With a rising population and heavy sea traffic, trash inevitably ends up on Singapore’s beaches around the island.

In conjunction with the International Coastal Cleanup initiative, staff volunteers from Singapore Pools rolled up their sleeves to clean the beach at Lim Chu Kang on 27 Feb. The inaugural International Coastal Cleanup – Singapore Edition, was organized by International Coastal Cleanup Singapore (ICCS). Joining the volunteer effort were students from NTU EarthLink and volunteers from ICCS.

The aim of the initiative, apart from cleaning up local beaches, was also to increase the awareness of the importance of water resource protection and reducing pollution to our water environments. One ton of trash was collected at Lim Chu Kang beach from the morning cleanup, comprising of plastic bags, glass bottles, lighters, fishing nets, and even discarded office chairs.

Besides the beach cleaning activity, another group of staff volunteers took on the 10.5km challenge at the last edition of the Green Corridor Run on 6 Mar. The scenic route, which started at the historic Tanjong Pagar Rail Station before winding its way along the green corridor to finish at the old Bukit Timah Rail Station, highlighted one of the most ecologically and culturally significant stretch of natural land in Singapore.

In conjunction with World Water Day, some iShine runners also took on the Water Challenge by carrying 3 to 5 litres of water throughout their run, to help raise awareness of the 768 million people who lack access to fresh drinking water and sanitation.

Visit “Singapore Pools in the Community” on Facebook to view photos from the International Coastal Cleanup @Lim Chu Kang and the Green Corridor Run.