In a world with finite resources, it is important that we make the most of what we have.

We should take a leaf from the book of San Francisco non-profit organisation Scrap, which helps teachers and artists get creative with recycled trash (Recycling charity gets creative with trash diverted from landfill; ST Online, Oct 31).

The fundamental principle is to replace expensive art materials with recyclable and reusable materials that were thrown away. Students and teachers breathe new life into the waste materials and produce beautiful art pieces.

This idea is not entirely new to Singapore. There are local artists who piece together cardboard and tinker with scrap metal. These artists also conduct workshops to share and teach their art.

However, these one-off workshops do little for the dream of a sustainable future.

It would be ideal if Singapore could introduce "trash art" into the primary school curriculum and conduct long-term workshops at community centres for families to create art pieces .

If we can inculcate the habit of recycling and reusing in children, we will be raising a generation that will pave the way for a more sustainable future.

Eden Low (Ms)