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OneService Community
Cleanliness

Boon Lay clean up

31 December 2024

A community-led initiative in Boon Lay combined monthly clean-ups, youth volunteer training, and targeted signage to reduce littering feedback cases by 65% while building a sustained network of over 100 resident volunteers.

📌 About the project

  • Boon Lay Ward, West Coast GRC (2024).

  • Led by Mr Johny Tan, Chairman of Boon Lay Zone D Residents’ Network (RN), in partnership with the National Environment Agency (NEA), Stridy, the Boon Lay Youth Network, West Coast Town Council (WCTC), Boon Lay Zones A and C RNs, with support from the MSO’s Love Our ‘Hood Fund.

  • Regular community clean-ups were conducted to encourage residents to keep their neighbourhood clean. Signages and banners were also put up at key littering hotspots in Boon Lay, such as around neighbourhood parks, to nudge considerate behaviours and encourage residents to bin trash responsibly and reduce littering.

  • The project team also collaborated with Stridy to develop a capacity-building programme to train volunteers from the Boon Lay Youth Network to sustain community clean-up efforts and build a robust network of volunteers.

🏘️ The issues

  • Cleanliness and littering issues had been observed at key hotspots across Boon Lay, alongside low awareness of proper waste disposal among residents.

💡 What we did

  • Conducted 6 monthly clean-up sessions involving about 100 community volunteers from August to December 2024.

  • To sustain these efforts, 5 youth volunteers from the Boon Lay Youth Network completed a capacity-building programme by Stridy on waste management and litter mitigation, and subsequently led outreach initiatives to encourage residents to participate in regular clean-ups.

  • Installed 30 signages at key high-traffic areas to remind residents to dispose of trash responsibly and raise awareness of the consequences of littering, including potential fines.

Community volunteers in colourful shirts hold trash bags during park clean-up.
Boon Lay residents taking part in community clean-up activities in their neighbourhood.

🔍 What we learnt

  • Proactive outreach was critical to participation. Low initial volunteer turnout highlighted the need for multi-channel outreach, including social media, posters and word-of-mouth through grassroots leaders.

  • The provision of simple briefings and visual guides helped volunteers to correctly identify and handle different types of waste.

  • Inclement weather disrupted activities at times, which called for flexible scheduling and basic provisions (e.g. ponchos) to minimise delays or cancellations.

⚙️ Key considerations

  • Training young volunteers in the local youth networks equipped them with knowledge and skills to take ownership and lead clean-up initiatives, supporting project continuity beyond the project period and fostering long-term community stewardship.

📈 Impact

  • The initiatives led to a 65% reduction in littering feedback cases received by WCTC from August to November 2024.

  • Over 100 Boon Lay residents participated in the monthly clean-up activities, helping to build a strong and sustained network of community volunteers committed to neighbourhood cleanliness.

  • At least 5 youth leaders were trained to plan and lead outreach efforts for regular community clean-ups.

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