While it may feel like the waste we create on a daily basis is insignificant, the numbers can quickly accumulate over time. In 2022 alone, 7.39 million tonnes of solid waste were disposed of in Singapore, of which 1.86 million tonnes was generated by households.

As more organisations take a stance on attaining zero waste, it is now easier for us to make impactful changes and enjoy a more eco-conscious lifestyle.

In this month’s blog, we’re showcasing three local brands that are making environmentally-friendly household products easily accessible. If you’re keen to start embarking on your own zero waste journey, read on to see what they have to offer.

Natural personal care for the family

While we rely on soap to clean our body, mass-produced soaps use synthetic chemicals to create lather and scent and these are generally packed with preservatives that can be harmful to our skin, hard to break down when washed away, and contribute to pollution in our drains and oceans.

The Castile Soap Shop solves this problem by curating high-quality natural soaps and cleaners that are produced the right way. The brand advocates for the many natural ingredients found in our surroundings, primarily made from 100% organic plant oils, and incorporates them into their products to promote an organic, chemical-free cleaning routine. 

Their online store features a wide array of products, be it for the body, hair, pets or home, making it a one-stop shop for all things related to home and self-cleaning. And once every month, the brand also provides a Mobile Refill Service for customers to have their favourite soaps topped up right at home in their recyclable bottles to reduce plastic waste.

Making eco-conscious choices can be convenient with brands like The Castile Soap Shop. If you would like to check them out, head over to their website or Instagram page.

Going green one chopstick at a time

Every week, over 1.5 billion disposable chopsticks are used worldwide – and are sent straight to the landfills. 

With so much wood at our disposal, ChopValue has found a way to transform all these single-use waste into functional home furniture and decor pieces. From kitchen accessories, to home office desks and wooden toys, the brand is making their impact and crafting unique items to elevate your home, one chopstick at a time. 

The company begins their process by collecting used chopsticks from various businesses before turning them into new engineered material that is stronger than oak and harder than maple. Consumers can now drop off their excess unused disposable chopsticks too, located at their micro-factory at 56 Loyang Way. Production then takes place in their micro-factories around the world to produce high-quality, minimalist furniture designed to elevate homes without compromising functionality or style. 

You can find a range of upcycled furniture from phone holders to cheese boards on ChopValue’s online store, or follow their Instagram page to keep up-to-date with their latest news.

Choose Eco-Brands Over Mainstream Products

Practising yoga can help to reduce stress and anxiety by encouraging mindfulness and promoting a sense of relaxation. However, it is also important to be equally mindful of the impact that our fitness routines have on the environment.

Items such as conventional yoga mats, exercise balls, and resistance bands are typically made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which is non-biodegradable and difficult to recycle, and can take up to 500 years to break down. They also contain phthalates and other harmful chemicals that are released into the air and the environment over time. 

By using eco-friendly workout gear and making sustainable choices, we can not only improve our own wellbeing but also contribute to a healthier environment. You can start to do so by taking a look at TouchTheToes, a local yoga shop that focuses on supplying sustainable and ethical products to promote an eco-conscious active lifestyle. 

The store stocks yoga mats, workout apparels, and fitness accessories made from organic cotton, natural rubber and recycled plastic bottles. Their signature yoga products are free from synthetic chemicals and provide stronger grip and cushioning – courtesy of natural-occurring properties from components like rubber, cork and jute. 

TouchTheToes’ goal is to ensure that they are neither short-changing their suppliers, nor charging a hefty price tag to their customers. Most of their products are ethically sourced and produced in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals – a framework that prioritises responsible consumption, zero poverty and climate action. If you’re looking for new workout wear, why not check out TouchTheToes on their website or Instagram page.

Embark on your zero-waste journey today

As zero-waste practices continue to grow in Singapore, there are many more brands who are providing eco-friendly solutions and alternatives to help you embark on your own environmental journey.

Starting from today, you can make a stand to do your part in reducing waste by checking out these three sustainable living brands for your household essentials. 

If you have enjoyed our monthly blog, you can also stand a chance to win our Facebook and Instagram giveaway too! Simply comment on our giveaway post by answering this question: “Name one of the 3 featured brands in our latest blogpost that advocate zero waste living.” 10 lucky winners will receive a Geneco Green Starter Kit and $30 worth of eCapitaVouchers. Contest ends on 31 May 2023, T&Cs apply.

