Launched in November 1990, the Clean and Green Week (CGW) took place for a week in November each year until 2007 when it became a yearlong campaign and was consequently renamed Clean and Green Singapore. The Clean and Green campaign aims to protect and care for the environment by engaging the community in leading an environmentally conscious lifestyle. It is currently administered by the National Environment Agency.
Establishment
On 4 November 1990, then First Deputy Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong launched the inaugural CGW (4–10 November).1 Since the 1960s, Singapore has had a number of “keep clean” and greening movements such as the Keep Singapore Clean,2 Keep Public Toilets Clean3 and Tree Planting campaigns.4 The CGW, however, marked a shift of emphasis: It moved beyond government-imposed regulations to upkeep and care for the environment, to adopting a “total approach to shape and change our attitudes towards the environment”. Besides promoting awareness about environmental issues and the appreciation of clean and green surroundings, the campaign also set out to encourage the public’s stewardship of the environment by inculcating good social values.5 Held for a week every November, the CGW was the main environmental public-awareness campaign.6
Programmes
The CGW became the first environmental public-education campaign for the new vision set out in Singapore’s green plan of 1992, where environmental education had a fun aspect and was participatory and the campaign involved not just the government but also business organisations and community groups.7
Environmental grassroots organisations and private companies have been involved since the early years of the campaign.8 In 1991, for example, 30 companies participated in the year’s CGW, with three oil companies sponsoring educational videos and books for children.9 It was reported in 1993 that almost all the campaign events were sponsored by the private sector.10 Since 2004, community development councils have also been co-organising the campaign activities together with the National Environment Agency.11
With a target audience comprising schools, grassroots organisations, the business community and the general public, a wide range of events and activities were held during the CGW.12 The campaign’s frog mascot, Captain Green, debuted during the first CGW, educating young children and the general public on environmental issues.13 In addition to television and radio advertisements promoting the campaign’s objectives,14 there were hundreds of activities and events held during the campaign week, including jamborees, talks in schools and public exhibitions. These events featured environmental themes such as recycling, energy conservation, global warming and green consumerism.15
The Cleanest Estate and Cleanest Block competitions, which pitted housing estates and Housing and Development Board flat against each other to vie for the titles, became part of the CGW. Town councils and residents participate in these competitions with the aim of eliminating littering and to maintain the cleanliness of their estate.16 Other activities held during the CGW included the annual Tree Planting Day17 and beach clean-ups.18
The CGW featured various themes over the years, such as “Commitment and Responsibility” (1992)19, “A Better Living Environment” (1994)20 and “Awareness and Action” (1998).21 Since its inaugural year, a strong focus of the CGW has been on waste recycling. Recycling bins for paper and plastic were introduced in housing estates during the CGW in 1990, and subsequently these recycling bins were also installed in other public spaces and establishments such as banks, schools and parks.22
Environment awards also regularly presented during the CGW. The Green Leaf Award was launched during the 1991 CGW to recognise individuals and organisations that have made a difference in the environmental cause.23 This has been replaced by the Singapore Green Plan 2012 Award since 2004.24
To boost the government’s efforts in spreading awareness about environmental concerns, the National Council on the Environment (renamed Singapore Environment Council in 199525) was formed during the first CGW. The council coordinated and organised CGW activities.26
Clean and Green Singapore
In 2007, the CGW was relaunched as Clean and Green Singapore, a yearlong campaign, signalling the government’s emphasis on environmental consciousness and green practices as an integral part of everyday life. Clean and Green Singapore is centred on three areas: clean environment; city of gardens and water; and energy efficiency and resource conservation.27
Author
Fiona Lim
References
1. Ministry of Information and the Arts. (1990, November 4). Speech by Mr Goh Chok Tong, first deputy prime minister and minister for defence, at the launching of ‘Clean and Green Week... Green for Life’, at Esplanade Park on Sunday, 4 November 1990 at 10.00pm. Retrieved from National Archives of Singapore website: http://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/
2. Ministry of Culture. (1968, October 1). Speech by the prime minister inaugurating the ‘Keep Singapore Clean’ campaign on Tuesday, 1st October, 1968. Retrieved from National Archives of Singapore website: http://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/
3. Keep the toilets clean campaign launched. (1983, July 2). The Straits Times, p. 14. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
4. ‘Plant a tree’ drive in Singapore. (1963, June 12). The Straits Times, p. 9; Dr. Goh to launch Tree Plant Day today. (1971, November 7). The Straits Times, p. 7. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
5. Ministry of Information and the Arts. (1990, November 4). Speech by Mr Goh Chok Tong, first deputy prime minister and minister for defence, at the launching of ‘Clean and Green Week... Green for Life’, at Esplanade Park on Sunday, 4 November 1990 at 10.00pm, pp. 3–5. Retrieved from National Archives of Singapore website: http://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/; Greening of S’poreans campaign to start in Nov. (1990, October 25). The Straits Times, p. 2. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
