We Cleaned Up Kallang Basin and Found 98kg of Trash in 45 Minutes
Kallang Basin river cleanup Singapore
Sometimes the best way to appreciate the waterways we play in is to get out there and clean them up. On 6 June, Sunday Shades teamed up with the Singapore Canoe Federation and ZODA for a river cleanup at Kallang Basin, and what we pulled out of the water in under an hour left everyone speechless.
Twenty-eight participants across 14 kayaks paddled out into the basin armed with gloves, bags, and a genuine desire to do something meaningful for Singapore's waterways. Forty-five minutes later, they had collected 98kg of rubbish. Nearly 100 kilograms of waste removed from a stretch of water that gets cleaned regularly.
That last point hit people hard.
When "Clean" Isn't Actually Clean
One of the most common reactions from participants on the day: genuine surprise. Kallang Basin isn't a neglected waterway. It's actively maintained. Cleaners work the area. And yet, when you get out on the water and look beneath the surface, along the banks, and into the corners that cleaners can't easily reach, the trash is there.
Plastic bottles. Packaging. Debris caught in reeds. Rubbish that accumulates quietly, out of sight, in places uses usually never see.
This is exactly why campaigns like these matter. They reach what routine maintenance misses. And when you paddle out there yourself and when you're the one pulling that waste out with your own hands, it changes how you see the place.
98kg in 45 Minutes
To put that number in perspective: 98kg of trash, collected by 28 people, in less than an hour. That's a remarkable result for a first outing, and it speaks to both the effort of the participants and the scale of what's quietly sitting in our waterways.
The energy on the day was genuinely uplifting. Participants came in keen and left feeling like they'd actually done something that mattered. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with many saying this was one of the more meaningful experiences they'd had at a community event. When you can point to a pile of bags and say "we pulled that out of the water today," it hits differently than a certificate or a finisher tee.
Sun, Water, and Shades
Of course, it wasn't all graft and garbage bags. There was plenty of laughter out on the water too. Spirits were high from the moment the kayaks pushed off, and the whole session had the feel of a genuine community outing rather than a corporate volunteer day. One thing nobody had to worry about is the sun. June in Singapore means intense UV, and with participants out on open water where glare bounces off the surface and there's zero shade, eye protection isn't optional. Pretty much the whole group had their Sunday Shades on, and with UV400 lenses cutting through the water glare and the lightweight fit staying put through every paddle stroke, nobody was squinting or fussing with their frames. Good vibes, clean water, and eyes covered. That's the way to do it.
A Small Part, Done Well
Kenneth from Sunday Shades summed it up plainly after the cleanup: this event isn't going to change the world. But that was never the point. The point is to show up, do our part, and care for the waterways that we live beside, play in, and love.
That is the mindset of our motto 'Limitless Days'. Doing the small thing well, building something real over time and living life to the full doing something we find meaningful.
We make sunglasses for people who are out there: on the water, on the trail, on the road. Gear for people who actually go. And the people who showed up on 6 June, who paddled out and got their hands dirty, embody exactly that.
Love The Ocean — Corals: Built for This
The Kallang Basin cleanup also marked the launch of Sunday Shades' newest limited-edition release: the Love The Ocean — Corals collection. Frames crafted from recycled plastic, designed for people who actually care about what happens to the oceans and waterways they spend time in. It felt like the right moment to introduce it, with 28 people who'd just spent 45 minutes pulling nearly 100kg of rubbish out of Kallang Basin. The collection exists because the problem exists. And the people at this cleanup understood that better than anyone. Pick up a pair at sundayshades.co, every purchase is a small vote for cleaner water.
What's Next
The question we heard most at the end of the day was: when's the next one?
We're working on it. Follow Sunday Shades on Instagram and keep an eye on our site. We'll be posting details when the next cleanup is confirmed. If you want to be on the list, get in touch and we'll make sure you're first to know.
In the meantime, if you're heading out to Kallang, the reservoir parks, or any of Singapore's waterway trails, you already know the deal: take your rubbish with you. Leave the water better than you found it.
And if you need a pair of shades that won't slide off your face when you're paddling hard or picking up a bag of someone else's rubbish — the Sunday Shades Sports Series was built for exactly that. UV400 protection, lightweight TR90 frames, no-slip fit, Asian Fit. These Shades Won't Slide.
See you on the water.