CDL, Global Initiatives launch #BeatPlasticPollution campaign

The Singapore series of the UN Environment’s #BeatPlasticPollution campaign organised by real estate development company City Developments Limited (CDL) and event management company Global Initiatives, Singapore, joins 11 other Asia-Pacific cities that have created recycled plastic art installations for the UN Environment’s campaign.

Globally, 13 million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean every year, threatening marine and human life while destroying natural ecosystems. In Singapore, about 700 million kilogrammes of plastic waste are discarded annually but less than 10% of it is recycled.

Tony Gourlay, Global Initiatives’ chief executive, explained that the magnitude of the plastic pollution problem is enormous and the impacts are devastating. “We must work together to address this and action-driven campaigns like Beat Plastic Pollution are an important step.”

To date, CDL and Global Initiatives have rallied 30 partners from the Private, Public and People (3P) sectors to create three art installations and raise awareness of how plastic pollution affects health, nature and wildlife. The largest of the three installations, Mori, is a massive 120-metre long caterpillar which will be made from some 18,000 plastic bottles and displayed at Marina Barrage.

The other two installations Our Forgotten Sea and Singapore’s Plastic Iceberg will be located at CDL’s City Square Mall and joint-venture South Beach mixed development respectively.

Esther An, CDL’s chief sustainability officer, said: “Plastic pollution is a global crisis that grows exponentially every year. CDL is honoured to collaborate with Global Initiatives to spearhead the Singapore series of the UN Environment’s campaign to beat plastic pollution. We are heartened that partners from the Private, Public and People sectors, as well as members of the public have joined us in the fight against this global threat. CDL is a firm advocate of sustainable development and environmental conservation. Beyond their visual appeal, we hope that the art installations made from recycled plastic bottles will spur greater action and create a wave of change.’’

Isabelle Louis, UN Environment deputy regional director and representative for Asia and the Pacific, added: “While plastic has many valuable uses, we have become over reliant on single-use or disposable plastic. …We want everyone to consider how they contribute to the problem and what they can do to help beat plastic pollution. Really, the mantra is simple: If you can’t reuse it, refuse it.”

By Muneerah Bee