Let’s continue to #PowerTheChange and embrace a #ZeroWaste lifestyle.

From agriculture to food processing and distribution, each stage of the global food production has a significant impact on the environment. In fact, one-quarter of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions result directly from food and agriculture.

As consumers, we can do our part to reduce our carbon footprint by making eco-friendly lifestyle changes, and it can be as simple as buying local produce, planning your meal portions in advance, or even diversifying your meals by going plant-based. Along with government efforts such as the Singapore Green Plan 2030 and Singapore Food Agency’s ‘30 by 30’, which aims to nurture our agri-food industry’s capability and capacity for sustainable food production, many local businesses are now providing environmentally friendly dining options, and we can find sustainable menus more widely available around Singapore.

In this month’s blog, we are showcasing three organisations that make it easier for anyone to enjoy alternative food choices that are good for both our health and the environment.

Go green, one bowl at a time

Committed to making a positive impact in Singapore’s food scene, The Kind Bowl has created a delectable menu that uses sustainable and ethical ingredients, along with their aims of promoting food as a way to nourish our bodies. The humble plant-based Vietnamese restaurant goes by the belief that anyone can make a meaningful impact on the planet, simply by switching to just one plant-based meal a month.

This belief is at the heart of The Kind Bowl’s ethos, where they are dedicated to promoting sustainable eating and making it accessible to everyone. If you’re planning to head down to The Kind Bowl to enjoy comforting Vietnamese food, you can check out their bestselling dishes, which include Saigon Delight, the classic Banh Mi made with OMNI Luncheon Meat; and The Kind Pho, which is a blend of silky rice noodles and umami broth, with “no chicken” seitan and grilled oyster mushrooms. 

Their commitment to sustainability and healthy eating is inspiring, and serves as a reminder that we can all make a difference, one bowl at a time. To make a reservation at any of their three outlets, you can visit their reservation website.

Hegg-spect the un-hegg-spected

Singaporeans consume more than 5 million eggs a day, but local production can only meet around 20% of the demand. To help Singapore reduce its dependence on imported plant-based eggs and achieve our 30-by-30 goal, homegrown food tech company, Hegg, is constantly pursuing new and innovative ways to create delicious and versatile plant-based egg products. 

If you’re curious to try out this unique protein alternative, you can start with the Hegg Eggless Egg powder that you can use in various cooking applications – whether you like your eggs baked, scrambled, fried and more. But if you’re looking for other exciting additions to your plant-based meals, you can also find Hegg’s Eggless Kaya and Eggless Mayonnaise in the line-up. They are also constantly sharing accessible plant-based recipes that you can create using Hegg products such as the Hegg Brownies and Hegg Portugese Egg Tarts recipes, making it easy to incorporate their eggless products into your diet.By producing this tasty egg alternative, Hegg not only reduces water footprint and eggshell wastage in Singapore, they also extend their efforts toward supporting animal rights. To try your hand at creating some plant-based egg recipes, check out Hegg’s website.

Discover eco-conscious Mexican flavours

If you’re craving for flavourful and robust Mexican food, look no further than Super Loco, a Singapore-based restaurant that offers the best of Mexico’s gastronomic cuisine with a contemporary and sustainable twist. Committed to reducing their carbon impact and contributing to the environment, Super Loco has implemented four sustainability pillars that they live by:

1. Carbon Conscious Menu, where the menu is at least 50% plant-based and the carbon footprint of each dish is indicated
2. Tree Adoption, a partnership with Green Steps to aid reforestation across Borneo’s endangered rainforests and minimise carbon impact
3. Filtered Water, which has saved 9,000kg and 5 tonnes of carbon emissions from transportation of imported bottled water
4. Zero Plastic, which produces fully biodegradable straws with fully compostable delivery packaging

The restaurant is deeply inspired by its vibrant culture that honours home cooking, bringing to life their vision of serving contemporary Mexican cuisine influenced by authentic Mexican flavours. To make a reservation at any of their four outlets in Singapore, visit their website.

