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A retired man made an "I love Singapore" mural on the ground in Bedok using 80,000 used bottle caps.

Shen Maofu (hanyu pinyin), 77, took half a year to complete his artwork -- with a little help from the residents in the estate.

The 6m by 4m mural on the ground at the open area of Block 25 New Upper Changi Road was completed on Dec. 25.

Shen told Shin Min Daily News he would spend 3pm to 8pm making the mural every day.

The idea came about in May, he said.

Residents donated bottle caps

A total of 20 to 30 bottle caps were collected each day, but this was not enough.

The Bedok residents' committee got wind of the initiative and the challenges Shen faced in finishing his work, and stepped in by setting up a donation bucket to appeal for bottle caps from the estate's residents.

The response was favourable as some residents went the extra mile to find bottle caps from recycling bins to contribute to the effort.

Shin Min reported that those who helped Shen did so as they knew he was very enthusiastic about the project.

But Shen still had to improvise to acquire enough of red bottle caps he needed.

As he had a hard time finding red bottle caps, he spray painted bottle caps of other colours red.

He also had safety issues in mind.

He said: "As beer bottle caps are made of metal, they will rust and hurt people who come here, so I use plastic bottle caps."

Spent about S$700-S$800

In total, Shen estimated he spent about S$700 to S$800 on cement and transport.

He explained: "The bottle caps are all from discarded plastic bottles, which is very environmentally friendly."

He is aiming to create a Merlion mural next using bottle caps as well.