Hotter cooking with IKEA - IKEA FAMILY Singapore - IKEA Singapore

June 2007 MICA (P) 189/05/2007
Hotter cooking with IKEA
$ 3. 90
STEKA frying pan
Non-stick coated aluminium.
Ø24cm.
©Inter IKEA Systems B.V. 2007
$ 1. 80
IRIS oven mitt
100% cotton/polyester fi lling.
White.
Kitchen
Weeks
Now till 8 July 2007
www.IKEA.com.sg

2
Philip’s Note
Dear friends members,
The past month has been
a very important month for
us as we launched our “NO
Free Plastic Bag” Campaign.
It is not easy for a retailer to
say “NO” to customers but
you, our customers, fully understand our reasons
and gave us your full support. You can read
more about this campaign on the last page of
this newsletter, and I would just like to remind
you that the blue reuseable IKEA bag that we
are selling at S$1.20 (previously sold at S$2.90)
has a lifetime guarantee.
To encourage everyone to add more greenery to
your home, we are also organising a Gardening
At Home session, where you can listen to some
home gardening tips from Shirley Ling, our friend
from the National Parks Board. She will also be
showing us how to easily create a terrarium. Join
us at this activity and bring home your very own
terrarium in an IKEA glass jar!
Some of you might have joined us at our
NEWater plant visit in May, or have participated
in our Mother’s Day event. We certainly hope
you had fun. Join us at our upcoming activity
with Goodrich, where you will have a chance
to do some craftwork with wall coverings on
IKEA products, and also learn how to apply wall
covering on your own walls, at home!
We are planning for an exciting Swedish crayfi sh
party for friends members in August! Find out
more about this party and how to join us on
page 7, and read about the other activities
which we have planned for you.
Enjoy reading this issue of the friends Paper
and we hope to see you at the IKEA store again
soon!
Best Regards
Philip Wee
General Manager
Ninety-eight friends members
visited the NEWater plant
together with us on 6 May
2007 to fi nd out how water
is recycled. This is what some
of the friends members said
about the plant visit:
NEWS
Redeem for IKEA friends vouchers online at www.IKEA-friends.com and collect
them the next time you drop by your favourite IKEA store. Every 50 points entitle
you to a $5 IKEA friends voucher. All vouchers redeemed online are valid for 3
months from the date of redemption online, so remember to pick them up.
Mrs Cheong:
“It’s very educational for my
kids, and it’s really worth
a visit. Now we feel safe
drinking NEWater.”
Mr Bernard Lim:
“It’s been an educational
visit and now we know what
NEWater is all about.”
Rafi dah Abu Bakar:
“I find the trip very
educational and informative.
Now, I know how NEWater
is processed and I’m more
confident when I drink it. IKEA
should conduct more such
outings for friends members in
the future.”
PAST EVENTS

Dear friends of IKEA,
Environmental issues are of concern to
all of us. Sweden, sometimes described
as the last wilderness in Europe, is
no exception. Sweden is, relatively
speaking, not such a small country.
Actually, it is the third largest nation in
the European Union in terms of land
area. Picture yourself a stretched out
country where almost 75% of the area
is covered by forests, mountains, lakes
and rivers, and you will realise that
nature is never far away in Sweden.
When you grow up in Sweden,
you get to spend quite some time
playing, picking mushrooms, hiking
or having picnics in the wild, learning
to appreciate nature. This is all made easier since in
Sweden the nature is accessible for everyone through
a provision in the law. All people have the right to hike
through the forests and fi elds and pick berries and
mushrooms without asking the landowner’s permission,
provided they respect both natural scenery and private
property. So the environmental awareness is part of
the social infrastructure and made everyone’s right and
responsibility at the same time. It should be no surprise
that Swedes are used to being charged for plastic bags
The Ambassador of Sweden,
Pär Ahlberger
and that many will bring their own
reusable or recycled bags when they
go shopping.
