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Together
By combining her love of handicrafts and passion for the 3Rs together, Madam Han conducts some of the most unique upcycling classes. Some of her creations include wallets, photo frames and even a mini Tetra lamp. These upcycled crafts not only give new life to otherwise discarded materials, but funds are also raised for the needy through the sale of the items.
Madam Han hopes that the skills she passes on at her workshops continues to inspire more people to creatively explore new ways to rework materials to extend their usefulness. She urges Singaporeans to take small steps like using social media to spread environmental messages, and bringing reusable bags, containers or utensils to avoid disposables. Business owners could also do their part by not giving out disposables like utensils and plastic bags.
Madam Khong Sow Cheng
Madam Khong has not always been passionate about the environment. It took a stint of living overseas in Canada and exposure to their recycling culture to spark her interest in going green. Since her return in 1993, she not only continued with the practice of recycling, she has also been actively participating and organising her own eco-craft workshops.
In her capacity as a grassroots volunteer, Madam Khong met personnel from the National Environment Agency, Singapore Environment Council and the National Parks Board. By participating in their activities, she became more aware of the environmental issues Singapore faces. Madam Khong then began to incorporate green initiatives within Punggol Park Community Centre Women’s Executive Committee (WEC) where she served as chairperson. This has led to her being awarded the EcoFriend Awards in 2012 for the
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Non- Government Organisations & Grassroots Volunteers category. Madam Khong brings her passion for the environment to her workplace and to the Green Committee in Punggol Park, where she turns simple waste materials into new products with other creative colleagues.
Her crafting talents have not gone unnoticed. Madam Khong has been frequently asked to lead upcycling workshops at various community events and even spearheaded the Singapore Record for the Largest Display of Paper Fish made from red packets in February 2019. She also continuously picks up new upcycling skills by attending workshops and
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then later passes on these skills at the eco-craft workshops she leads. Madam Khong shares, “If these materials are not upcycled, they would be thrown away. That’s really a waste! We can all make beautiful things to decorate our homes and o ces, give them out as one- of-a-kind presents to friends, save money and at the same time reduce waste to save the environment.”
Madam Khong truly hopes that more Singaporeans can take ownership and responsibility of the environment, and play their part in building a cleaner, greener and more gracious Singapore.