Ideas
Examples to borrow from.
Twelve small green businesses students could run, and the one thing to measure for each. Copy the shape, not the idea.
12 ideas
The problem
Unfinished rice and noodles go in the bin every recess.
The business
Smaller default portions with a cheap top-up, tracked by a class tally.
What to measure
Grams of leftover food weighed before and after, per student per week.
Unit: g / student / week
The problem
Disposable bottles pile up after sports day.
The business
A refill station with a reusable-bottle loan and a small deposit.
What to measure
Number of single-use bottles avoided, counted by refill taps.
Unit: bottles / week
The problem
Kitchen scraps in the neighbourhood go to incineration.
The business
Subscription compost bins for households, soil sold to community gardens.
What to measure
Kilograms of scraps diverted, and kilograms of soil produced.
Unit: kg / month
The problem
Working-but-broken small items are thrown away.
The business
A repair pop-up for fans, torches and bags with a pay-what-you-like fee.
What to measure
Items repaired and estimated weight kept out of waste.
Unit: items, kg
The problem
Outgrown school uniforms are discarded after a year.
The business
A swap-and-resell shelf run by students.
What to measure
Garments reused, multiplied by an average garment weight.
Unit: garments / term
The problem
Concrete corridors get hot and dusty.
The business
Potted plant hire for classrooms and HDB corridors, with a care plan.
What to measure
Temperature difference near the plants using a simple thermometer log.
Unit: °C difference
The problem
One-sided printed paper is binned after a single use.
The business
Scrap-paper notebooks sold to the school bookshop.
What to measure
Sheets collected and notebooks made.
Unit: sheets / term
The problem
Lights and fans stay on in empty rooms.
The business
A paid audit service for tuition centres and small shops, with a reminder kit.
What to measure
Kilowatt-hours saved, read from meter before and after.
Unit: kWh / month
The problem
Takeaway containers are used for minutes and thrown away.
The business
A returnable container scheme with two hawker stalls.
What to measure
Containers avoided, return rate, and cost per use compared with disposables.
Unit: uses / container
The problem
Rain runs off while plants are watered with tap water.
The business
Barrel kits for community gardens, with a monthly top-up service.
What to measure
Litres of rainwater used instead of tap water.
Unit: L / month
The problem
Few residents grow edible or native plants.
The business
Seed packets saved from herbs and sold for pocket-sized prices.
What to measure
Packets sold, and plants grown reported by buyers.
Unit: packets, plants
The problem
Students are driven to school short distances.
The business
Safe bike parking and a basic tune-up service near the MRT.
What to measure
Trips switched from car to bike, from a weekly sign-in sheet.
Unit: trips / week
How to measure
Three habits of good evidence
Take a baseline
Count or weigh before you start, so “better” has something to be better than.
Keep it small and repeatable
One bin, one week, one tally sheet. Do it the same way each time.
Say what it means
Turn raw numbers into one sentence: “We kept 2.4 kg of rice out of the bin in a week.”