The late urbanisation in Sweden also
means that many people still have a
strong connection to the countryside
through relatives and friends.
This close bond to nature sets its
mark on Swedish culture. Children in
Sweden are still fed with sagas and
legends packed with small brownies,
elves, goblins and trolls living in the
forest. Nature is also a great source
of inspiration for Swedish artists and
designers – just take a look at the light
functional simplicity of a Swedish home
and you will see what I mean. By the way, Sweden is
more or less built of wood. And ask any Swedes to draw
their dream house and you will almost surely end up
with a little red cottage close to a lake in the forest.
A lot of long-term efforts have been put to protect the
wild animals in Sweden and to improve their environment
and living conditions. In my family’s summer house, we
get regular visits in the garden by elks, deers and foxes.
One early morning, my sister was even lucky enough to
Dr Will Kalla was again invited to IKEA Alexandra and IKEA Tampines on 8 & 9 May 2007. This
time, he shared with our friends members on how our sleeping posture can affect our back and
overall well-being in the long run. Here are few tips for those of you who missed the event:
SWEDISH NOTE
catch a glimpse of a lynx from the window of our kitchen.
A neighbour of ours who was skiing on a nearby lake
one winter watched an elk crossing the lake, chased by
two wolves. A woman not living far from us even had a
surprise as she observed a bear quietly picking apples
from her trees.
It’s no wonder that the environment, animal welfare and
the sustainable use of resources are of considerable
concern to Swedes.
To my mind, more than any other Swede, Carl Linnaeus
personifi es the very special relationship that exists
between Swedes and nature. You may have heard
of this Swedish physician and botanist for his unique
classifi cation system for plants, animals and minerals.
Although Carl Linnaeus lived in the eighteenth
century, his classifi cation is still in use today - talk
about sustainability! In 2007 we celebrate the 300th
anniversary of his birth, an excellent opportunity for us
to learn more about our world. Visit the offi cial website
www.linnaeus300.com for more exciting information
about the world of Linnaeus, “the King of Flowers”.
Pär Ahlberger
Ambassador of Sweden
PAST EVENTS
•
•
•
When sleeping, try to maintain
neutral spinal alignment.
Spring mattresses provide good
support for the spine and tend to
be more reactive when we move
about during our sleep.
Thick mattress pads are excellent
in providing extra comfort for a
good night’s sleep.
This is what some of our friends members
said about the Posture Matters event:
Pauline Kee:
“I gained more knowledge on how to
pick the right mattress.”
Paul Ying:
“ It is very informative and addresses
sleeping posture issues.”
Christine Chan:
“It provides good advice, and is
beneficial.”
3

småles
Alex and Tampi are two giant heart-shaped creatures with soft red fur that live in their own land called Småland. It is a
magical forest so well hidden that no one can fi nd it unless they have been invited by Alex and Tampi. The forest is fi lled with
giant berries so big you can hardly hold it in one hand, spider webs strong enough to climb on and clogs so big you can hide
inside.
Alex and Tampi have been taking care of the forest and its strange creatures for 1,000 years, and kept it a secret from
humans all this time. They have been enjoying the clean air and wind in the big trees, swimming in the clear lakes and having
lots of fun in the giant berry pools they built themselves.
When the big trees in Småland grow so old that they die and fall to the ground, Alex and Tampi will use them to build houses
or they will cook the trees into their favourite hot paper porridge. Sometimes they dry it into tasty paper which they can keep
and eat later when they are hungry or when there are no fallen trees. Or when the angry fl ying dragon sneezes and sets the
forest on fi re!
To thank the forest for the food, they also plant a tree for every tree that they cook. And when they have eaten and
are so full of paper, they poo where they have planted the new tree so it can grow faster. Alex and Tampi love their
paper porridge and dried paper and if you look carefully, sometimes you can see that they have been around
and have nibbled here and there!
