Clean4Change

May 18, 2022

P&Gers enthusiastically joined the Clean4Change* Campaign recently.

Jie Xin T. picked up 7487 pieces of litter over 5 weeks, making her the first prize winner of the recent Clean4Change challenge at P&G. It required a singular dedication: “I visited East Coast Park, Southern Ridges and Residential void decks to proactively pick up litter. I scheduled weekends and sometimes weekday evenings after my jog to the ECP”.

Prior to the challenge, it had already been a habit to recycle at home. She was inspired to up her game by the sight of her neighbours frequenting the beach to clear the litter. “Yet there was STILL so much litter…Frankly, I didn’t start out with 100% commitment, but as I got more mindful of the litter around me, I became more intentional in my effort,” she reflects. 

While being P&G Clean4change champion does come with a prize, she’s also grateful that the universe has responded in its own way. She shares how she had mounted a personal vendetta against the ever-proliferating cigarette butts on a patch of grass at a neighbourhood bus stop, clearing them almost daily. A week ago, a demarcated zone for smoking had materialized, along with a little plastic container for the cigarette butts. It was as if someone had been watching.

A coincidence? Perhaps. But she still finds it motivating that her actions can somehow inspire change.

Her closest competitor, Dillon Chew, is no slouch either - he bagged 5555 pieces of litter. An avid fitness hiker, he racked up his numbers by bringing trash bags on the trail. He was surprised and a little appalled at the amount of trash he always came back with.

They’re litter heroes by night, and hardcore scientists by day. Jie Xin is a Hair Care formulator and product researcher at the P&G Singapore Innovation Center (SgIC); Dillon is an associate scientist in bioinformatics and part of the global Bioscience team.

Dillon admits to a geeky fascination in the challenge: “As someone who works with data, this was a good exercise in data collection – it gave me a good awareness of the types of rubbish present in our environment” Furthermore, his degree in chemical engineering and biotechnology had exposed him to advances in sustainable production methodologies and it makes him wonder how he could contribute to the ongoing sustainability efforts at the SgIC.

Jie Xin believes that the work at the SgIC is at the forefront of sustainable innovation and closing the waste loop. The multifaceted sustainability efforts at the SgIC, from developing more recyclable packaging to eliminating the use of paper cups, has motivated her towards more responsible consumption.

*Clean4Change is an initiative to clean up litter in the community and encourage better waste disposal and recycling. It is organized by the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, of which P&G is a member. P&G finished an impressive 2nd among all the companies that participated.

#Sustainability