Sowing the seeds of sustainability with #GenecoFiVesta

To celebrate our fifth anniversary with #GenecoFiVesta, we have launched #SeedTheFuture initiative, and partnered with homegrown ice cream brand, Apiary, who is known for its premium ice cream flavours that are made with natural ingredients without any artificial colouring, to create an exclusive Geneco #SeedTheFuture ice cream. This limited edition flavour will be available from 1st to 30th April at all Apiary outlets and online store, and Geneco customers can enjoy 10% off this exclusive ice cream pint.

Our dedication to a more environmentally sustainable future is reflected in the carbon-neutral certified production process and the use of carbon-neutral packaging for serving the ice cream. The flavour combines the refreshing taste of calamansi lime with attap seeds, one of the seeds conserved at the Singapore Botanic Gardens Seed Bank, and it is perfectly balanced with a delightful blend of sweet and sour notes resulting in a zesty treat. Furthermore, the ice cream presentation is designed to resemble the planting of seeds: attap seeds are carefully placed in a concave dip in the ice cream and topped off with golden cereal crumbles that have been baked with butter and sugar to symbolise soil. This creative touch adds to the overall aesthetic appeal, creating a memorable sustainability experience with a sweet twist.

On top of that, we are also contributing $10,000 to the Garden City Fund, a registered charity and IPC of National Parks Board (NParks), to support the Singapore Botanic Gardens Seed Bank. This donation will help preserve the seeds of endangered plant species affected by climate change and habitat loss. 

To learn more about #SeedTheFuture initiative, visit www.geneco.sg/fivesta. 

Let’s continue to #PowerTheChange and seed the future for generations to come.

Singapore has a huge array of botanical biodiversity, with over 4,600 floral species and approximately 1,612 native plant species found all around our country. Thanks to the initiatives and decades of hard work put in by our government and stakeholders since the 1960s, we can enjoy and revel in the lush nature and vibrant life that surrounds us today. 

Today, the pursuit of transforming our country into a sustainable City in Nature is still gaining traction, with new nature parks being opened and mangrove restoration projects kicking off. As we celebrate the International Day of Forests today, let’s all take this opportunity to appreciate our natural green spaces and play our part to protect it. We’ve put together three easy ideas for you to start making a difference and contributing to the preservation of our green heritage.

1. Learn about the different tree species around us with TreesSG

Beyond providing cooler air temperatures in Singapore’s hot and humid climate, trees help to mitigate the effects of urbanisation by reducing air pollution and providing habitats for wildlife. With approximately 7 million trees in Singapore, there is much that we can learn about the lush greenery around us. 

As part of the OneMillionTrees Movement that aims to restore nature back into our city by planting an additional one million trees across Singapore over the next 10 years, TreesSG is a resource powered by National Parks Board (NParks) that can help you learn about Singapore’s urban trees on an interactive map. 

For those who love an on-ground adventure, TreesSG has downloadable DIY Trails with specially designed routes that allow you to navigate your way around our Heritage Trees at your own pace. If you’re curious about the trees you see everyday, you can even gain insights about the trees in your neighbourhood with the TreesSG interactive map. Simply click on any tree on the map to learn about its name and characteristics, and the benefits it provides. You can even use the map to share your sightings of flowering trees with your own tree photos!

If you’d like to contribute to the movement, you can also make a donation to NParks’ registered charity and IPC, Garden City Fund, which will go towards reforestation efforts and help restore degraded ecosystems. With a simple donation covering the cost of a single tree, NParks will help to plant a tree around the heartlands of Singapore. If you are interested, you can participate through TreesSG’s website.

2. Start visiting our Nature Ways

To encourage ecological connectivity and connect fragmented habitats that may have been previously destroyed by deforestation, NParks started rolling out the “Rewilding Plan”, by progressively planting native trees, shrubs and wildflowers along stretches of our nature corridors and green spaces. Part of the Rewilding Plan includes the implementation of multi-tiered tree planting to resemble natural structures of forests and create natural pathways, and these routes are called Nature Ways.