Alex and Tampi enjoyed themselves in Småland but after 1,000 years they wanted to get to know more
people. So they decide to invite the most important people in the world, the children, to become
Smålish citizens, and together share the fun and discover the world both in and out of Småland. So
even if you don’t like to eat paper, or are heart-shaped, or have red fur, Alex and Tampi wouldn’t
mind and welcome you to be a småle.
So long as you are between 4 and 10 years old (according
to your birthday), anyone living in Singapore can become a
Smålish citizen. Citizenship will remain valid until your 11th
birthday, regardless of when you joined. Please bring along
a grown-up and relevant documents to verify your age
when you register.*
Visit Småland at www.smales.com.sg
What do I get as a småle?
Each time you visit IKEA Singapore and scan your passport at the
småles shroom (coupon machine), you will receive a sticker
for your passport once a day. Every sticker represents a
store visit credit worth 50 smålish sänts.
You can use your Smålish dållars in various ways. Your
dållars and sänts can be withdrawn and printed from
the småles shroom.
By scanning your passport at the småles shroom, you
can also receive a coupon for one discounted kid’s meal
and one free drink at the IKEA Restaurant. This coupon can
only be used once on the day of your visit.
småles
You can visit IKEA Singapore as many times as you want,
but earn a maximum of 10 Smålish dållars for store
visits in a year. Although there are other ways you can
earn Smålish dållars.
You will get a chance to participate in special activities
and events. Your guardian’s consent is required before
you are allowed to join any activity or event.
You will also receive the bug news regularly!
*Applications are only accepted at the IKEA Singapore (Alexandra or Tampines) bug counter. Your application should be accompanied with your guardian’s consent
(signature) and you need to have your photograph taken at the bug counter in order to get your Smålish passport.
4

The Swedish Midsummer
The Swedish Midsummer
is celebrated on the third
Friday of every June. Early
traditions tell of romance
and mystery. In the past,
girls would silently pick a
bunch of fl owers and place
them under their pillows at
night, so as to dream of the
husband fate had in store
for them.
Today, many of the old
traditions are gone but
Midsummer still remains a
celebration of summer, joy
and romance. Several days before Midsummer, cars start winding
their way out of the cities, and on to summer cottages, camping
sites and marinas.
The celebration usually starts in the morning where children and
MIDSUMMER
grown-ups collect fl owers and plants from the fi elds and woods
to dress up the Midsummer pole and to make fl ower wreaths for
wearing on their heads.
Whether a private party or a big celebration in town, the
Midsummer pole is always the centrepiece. In the afternoon,
everyone gathers for the raising of the Midsummer pole. There
are ring dances, singing and competitions while folk music sounds
from the fi ddles and accordions. And after a day of celebration,
everyone will set tables in their gardens or settle under the
awnings of their caravans, for a traditional feast.
Traditionally, baby potatoes boiled in dill are served, together
with varieties of herring and sour cream, chopped chives and
chilled butter as trimmings. Beer and schnapps are a must and
there are fresh strawberries for dessert. People end up singing and
dancing at the end of the dinner. With music from the traditional
instruments or from the discos, the evening becomes magical and
lasts until the early hours - because on this night, Swedes make the
most of the nocturnal brightness, which in some parts of Sweden
never dims on Midsummer’s Eve.
5

6
Crayfish Party Tradition in Sweden
The crayfi sh party has become one of the most anticipated annual events in
the Swedish calendar, marking the last days of summer. And if you ever have
been to one, you will never forget it.
At one time, the lakes of central Sweden were teeming with crayfi sh, which
were exported to expensive restaurants in Paris, London and Berlin. Then,
the Swedish aristocracy enjoyed this delicacy, while most of the middle-class
regarded crayfi sh as a common dish.
At the end of the 1800’s the large export made the crayfi sh population
extremely scarce. So the government imposed a law limiting fi shing to only
two months a year in the early autumn. Crayfi sh became rare and due to
this, each crayfi sh season became marked by celebration.
