits and vegetables for consumption.

In this estate, residents sort and recycle their waste, and solar panels are installed on rooftops to harness solar power. There is no shortage of green space and gardens which not only provide shade and venues for the young and old to exercise and play, but in some cases also help to prevent floods during heavy rain.

Sounds like a dream? It may soon become a reality for some Brickland residents.

CCK Town is looking to pilot such a virtuous eco-cycle of sustainable living at Blocks 801 to 806 at Keat Hong Close.

Collaborating with eco-partners like SembCorp, HDB and Nanyang Technological University, this eco-project will make it possible for residents to embrace eco-living in one neighbourhood.

This is just one of many green projects expected to bear fruit in CCK Town after the HaCCKathon event facilitated by Ngee Ann Polytechnic in early October, where over CCK 80 residents came together to co-develop an eco-plan to transform CCK Town into a sustainable eco-town.

CCK Town is one of Singapore’s three eco-towns announced by the Government.

At the recent event, aptly named HaCCKathon, residents were encouraged to play an active role in shaping their living environment.

Chairman of the CCK Eco Town Taskforce, Dr Amy Khor, who is also Senior Minister of State of MSE, said: “We are looking forward to each CCK Town estate implementing at least three actionable initiatives in the coming year and also projects they could implement by 2030 in line with the Singapore Green Plan 2030.

“We also hope to develop, from our experience of this envisioning exercise, or HaCCKathon, best practices that we can share with others in their green journey.”

New e-waste bins have landed in CCK Town!

These bins are part of a nation-wide e-waste management system launched to collect and recycle common types of e-waste.

E-waste can contain hazardous materials such as heavy metals which can create potential health and environment risks.

Get earth-friendly. Start recycling your e-waste using these bins and earn rewards.

E-waste Bins Locations:

Blk 144 Teck Whye Lane (near wet market and toilet entrance)

Keat Hong CC (near loading and unloading bay)

Hillview CC (level 1 near staircase)

Hong Kah North CC (near basketball court)

Sunshine Place (level 1 common area in front of Giant)

Throw your unwanted laptops, batteries and bulbs into dedicated e-waste bins coming to CCK in July 2021. 

E-waste, if not disposed properly, can harm the earth.

Do your bit for the environment, and earn rewards at the same time!

What the E-waste Bins Take

Sort your e-waste into these 3 groups :

Get Rewarded When You Recycle

After throwing your e-waste into the dedicated bins, simply scan the QR codes on the bins to gain points that can be exchanged for rewards. 

Rewards include vouchers for shopping, ride-hailing services, food deliveries, bicycle sharing services, beauty products and environmentally-friendly products.

Check out the e-waste website and download the Step Up Sustainability app by ALBA E-Waste Smart Recycling to get more details on bin locations, rewards and more. Through the website and app, consumers can also request for doorstep e-waste collection service (for a fee). In addition, ALBA E-Waste Smart Recycling will also run scheduled collection drives and hold events to educate the public on e-waste. 

All e-waste collected is tracked and sent for recycling.

We will keep you posted on more details of the e-waste bin points and rewards system as well as roll-out dates. Meanwhile, be green and save our earth!