By Malini Nathan

THAT'S what 240 Primary 1 pupils from Tampines North Primary School are attempting.

As part of this year's Total Defence Day theme 'I Will', the pupils each received a lunchbox from Swedish furniture store Ikea last week, to kick-start their efforts to go green. The pupils pledged to help save the environment by using their lunchboxes.

Ms Jocelyn Teo, assistant manager of sustainability at Ikea Singapore, said: 'We wanted to encourage sustainable life in schools and saw this as a great opportunity to teach kids about minimising waste.'

The school wanted the children to learn that they too can do their part to save the environment, despite their tender age.

Mrs Yeo Dai Yun, head of department for physical education, aesthetics and co-curricular activities, added: 'The lunchboxes teach them to cut down on waste, and we wanted to start with the new pupils.'

Some pupils, like Simran Kaur, seven, caught on quickly: 'I love my new lunchbox. It helps me keep Singapore clean because I can use it again and again.'

In keeping with the school's aim of developing environmental awareness, even the teachers use lunchboxes, instead of disposable plates and polystyrene cartons. The school has banned them, and no bottled drinks are sold either.

This article was first published in The Straits Times.