But in the 1960’s, the crayfi sh enthusiasts were struck with a disaster: the
crayfi sh plague, which eliminated most crayfi sh from Sweden’s waters.
Sweden, the world’s once largest exporter of crayfi sh became the world’s
largest importer.
Crayfi sh are cooked for a
few minutes in water with salt
and dill. Beer and sugar are
optional, but it adds fl avour.
Let them cool for 5-6 hours.
Lay the crayfi sh neatly and
in abundance on a large
platter. Garnish with dill.
CRAYFISH PARTY
The famous Swedish crayfi sh parties mark the end of summer and take
place during late August every year.
Picture a summer cottage near a small lake on a moon-lit night, somewhere
in Sweden. Then imagine the backyard where a table is set with serving
trays overfl owing with bright red crayfi sh. Paper lanterns that look like
smiling moons glow in the darkness. One can hear laughter, songs and
an occasional, “Skål!” (‘Skål!’ means ‘Cheers!’ in Swedish.) The guests are
wearing paper hats and bibs with colourful crayfi sh motifs. Everyone is
equipped with crayfi sh utensils, paper plates and a compilation of songs
to accompany the ice-cold schnapps.
Today, crayfi sh are imported in huge amounts from Turkey, Spain, China and the United States. The seasonal ban on
fi shing and eating crayfi sh was lifted years ago, but crayfi sh parties in August still remain a tradition that is stronger than ever.
PREPARING THE CRAYFISH
Schnapps and beer are
perfect complements to
the crayfi sh.
Serve with bread, butter and
a variety of cheese. Set the
party table, and enjoy the
crayfi sh!

Game enough?
Join us at the IKEA friends Crayfish Party!
Join us for a night of
singing, eating, drinking
and laughter at the IKEA
friends Crayfi sh Party.
Put on crayfi sh-patterned
paper hats and bibs, hold
your schnapps high and
say “Skål!” All you need is
30 Bonus Points to join us.
If you would like to bring a
friend or a family member,
another 15 Bonus Points
will be required for each
additional person. Simply
drop by the friends counter
at IKEA Alexandra or IKEA
Tampines to register soon,
as there are only 100 places
available.
The IKEA friends Crayfi sh Party will take
place on the evening of 24 August 2007.
Look forward to Swedish food, crayfi sh, schnapps,
beer, lots of fun and more.
Date : 24 August 2007, Friday
Venue : IKEA Tampines Carpark, Level 2
Time : 7pm-11pm
THE friends CRAYFISH PARTY
A shopping list to help you
plan your own crayfi sh party!
Crayfi sh 1 kg $19.50 (Only available end of July.)
SVENSKA NUBBAR schnapps 10x50ml $39.50
WÄSTGÖTA KLOSTER cheese 310 gm, $5.50
SVENSKT TUNNBRÖD soft thin bread 225 gm, $2.60
OLD GOLD Swedish beer (5% Alcohol) 33cl, $3.50
Available at the Swedish Food Market in IKEA Alexandra and
IKEA Tampines, while stocks last.
Do not fret if you do not have any crayfi sh outfi t. You will receive a Crayfi sh Party Kit at the door.
*Alcohol will only be served to those above 18 years old.
7

8
Make pots and pans work for you!
It’s amazing how much quicker, easier and more enjoyable cooking becomes when you’re properly
equipped. The right pots and pans can make all the difference, which saves you time and effort in
the kitchen. Here are some ideas on what IKEA pot and pans can do for you!
STIL claypot $39 Red clay. W23xL36, H16cm. SENIOR fondue set $69/set Clear lacquered, stained solid rubberwood handle.
Enamel/cast iron pot. Stainless steel burner. W25, H22cm.
