To battle plastic pollution, City Developments Limited (CDL) joined forces with Global Initiatives to rally partners to create three art installations out of recycled plastic bottles, as part of the Singapore series of UN Environment’s #BeatPlasticPollution Campaign.

This initiative saw Singapore join 11 other Asia-Pacific cities including Auckland, Bangkok and Tokyo, to create recycled plastic art installations for the UN Environment’s campaign. Singapore launched its “Year of Climate Action” this year in January at the Singapore Sustainability Academy.

The launch was held on World Environment Day (June 5) at Singapore’s 15^th reservoir, Marina Barrage, with Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources, Dr Amy Khor as the Guest of Honour.

“Beat Plastic Pollution” is also the theme for World Environment Day 2018. 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.

CDL and Global Initiatives have rallied 30 like-minded 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 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. Mori aims to enter the Singapore Book of Records for the largest number of plastic bottles used in an outdoor art installation.

Installation process of the art pieces

When completed, the caterpillar will blossom into a chain of colourful plastic flowers, signifying a waste-to-beauty metamorphosis. Designed by professional architects Mr Kenneth Koh Qibao and Mr Brandon Lim Jing Hong, the sculpture is also a wall for visitors to pledge their commitment to reduce plastic waste and they can share this on social media using the #BeatPlasticPollution and #ClimateActionSG hashtags.

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.

‘… collection points for plastic bottles were set up at seven CDL commercial properties and community spaces such as Our Tampines Hub and Environment Building since 16 May 2018. CDL’s hotels, organisers of conventions, marathons, community events, and other companies also contributed plastic bottles they collected.’

Prior to the launch of the #BeatPlasticPollution campaign in Singapore, collection points for plastic bottles were set up at seven CDL commercial properties and community spaces such as Our Tampines Hub and Environment Building since 16 May 2018. CDL’s hotels, organisers of conventions, marathons, community events, and other companies also contributed plastic bottles they collected. In total, some 40,000 plastic bottles were diverted from the landfills.

Over the next two weeks, volunteers from all walks of life, including community artists, the National Environment Agency and the three ITE Colleges, will come together to create the three art installations to spread the message about plastic pollution.

Ms Esther An, CDL 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.”

Mr Tony Gourlay, Global Initiatives Chief Executive, said, “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.”

Ms Isabelle Louis, UN Environment Deputy Regional Director and Representative for Asia and the Pacific, said, “While plastic has many valuable uses, we have become over reliant on single-use or disposable plastic. This World Environment Day, 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.”

CDL subsidiaries Millennium & Copthorne Hotels plc (M&C) and CBM Pte Ltd also supported the cause. M&C hotels (Copthorne King's Hotel, Grand Copthorne Waterfront, M Hotel, M Social Singapore, Orchard Hotel and Studio M), CBM Pte Ltd, and other Hong Leong Group hotels such as JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach, St. Regis Singapore and W Singapore - Sentosa Cove donated recycled plastic bottles for the art installation, and staff volunteers lent their time to create the art installations.

Global Initiatives is an international company based in Singapore that promotes sustainable partnership solutions to global challenges through film, media projects and public-private initiative driven events.

In a related story to battle plastic pollution, M&C has also pledged to eliminate single-use plastics across its six hotels in Singapore by June 2019. Please click here to read “The Last Straw”.