Intricately planted with specific trees and shrubs to facilitate the movement of animals like birds and butterflies between green spaces, Nature Ways connect areas of high biodiversity to urban communities, create immediate habitats, and bring nature closer to Singapore residents. There are currently 49 Nature Ways in Singapore, stretching 170 km and connecting areas of high biodiversity, such as the Central Catchment Nature Reserve and Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. By 2030, NParks aims to increase these pathways to 300 km. 

If you haven’t made plans this weekend, why not explore one of the Nature Ways in Singapore? You can visit their website to find out more about the important layers that are incorporated in each Nature Way, and find out where these Nature Ways are before you embark on your adventure.

3. Volunteer at the Singapore Botanic Gardens

Singapore is well-known for its abundant green spaces, and one horticultural attraction that continues to be a popular destination for tourists and locals alike is the Botanic Gardens. With decades of history and over 82 hectares of curated flora and fauna, the Gardens remains as the only tropical botanic gardens in the world today to be designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

If you would like to lend a hand in helping the Gardens to continue thriving, there are plenty of ways you can volunteer. One way is to sign up as a tour guide and be a part of their weekly free tours for the public — not only will you get a chance to learn more about the plants in the Gardens, you will also get to share this new knowledge with others. 

Got a green thumb? Another fun way you can help out is to sign up as a Gardening Volunteer. Volunteers are given the opportunity to maintain an area in the Gardens. From preparing the ground, to sowing seeds, fertilising and composting, and even identifying and labelling plants, there is much you can learn about the plants in the Gardens while gardening and seeing the fruits of your labour.

Upon completing 10 hours of volunteer work, you will also receive a Volunteer Pass that gives you entitlements such as an invitation to an annual Volunteer Tea hosted by the Director of the Gardens and other special events and previews.

To find out more about how you can sign up as a volunteer, you can visit their website here.

#SeedTheFuture With #GenecoFiVesta

Conserving our natural environment takes a collective effort, and we can all participate by learning more about our environment and inspiring others to join in on our efforts. By working together, we can create a greater positive impact and forge a greener future for Singapore.

In celebration of our fifth anniversary #GenecoFiVesta, we will be donating $10,000 to NParks’ registered charity and IPC, Garden City Fund as part of our #SeedTheFuture initiative. This donation will go towards supporting the preservation of threatened plant species and the conservation of our botanical diversity at the Singapore Botanic Gardens Seed Bank. We hope that this initiative will inspire more to lend a hand in protecting our lush green spaces, as we continue to build a sustainable home for all.

Be a part of the action — find out more about the Singapore Botanic Gardens Seed Bank and how you can support them here.

In addition, we are also giving away a $30 eCapitaVoucher and an exclusive Geneco Green Starter Kit to 10 lucky winners over on our Facebook and Instagram pages! All you have to do is answer this: “How many Nature Ways are there in Singapore currently?” and follow the rest of the steps in the post to stand a chance. Contest runs from 21 March to 31 March 2023.

Let’s continue to #PowerTheChange and seed the future for generations to come.

As fast fashion continues gaining popularity, textile waste is a growing concern, especially when an astounding equivalent of one garbage truck full of clothes is being burned or dumped every second. The fashion industry alone contributes to 10% of global carbon emissions and 20% of the world’s water pollution. The common materials found in our clothes and unsustainable production methods adopted by most fashion brands pollute and harm our oceans and the biodiversity that depends on their habitats to survive.

With Singapore’s growing awareness towards climate change and the impact of fast fashion on the environment has spurred the growth of homegrown brands who want to do things differently. These eco-friendly brands have found their own ways to minimise the use of plastic at either end of the product life cycle, all in the name of protecting the rich biodiversity on land and under the sea.

By supporting apparel brands that prioritise sustainability, we can help to protect our diverse ecosystem and its animal inhabitants. Let’s have a look at three such local apparel brands whose pursuit for slow fashion is making waves for nature.

1. Flow Funkie Studios

Every time we wash our clothes, tiny microfibres are shed from the fabric and released into our waterways, entering our oceans and seas. Because of their tiny size, these microplastics can be consumed by marine animals, with disastrous consequences for the species and the entire marine ecosystem.

At Flow Funkie Studios, they believe in slow fashion and mindful manufacturing, by creating high quality and timeless activewear intended to last a lifetime. To disrupt the cycle of textile waste and pollution, their apparel are made from certified Global Recycle Standard (GRS) fabric, using up to 77% of recycled materials in their fabric contents.