Cooking in company
Brilliant for cooks who don’t want to spend all evening at the stove,
the clay pot takes care of itself in the oven until dinnertime. When
ready, lift the lid to reveal the glorious fl avours of your meat, chicken
or casserole dishes at the table.
The unglazed clay pot is soaked in water before use, so that the steam
formed in the oven will help to cook its contents without the need to
add much liquid or fat. Intense fl avour and the pleasure of genuine
comfort food guaranteed.
$ 25
GRILLA grill pan
GRILLA grill pan $25 Aluminium with non-stick coating base.
Solid beech/ stainless steel handle. W26xL36, H5cm.
Instant barbeque
Crisp, healthy and irresistible, grilled food is quick and easy
to prepare on this rippled pan. It heats up fast to the high
temperature required, and gives your meat a good fl avour as
well as appealing barbeque stripes. While grilling, food is kept
free of the fat which collects in the grooves.
Taste of tradition
With a fondue set, you can get everyone to join in around the table
as the meal gets cooked. A fun and different way to feed friends and
family, fondue sets are versatile too.
Fill the pot with oil, broth, red wine or cheese and dip meat,
vegetables or pieces of bread to cook instantly on the end of long
forks. You can even make an exciting dessert by dipping pieces of fruit
into melted chocolate.
STIL paella pan $79 Aluminium/Stainless steel with Tefl on ® Professional
coat. Ø33cm.
Spanish style
Try your hand at traditional Spanish paella: a fragrant combination
of rice, saffron, chicken and seafood. Present it steaming at the table,
straight from the spacious pan.
You’ll also fi nd your paella pan handy for other dishes which involve
stirring and blending different ingredients in large quantities, such as
Bolognese sauce. The wide base and sides make this a great pan to have
when cooking for lots of people, and it can go in the oven to keep warm.

COOKING
Buy a FAKTUM kitchen frame fi tted with any door & RATIONELL interior fi ttings or an UDDEN kitchen combination worth $500 or more & receive
free IKEA vouchers worth 10%* of the purchase value (excluding delivery & installation charges). Simply produce your receipt & sales order at the
Exchange & Returns counter. This offer is valid for kitchen purchases from 31 May - 8 July 2007 at IKEA Alexandra & IKEA Tampines.
*Terms and conditions apply. Value of vouchers to be rounded off to the nearest $10.
STIL tagine $99 Aluminium with non-stick Tefl on ® Professional
coating base. Stoneware lid. Ø30, H31cm.
Flavours of North Africa
Are you drawn to this irresistible aroma of traditional North African tagine?
With this special pot, you can successfully reproduce those wonderful dishes
at home.
In the tagine, ingredients such as meat or fi sh and vegetables are simmered
over a low heat for a longer period of time, together with subtle spices, herbs
and even dried apricots or prunes.
The cone-shaped ceramic lid drips steam from the food back into the pot, so
that the food doesn’t dry out while the intense delicious fl avours develop.
FAVORIT sauteuse $65 Stainless steel/aluminium. Ø23, H10.5cm. 2.5L.
Perfect for pasta sauce
A high-sided frying pan with lid, the sauteuse is a useful
addition to your kitchen if you like to cook dishes in a
sauce. Lightly fry ingredients such as meat or vegetables,
then add liquid to complete the cooking process. Perfect for
making pasta sauces for example, this pan’s high sides will
prevent the liquid from splashing out.
STIL wok $79 Aluminium/Stainless steel with Tefl on ® Professional coat. Ø35cm.
For eastern fl air
Take a leaf out of the Asian cookbook and stir-fry delicious
combinations of vegetables with meat for seafood in a wok. As you
stir, the pan’s high sloping sides send food tumbling down to the
base where the temperature is highest.
This traditional Asian cooking method requires little fat and
because it’s quick, it preserves both fl avour and nutrients. You can
also use your wok for frying, sauteing and deep-frying.
Know your cookware
Here are some basic material knowledge that will help
you choose the right cookware for you and your cooking.
