Green Exchange

Focus area: Mitigation
Website
Location: Queenstown, Tampines North and Macpherson communities in Singapore
Established: 12 October 2010

The main objective of the activity is to promote a habit of recycling in the heartlands by conducting such events throughout Singapore. Recycling is a key activity that helps to reduce rate of deforestation. It also prevents the burning of waste materials which may contribute harmful gases and more greenhouse gases to the environment. Moreover, the activity is able to provide basic necessities like rice to the lower income families in Singapore through a food exchange program. By incentivizing and promoting the message of recycling, the beneficiaries will learn the positive economic and environmental impact they had. As a result, people's heart will be more attuned to the plight of the environment when their actions are able to bring in economic benefits.

Mitigation / Adaptation

In its efforts to reduce burning of waste and avoid greenhouse gas emissions, Green Exchange has collected more than 8,000kg of recycle materials, such as paper, plastic and metals. It has been conducted in 9 districts in Singapore, collecting an average of 900-1000 kg worth of recycle materials.

Social and environmental benefits

The activity has provided social and environmental benefits by:
- Engaging with urban poor communities and the elderly;
- Reducing of hoarding of waste materials that pose a danger in crowded and cluttered corridors of housing facilities;
- Clearing waterways in order to prevent health hazards.

Potential for scaling-up and replication

Green Exchange has proved to be popular regionally and has since expanded to Brunei where it was welcomed favorably by the Government of Brunei. Avelife and the Government of Brunei have held Green Exchanges concurrently on 2 occasions and have collected a significant amount of recyclables. Green Exchange in Brunei is now regularly been held in Kampong Ayer, a trademark of Brunei due to its unique features. Kampong Ayer is a floating water village densely populated by Bruneians and since disposing of trash rightly is made difficult on water and also due to its inaccessibility, the waterways have since cleared with the occurrence of Green Exchange events, proving to be effective.