CSC x NUS Seafarers Ketam Clean-Up 24 Oct 2026

Report by Vjan Yeo

How Much Trash Can Pulau Ketam Hold?

When I look around mainland Singapore, I’m often struck by how clean our beaches, roads and parks are. It is rare to come across places where there is so much trash to pick up.

But our Ketam Clean-Up today reminded me of two important things.

1. There is A LOT of trash in our seas.

Pulau Ketam is a mangrove habitat and a natural collection point for trash carried in by the tides. Today, we came across all sorts of household items, including styrofoam boxes, plastic bottles, hangers, rubber soles, helmets and even a handbag!

These items are a sobering reminder of the impact of human activity on our marine environment. Trash discarded into the sea can choke waterways, damage aquatic habitats and threaten the biodiversity that depends on these ecosystems.

Despite the volunteers’ best efforts, our clean-up has made only a small dent in the problem. There are still many areas left to clear, and even if we managed to clean them all, new trash would continue to wash ashore every day.

2. We should never take Singapore’s cleanliness for granted.

Our clean and liveable city did not happen by chance. It is the result of the collective efforts of many people, from the cleaning teams who maintain our public spaces to generations of Singaporeans who have been taught from young not to litter.

We enjoy the benefits of these collective efforts every day. But if we lose that sense of responsibility, we risk slowly turning the clean home we cherish into a dirtier one.

Ketam Clean-Up has never been just about cleaning Pulau Ketam.

The reality is that we may never finish cleaning it. To me, the greater value of this initiative lies in its educational impact — helping us see first-hand the consequences of pollution and the harsh reality faced by our marine ecosystems.

More importantly, it reminds us that there is something we can do. Reducing our reliance on single-use products can help lower demand for their production and disposal, while minimising the amount of waste that ultimately finds its way into our seas.

Every little action counts, and change begins with us.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all our volunteers and CSC boat owners for their hard work and commitment to this bi-annual clean-up exercise. A special thank-you to Prime Aquaculture Hatchery for supporting us with the logistics of trash disposal.

We may not be able to clean it all in a day, but we can certainly keep trying.

See you at the next Ketam Clean-Up! 🌊🌱