Stainless steel
Stainless steel is easy to use, easy to clean and a good basic choice
for most types of cooking. It’s durable and looks new for a long time.
Aluminium
Aluminium conducts heat very evenly and responds quickly when you
turn the heat up or down. This saves energy and is great for sauces
and other things that burn easily.
Non-stick
Pots and pans with non-stick coatings prevent sticking, enable you to
fry with little or no added fat, and are easy to wash by hand. It’s a
healthy choice.
Cast iron
Cast iron is very durable, and has superb browning and frying
properties. It heats up slowly but evenly, and retains heat. The
enamel provides a hard and permanent surface that prevents the iron
for reacting with acidic food and does not require oiling.
9

10
Gardening At Home - Get It Right!
Create your own mini garden at home
GARDENING ACTIVITY
Plants beautify your homes, humidify the air and fi lter air of pollutants. Having them around is also a visual
antidote for daily stress. Never out of style, plants have always been a popular ornament for the home.
Experimenting and learning gardening is also discovering nature.
A happy plant at home will reward your gardening efforts
when you see it blooming. For many home gardeners,
growing favourite plants can be very challenging and it
is not unusual to give up half-way. So, how to get it right?
Come and join us to fi nd out more.
Shirley Ling, Manager (Community In Bloom) from
National Parks Board will share with you her experiences
on gardening at home, and tips on how you can be a
successful home gardener. She will show you how to
choose and care for your plants properly by providing a
basic guide to growing and maintaining them, as well as
specifi c information about individual plant varieties which
you can plant at home.
You can create a miniature garden at home… in a jar! These
miniature gardens planted in enclosed containers are known
as terrariums. Creating a terrarium fi lled with small plants is a
practical and fun way to have a miniature landscape at home.
When a terrarium is properly planted and located, it can be a
source of enjoyment for months to years, providing an interesting
way of gardening at home. Their easy care is ideal for people who
are too busy to spend much time caring for plants. Terrariums are
suitable for indoor environments such as homes and offi ces. And
they make unique DIY gifts for friends!
Sign up for Gardening At Home using only 50 Bonus Points and also create your very own terrarium in less than an hour using
an IKEA glass jar and bring it home! Materials will be provided. Please bring along your IKEA friends card or IKEA friends VISA
card to register at the friends counter at IKEA Alexandra or IKEA Tampines. Each member is entitled to one set of materials and is
allowed to bring another family member or friend to lend a hand. There are 25 places available, so do drop by to register soon.
Activity: Gardening At Home
Bonus Points: 50 points per member
Date : 15 July 2007, Sunday
Time : 11 am – 1 pm
Venue : IKEA Tampines
Meeting point : Meet our friendly co-worker at the friends counter at
IKEA Tampines before we proceed to the activity area.

More than just wall coverings
CRAFTWORK ACTIVITY
Wall coverings are not just meant only for walls – Use them in creative ways for example, to liven up your home or to
decorate your personal items. Create a feature wall at home using a wall covering of your choice. When decorated
with crystals, coloured saffron, sequins or beads, they turn into a display wall art-piece. You can also frame your
favourite wall covering up as a display picture, and even give it to someone as a gift or use it as a gift-wrapper.
Try to add a fresh touch to your dining
ware by using wall coverings as your
placemats or simply having a layer of
wall covering on your coasters. You can
do the same for picture frames, lamp
shades, clocks and magazine fi les to
give your decorative items at home a
new look. You can even transform shoes,
bags, belts, jewelry or note books into
trendy items using wall coverings.
Join us for some craftwork
fun and find out how to apply
your own wall covering!
Ever thought of applying your own wall covering
at home? Join us on 5 August 2007 to get some
advice from the specialists from Goodrich. Our
friends from Goodrich will talk about the latest
wall covering trends and showcase how to
apply wall covering on your own at home! Also
experiment with different coverings on an IKEA
MALMA mirror to give it a new look!
