Trash isn’t just found on our landfills, but within our seas too. There will be more plastic waste in the ocean than fish in 2050 by weight. Not only that, but many fish consume these plastics, and we consume these fish. I’ll leave the rest to your imagination.
Action must be taken to preserve our ecosystem before every organism on this planet has a diet consisting of plastics. Apart from just using metal straws and bringing our own reusable bags, we can also do our part to clean up the oceans, little by little. Here are some beach cleanup groups in Singapore you can join to help keep our seas clean.
Check out our other articles on green living:
Image credit: Guardiansofmotherearth
Guardians of Mother Earth believes in spiritual interconnectedness with all things on this earth. They focus on nature therapy, which involves spending a substantial amount of time immersing in nature through activities like meditation.
Image credit: Guardiansofmotherearth
Apart from that, they are also passionate about restoring nature, and organise cleanups held in conjunction with kayaking sessions and hikes through places like MacRitchie Reservoir and Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. You’ll want to join their coastal cleanups which are held from time to time – refer to the events section on their Facebook page for updates.
Join them here.
Image credit: @greennudgesg
Green Nudge is a social enterprise driven in achieving a zero-waste outcome. They conduct coastal cleanups and learning journeys to inculcate a different culture of dealing with waste in Singapore.
Image credit: @greennudgesg
Apart from coastal cleanups, Green Nudge also conduct workshops and visits to materials recovery facilities in Sungei Kadut to educate the public on ways to reuse plastics.
Coastal cleanup at Yishun Dam
Image credit: @greennudgesg
Recently, they also organised a visit to a hawker centre in Chinatown to help participants understand how can we lessen the impact that the hawker culture has upon the environment, whilst preserving this aspect of Singapore’s culture.
If you’re passionate about green practices, you’ll want to join them as a volunteer, intern, or even a full-time staff.
Join them here.
If you find yourself having more time on hand and would like to increase the frequency of your voluntary efforts, Nature Society (Singapore) is an organisation that can provide you with such opportunities as they conduct and average of 5 events per month.
Image credit: Nature Society (Singapore)
Apart from coastal clean-ups, their focus includes wildlife conservation such as horseshoe crab rescue and research, and protection of birds and butterflies.
Image credit: @didicikit
They also conduct kayaking cum cleanups at mangroves in areas such as Pulau Ubin and Sungei Simpang, where you’ll also get to appreciate the importance and beauty of nature. There are also frequent engagements with the public through exhibitions on wildlife.
Image credit: Nature Society (Singapore)
They also organise occasional overseas trip – a recent one was a 4D3N adventure to Lombok and Bali for shark conservation. Other unusual activities they’ve had in the past include a dragonfly walk at Toa Payoh Town Park. Look out for more of such interesting events on their Facebook page.
Join them here.
Image credit: Lisa Lim
With most cleanup organisations focusing their efforts on our seas, Restore Ubin Mangroves diverts the attention to our mangroves at Pulau Ubin within abandoned aquaculture areas which are often overlooked.
Image credit: Lisa Lim
Expect to conduct surveys, propagule collection, and engage in test planting and restoration work.
Restore Ubin Mangroves conduct mangrove coastal cleanup a couple of times a year. Check out their blog for regular updates on their activities.
Join them here.
Image credit: Blossom World
Blossom World Society focuses on character development in youths, in hopes of inspiring them to be more empathetic to people around them, while extending such attitudes to the environment.
Cleaning up plastic straws from the shore
Image credit: Blossom World
They conduct coastal cleanups once every few months, as well as exhibitions that tackle the importance of reducing plastic usage. Look out for their upcoming events on their Facebook page and on their website.
Check out the amount of plastic bottles retrieved
Image credit: Our Singapore Reefs
Most of our efforts are invested in cleaning up our shorelines; this makes it easy for us to forget and neglect the fact that our seabeds are also overrun with trash.
This is where Our Singapore Reefs steps in. Established by a community of divers passionate about Singapore’s coral reefs, they aim to promote awareness about Singapore’s marine biodiversity and conduct frequent marine cleanups at Lazarus Island, which go beyond the surface of the ocean and down to the seabed.
Plastic bottles on the seabed
Image credit: Our Singapore Reefs
If you’re equipped with diving skills and would like to do your part for the environment and protect the coral reefs of Singapore, join Our Singapore reefs to be a part of the force.
Join them here.
Image credit: @sevencleanseas
First started out as a beach cleanup community in Singapore, Seven Clean Seas has now expanded its efforts internationally and is operating in places such as Malaysia, Indonesia and the UK.
Image credit: Seven Clean Seas
Apart from joining them to clean oceans and coastlines approximately once every month, you can also help them raise awareness about plastic pollution with the public.
Join them here.
Image credit: @littlegreenmensg
Little Green Men conducts cleanups every other month at Chek Jawa, Sungei Tampines, Lim Chu Kang, Sungei Pandan and Sungei Seletar.
Coastal cleanup at Sungei Seletar
Image credit: Little Green Men
Forest and nature walks – at places like Lentor Forest, Green Corridor, Tengah Forest and Windsor Nature Park – are also frequently organised to allow participants to learn more about wildlife and biodiversity.
Learning about horseshoe crabs and how they moult
Image credit: Little Green Men
There are also occasional visits to Semakau Landfill to help educate the public and develop eco-consciousness.
Join them here.
Image credit: Clean & Green Singapore
Clean & Green Singapore does not only conduct coastal cleanups to advocate environmental cleanliness. Some of their efforts also extends to zika and dengue prevention, and keeping public toilets hygienic.
Our street cleaners have been fantastic in keeping our neighbourhoods clean, and it’s certainly not an easy job. You can help them out by taking part as a volunteer in Clean & Green Singapore’s “Keeping Singapore Clean” programme.
Going beyond that, they also tackle the problem of food wastage and hygiene through awareness events like carnivals.
Join them here.
There has been an effort to adopt a greener lifestyle, such as buying reusable cutlery for takeaways and reducing usage plastic use. However, more can be done and it does not change the fact that the waste we’ve generated in the past is now polluting the seas.
Do your part to tackle the waste problem in our natural environment by joining these groups and helping out in their cleaning efforts – a little goes a long way!
For more volunteering opportunities, check out these articles:
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