Ricoh Asia Pacific (Ricoh), the Japanese electric multinational imaging electronics company, concluded its 13th annual Eco Action Day campaign today with a finale ceremony at Republic Polytechnic's Rain Garden. The campaign encouraged different stakeholders, from businesses to the public, to think seriously about positive actions via pledge movement, roadshows, a roundtable, and more.
Guest of Honour, Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources participated in the finale ceremony which included a tree planting and the donation of a chengal wood arbour and an upcycled bench made from used toner cartridges, all of which were sponsored by Ricoh. Around 30 guests attended the event, including representatives from organisations such as Eco-Business, Mitsubishi Electric Asia, PacificLight Power, the North West Community Development Council and the South West Community Development Council.
Eco Action Day is Singapore's largest and longest-running business-led environmental campaign. This year's edition saw 87 organisations and 1,200 individuals pledging on the Eco Action Day website to take green eco-friendly actions in their daily and work lives.
The following results were achieved through this year's campaign:
- 166,150 kWh of energy saved, enough to power 420 four-room HDB flats for a month
- 69,650kg of carbon dioxide emissions reduced, equivalent to the amount absorbed by 38,694 trees a month
Mr Yuji Hiruma, Director and Senior General Manager of Digital Workplace Marketing at Ricoh Asia Pacific, said, "We are thankful to all who pledged during Eco Action Day and hope that they will continue this spirit of going green even as we conclude this year's campaign. Actions as simple as practising the 3Rs – Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle – can go a long way towards creating a circular economy. At Ricoh, we believe in driving sustainability for the future, and have more plans to support this commitment beyond 2019."
Dr Khor said: "One of the biggest threats facing the world today is climate change. Many countries are experiencing extreme climate-related disasters such as floods and droughts. Singapore is not immune to the effects of climate change. We need to address it, more urgently than ever. I urge everyone to do your part for the environment. Through our collective efforts, we can create a sustainable Singapore for future generations."
Inaugural Seed Distribution Initiative
Following the finale, Ricoh kicked off its inaugural community seed distribution initiative. Three types of seeds – mini tomatoes, okra, and water spinach – specifically chosen to be distributed to the community for their ease of harvest in Singapore's tropical climate.
In support of Singapore's "30-by-30" vision to produce 30% of Singapore's nutritional needs locally by 2030, Ricoh hopes this initiative will cultivate sustainable production and consumption habits by encouraging the public to plant and harvest their own fruits and vegetables.
To distribute the seeds, Ricoh will be partnering with the North West Community Development Council, the South West Community Development Council, Republic Polytechnic, United World College, Singapore American School and ITE College East. The community seed distribution will conclude at the end of November.
A Fruitful 2019 Eco Action Day Campaign
Over the course of three months, this year's Eco Action Day campaign tackled Goal 13 of the
United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), urging individuals and organisations
to take urgent climate action. Ricoh organised several initiatives to trigger positive
environmental action from a wide group of stakeholders in Singapore.
These initiatives included the campaign's annual and highly anticipated Eco Action Day Roundtable on May 2019. Held for its third consecutive year, this year's roundtable centred on the theme "Recycling: The Road to Zero Waste?". More than 60 government, senior business and academic leaders, including Tan Meng Dui, Chief Executive Officer of the National Environment Agency, discussed the future of recycling and ways to create a circular economy through sustainable waste management.
Other initiatives organised by Ricoh and the community in support of the Eco Action Day campaign include roadshows across schools in Singapore where students learnt about sustainable waste management, water conservation and the impact of climate change.
This year's Eco Action Day campaign was part of the newly renamed "Ricoh Global SDGs Action 2019" initiative, which encourages Ricoh employees around the world to think about how they can contribute towards achieving the SDGs. This initiative also included a "Green Safety Month" campaign in Thailand, with activities such as a canal clean-up, a pledge outreach programme that boosted awareness of environmental management issues, and the planting and distribution of 1,150 trees to aid biodiversity conservation efforts within the community.
Eco Action Day has been supported by multiple public and private sector organisations since
its inception in 2007. This year's partners include the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, National Environment Agency, Mitsubishi Electric Asia, PacificLight Power, Singapore Pools, the Singapore Environment Council, and Sunseap Group, among others.
