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updated 24 Jan 2012, 22:05
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Tue, Jan 24, 2012
Urban, The Straits Times
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Nadya Hutagalung: Green beauty
by Rohaizatul Azhar

It’s not easy being green. But Fly Entertainment artiste Nadya Hutagalung, 35, encourages everyone to at least give it a shot.

The former MTV Asia VJ and eco-activist believes that it is not about overhauling what you’re used to but merely tweaking things to suit a greener lifestyle.

“The simplest thing to do is to start by learning about ingredients in the products that you consume daily, especially in beauty products,” she says.

“It’s important to know which ingredients are harmful to the environment and not to use those products.”

The Australian-born former model is walking the talk. She is the founder of Green Kampong, a website, on conservation and eco-living. She is currently overseeing the construction of her new eco-friendly family home in Bukit Timah, which has taken about three years to build.

“I’m on site almost every day and it’s not all done yet. They’re fixing up the small roof top garden and planting creepers to insulate the house from heat,” she explains.

She will dwell in the three-storey, seven-bedroom home with her husband, former national swimmer Desmond Koh, her two younger children, Fynn, six, and Nyla, two, and two domestic helpers. Her other son Tyronne, 16, is studying in Australia.

The house is designed to minimise the use of energy with a solar-powered water heater system and LED lights.

Hutagalung sourced for the building materials herself.

Most of the materials used in the construction of the house were from sustainable sources and bought either locally or within the region to reduce the carbon footprint produced.

“It’s not that easy being eco-friendly, but it won’t hurt to try. You can shop and splurge, just do it in moderation. The rest comes naturally.”

This article was first published in Urban, The Straits Times.

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