Through the operation and production of their activewear, they follow the chemical requirements in the GRS guidelines, ensuring that only non-hazardous chemicals are used in the production process and that chemicals are disposed of properly.

While it is not possible to completely eliminate the shedding of microfibres from washing our clothes, they do what they can to lessen the impact. Every order you make comes with a polyamide ‘Baby Steps’ wash bag. The wash bag catches microfibres from all your clothes during wash, minimising the microplastics that enter the wastewater system, and protecting marine life.

With Flow Funkie Studios, we can all take small steps toward reducing microplastic pollution and protecting our oceans without cramping on our style. To support their movement, you can visit their website or Instagram.

2. Anothersole

On average, Singaporeans use 1.76 billion pieces of single-use plastic items every year, which often end up in landfills where they take over 1,000 years to decompose, this results in the release of harmful chemicals into the environment.

Shoes are among the products that are manufactured using a lot of plastic. Different types of plastics are sewn, glued, and pieced together, oftentimes making them difficult to recycle. Facing such a challenge, local footwear brand Anothersole is taking active steps to redefine footwear production.

Anothersole is dedicated to making a positive impact by producing shoes made from earth-friendly materials, eliminating the use of virgin plastic, and focuses on creating quality footwear that lasts. Their ergonomic footbeds are made from bio-based EVA, containing 20% castor bean oil, making them both environmentally and foot-friendly.

Through sustainable production, Anothersole also turns discarded plastics like water bottles into beautiful, lasting handbags. As discarded plastics often end up in the sea, the non-biodegradables become pollutants and choking hazards for marine life, including fish, gulls, and sea turtles. Taking the initiative to repurpose unwanted materials into functional accessories proves that waste can eventually be removed from our biomes to be turned into something wonderful.

If you would like to learn more about how Anothersole is committed toupcycle waste materials into fashion items, you can visit their website or Instagram.

3. SUI

Unsustainable farbic production practices such as excessive water use, deforestation and the usage of agrochemicals and dyes can cause soil degradation and chemical pollution, — all of which disrupt natural food chains and contribute to biodiversity loss. To meet the ever-growing demand for apparel, these things may seem like a small price to pay. SUI, however, takes a different approach to fashion, prioritising the environment and people.

All of SUI’s clothes are made with sustainably-produced fabric, using GOTS-certified organic cotton, hemp, and eco-friendly blends. With the goal of becoming a zero-waste brand, SUI saves every bit of leftover fabric and produces their clothes on a made-to-order basis to reduce waste.

To protect our natural ecosystems, 90% of all their garments are herbal dyed, using dyes formed from natural ingredients, and for the remaining 10%, they use azo-free dyes that are not harmful or polluting to the planet.

If you would like to learn more about how you can be a part of the change, you can visit their website and Instagram.

How Else Can We Contribute To Our Biodiversity?

Much like these businesses, we also hopes to inspire change through our initiatives. We wish to showcase how all these changes can create a collective impact on the natural biodiversity and environment that we all share, and safeguard a sustainable future for our future generations.

Through conscious choice to our daily routines — like switching to sustainable clothing, or using a laundry wash bag — we can all do our part for the environment and the biodiversity we share it with. Join us in support for native biodiversity conservation efforts and pledging to protect these biomes for a greener future.

If you still have red packets collected during Chinese New Year on hand, you can also recycle them through our #GreenForProsperity initiative. Simply visit any one of our Used Red Packet Recycling Bins across 30 retail and office locations around the country, and drop off your used or excess red packets there!

These red packets will be collected and brought to Tay Paper Recycling where they will be repurposed into new products. Our recycling bins are available until 31 March, and you can find the nearest location via www.geneco.sg/greenforprosperity.

Put your knowledge to the test in our Geneco Facebook or Instagram giveaway now and you could be one of the 10 lucky winners to walk away with a $30 eCapitaVoucher and a Geneco Green Starter Kit! Simply answer this question: “Name one impact microfibres have on the environment.” Contest ends 28 February 2023, T&Cs apply.

Together, let’s Power The Change and choose #GreenForProsperity.

Not just for us. But for generations to come.