6. Azra Moiz. (1993). The Singapore green plan – Action programmes. Singapore: Times Editions, p. 19. (Call no.: RSING 363.7095957 SIN)
7. Azra Moiz. (1993). The Singapore green plan – Action programmes. Singapore: Times Editions, pp. 13–14. (Call no.: RSING 363.7095957 SIN); Tan, Y. S., Lee, T. J., & Tan, K. (2009). Clean, green and blue: Singapore’s journey towards environment and water sustainability. Singapore: ISEAS Publishing, p. 262. (Call no.: RSING 363.70095957 TAN)
8. Nathan, D. (1992, November 9). Time for people to take over. The Straits Times, p. 33. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
9. Clean and Green Week gets a lift from private sector. (1990, November 3). The Business Times, p. 2. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
10. More Singaporeans going ‘green’: Survey. (1993, December 13). The Straits Times, p. 24. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
11. Tan, Y. S., Lee, T. J., & Tan, K. (2009). Clean, green and blue: Singapore’s journey towards environment and water sustainability. Singapore: ISEAS Publishing, p. 262. (Call no.: RSING 363.70095957 TAN)
12. Greening of S’poreans campaign to start in Nov. (1990, October 25). The Straits Times, p. 2; Conservation to take centre stage. (1991, October 12). The Straits Times, p. 30. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
13. Nathan, D. (1990, November 6). Each S’porean ‘must do his part for environment’. The Straits Times, p. 19; Captain Green teaches love for the earth. (1999, November 11). The Straits Times, p. 41. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
14. Clean and Green Week gets a lift from private sector. (1990, November 3). The Business Times, p. 2; Walker, S. (1998, November 14). Think cleaners and green week. The New Paper, p. 54. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
15. Nathan, D. (1990, November 3). 1,000 to take public transport or walk to work on Tuesday. The Straits Times, p. 3; George, C. (1992, November 2). Audit plan to help firms do more for environment. The Straits Times, p. 2. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
16. Lee, Y. L. (1995, August 8). Islandwide hunt for cleanest HDB blocks. The Straits Times, p. 2. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
17. George, C. (1991, November 4). Tree-planting campaign focuses on reforestation. The Straits Times, p. 1; George, C. (1990, November 5). Mr Lee plants last tree as PM. The Straits Times, p. 23. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; Tan, Y. S., Lee, T. J., & Tan, K. (2009). Clean, green and blue: Singapore’s journey towards environment and water sustainability. Singapore: ISEAS Publishing, p. 58. (Call no.: RSING 363.70095957 TAN)
18. Mattar launches drive to keep parks and beaches clean. (1990, November 11). The Straits Times, p. 20; Clean and Green Week. (1996, November 4). The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
19. Chew, B. (1992, November 13). Ministry will persist in public education to protect environment. The Straits Times, p. 36. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
20. Ministry of Information and the Arts. (1994, November 12). Speech by Mr Mah Bow Tan, minister for the environment and minister for communications, at the closing ceremony of Clean and Green Week 1994 at the East Coast Park on Saturday, 12 November 1994 at 9.30 am. Retrieved from National Archives of Singapore website: http://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/
21. 300 businesses sign up to be more environment-friendly. (1998, November 5). The Straits Times, p. 30. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
22. 3 estates to recycle waste. (1990, November 1). The New Paper, p. 4; Chew, B. (1992, November 13). Ministry will persist in public education to protect environment. The Straits Times, p. 36; Chew, B. (1992, November 13). Ministry will persist in public education to protect environment. The Straits Times, p. 36. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
23. Replanting of tree saplings to launch Clean, Green Week. (1991, October 2). The Straits Times, p. 25; Page 32 advertisements column 1. (1999, August 4). The Straits Times, p. 32. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
24. Nominations open for new environment award. (2004, April 3). The Straits Times, p. 9. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
25. Nathan, D. (1995, November 7). New body to coordinate environmental groups. The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
26. Pereira, M. (1990, November 7). New body set up to give greening a boost in Singapore. The Straits Times, p. 3. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; The Singapore green plan action programmes: Status of implementation, Apr to Jun 97. Singapore: [s.n.], p. 1-1. (Call no.: RSING q363.70095957 SIN)
27. National Environment Agency. (2015, November 23). Clean & Green Singapore. Retrieved from National Environment Agency website: http://www.nea.gov.sg/events-programmes/campaigns/clean-green-singapore
Further resources
Adventures with captain green. (1999). Singapore: Ministry of the Environment.
Available at PublicationSG.
Chang, C. (2006, November 26). Bring back campaigns. The New Paper, p. 12. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
Leng, G. S. Y., & Environmental Education Department, Ministry of the Environment. (2001). Captain Green book series: With original songs. Singapore: Ministry of the Environment.
(Call no.: RSING 333.72 CAP)
Ministry of Information and the Arts. (1993, November 7). Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong and the Minister for Communications and Minister for the Environment Mah Bow Tan are greeted by Captain Green, the mascot for the Clean and Green Week at the launch of the Clean and Green Week at the Marina City Park [Photograph] [Online]. Retrieved from National Archives of Singapore website: http://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/
The information in this article is valid as at 2016 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.
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