Sign up for this friends activity using 20 Bonus Points at the friends counter at IKEA Alexandra or IKEA Tampines. Each
participant will also get to work with Goodrich’s wall covering on an IKEA MALMA mirror and bring it home! Each member is
allowed to bring another participant along, using another 20 points. There are 40 places available. Please bring along your
valid IKEA friends card or IKEA friends VISA card to register. Light refreshments will be served during the activity.
Activity: More than just wall coverings
Bonus Points: 20 points per participant
Date : 5 August 2007, Sunday
Time : 11 am – 1 pm
Venue : IKEA Tampines
Meeting point : Meet our friendly co-worker at the friends counter at IKEA Tampines
before we proceed to the activity area.
11

Say ‘NO’ to free plastic bags
It’s amazing how a little word like “NO” can have such an effect
on how we can reduce waste. In turn, it can have a real impact on
our environment and indirectly even our own pockets. Consider this
sobering fact – Singaporeans use 2.5 billion plastic bags a year.
That is 2,500 plastic bags per year, for each family. Or almost 7
plastic bags a day per family. Most of these bags are often thrown
away because although we use them for our trash
daily, we can’t deny that there will always be more
bags than we actually need. This waste only means
greater costs to our environment. And don’t forget
the big bucks spent on making these bags. One way
or another, these costs trickle down and it is you who
pays the price in the end. That’s why plastic bags
never have or will be “free”.
So how does “NO” help? It’s simple. When you shop at
IKEA, just saying “NO” to plastic bags will be a small
but important step to reduce wastage and usage.
IKEA Singapore, together with your help, takes a stand
by not giving away plastic bags to our customers.
Instead, we encourage you to bring your own reusable and durable
blue IKEA shopping bags. You may also purchase a reusable and
durable blue IKEA shopping bag at $1.20 reduced from $2.90. We
know that breaking the “plastic bag habit” may take getting used
to so should the need arise, we still have our plastic bags available
at 5 or 10 cents depending on the size. To make effort even more
worthwhile, proceeds from plastic bag sales will be donated to the
WWF Singapore Conservation Fund to assist fi eldwork that helps
fi ght against the haze that
affects Singapore every
year, and at the same
time global warming, a
long-term threat to our
island. So say “NO” to
plastic bags now and you
automatically say “YES”
to less waste, haze and
global warming. That’s the
power of a simple word.
12
IKEA blue
shopping bag
W57xL38xH40cm.
Reusable.
Has a lifetime
guarantee.
ENVIRONMENT
DID YOU KNOW?
• About 2.5 billion¹ plastic bags are used every year in Singapore.
That’s about 2,500 bags used per family per year.
• Plastic bags are made from oil, a fi nite resource. If each family
uses one less plastic bag a week, Singapore could save 50 million
bags each year.
• By using reusable bags during our shopping trips, we will use fewer
plastic bags and help to conserve the earth’s resources.
• Plastic bags thrown away as litter, dirty our public places, rivers
and canals, and may even clog up drains, and this would lead to
stagnant water and mosquito breeding.
• Plastic bags litter despoils nature trails, beaches and even chokes
up mangroves and poses a threat to marine lives.
• The recent haze in Singapore was a result of forest fi res in Sumatra
and Kalimantan. Imagine acres of trees felled and burnt, and
wild animals losing their habitats. Illegal felling of trees, forest
clearing and forest fi res have led to the depletion of resources
in the Riau region. According to non-governmental organisation,
Eyes on the Forest, about 1,419
hotspots were detected in Riau
province alone in July 2006². In
Singapore, the haze affected
our air quality and caused the
Pollutant Standards Index (PSI)
to surge to an unhealthy level.
Supported by:
$ 1. 20
reduced from: $2.90
1 Source: www.nea.gov.sg
2 Source: Asian Geographic, Issue 3/2007, page 62.