To live sustainably is to live a lifestyle that attempts to be more mindful to the environment, by reducing our use of Earth’s natural resources. This means making more informed and mindful choices everyday - be it through our diet or the way we travel. There are multiple ways in which we can live more sustainably - through our habits at home, how we shop and how we eat. Being sustainable does not come easy, but we can take some baby steps in striving to do so. Thus, we have come up with some tips on how we can strive to be more sustainable in Singapore!
Live Sustainably
When we are in our own homes, we can make small changes and better habits to live more sustainably. There are many low effort tips on being more eco-friendly that people tend to overlook.
Turn Off Appliances While Not In Use
As simple as this is, not many actually do this. When we do not turn of our appliances, energy is still drawn down, even when it is not in use. According to SP Group, standby power can account to up to 10% of your home energy use - this means wasted energy and also wasted money! By taking effort to turn off your switches while not using them, you can reduce the environmental impact as well as reduce your household bills!
Compost Bin
While composting may be constraining when living in Singapore, especially in HDBs, there are still some ways you can do so. By having a compost bin, you can reduce up to 60% of food waste and also help to fertilise your plants! There are a few ways of making compost - either by making your own compost bin or buying one.
Shop Sustainably
We can be kinder to the environment through the ways we shop. Be mindful on how these goods get from production stage into your own hands. An example is to buy timeless items as it will help to reduce excess waste, rather than constantly purchasing a cheap item over and over again just for it to break every time.
Thrift Stores
Did you know that in 2016, only 7% of textile and leather waste was recycled? By visiting and buying from thrift stores, we are able to increase the percentage of recycled clothes. Resell your old clothes for others to wear or get some at the nearest thrift store - you may just find some interesting pieces to take home! Read our article down below to find out more on where you can find thrift stores in Singapore!
Buy Local
Purchasing from local businesses will not only help our economy, but also reduce our carbon footprints. Getting clothes from one country to another contributes largely to pollution in the fashion industry. Here are some sustainable local fashion brands to check out!
OliveAnarka
This fashion boutique, Founded by Ifeoma Ubby, is known for its bright and colourful pieces made from Ankara (african prints), influenced by Ifeoma Ubby’s heritage. This store strives to be as close as possible to zero waste as they believe in quality over mass production.
Address: 79 Chay Yan St, #01-02 Opposite Plain Vanilla, Singapore 160079
Opening Hours: Tuesday-Friday 11am-2pm, 5pm-7pm
Saturday-Sunday 11am-6pm
Closed on Mondays
Contact: 8606 7673
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Zerrin
Zerrin is an online boutique dedicated to producing sustainable fashion. While small, they are determined to spark a big change in the fashion industry by making simple, sustainable and fashionable items from clothes to beauty products.
Eat Sustainably
In Singapore, one of the largest waste streams is food wastage. Over the last 10 years, food has grown up to 20%. Further, in 2019, only 18% of food waste was recycled. Because of filtering standards, there are a great number of produce that get discarded even though they are still edible. Just because these produce are bruised or misshaped, they do not make the cut for grocery stores and thus get discarded.
We can strive to eat more sustainably through ‘conscious dining’. Green dining establishments, such as Kausmo, strives to promote thoughtful living by reducing unnecessary food wastage. Here are some eco-friendly restaurants in Singapore that you can check out!
Kausmo
Address: 1 Scotts Rd, #03 - 07, Singapore 228208
Opening Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 6:30pm-10:30pm, Closed on Mondays
Contact: 8126 8538
Poison Ivy
Address: 100 Neo Tiew Rd, Singapore 719026
Opening Hours: Monday-Tuesday Closed
Wednesday-Friday 7am-5pm
Saturday-Sunday 7am-7pm
Contact: 6898 5001
Open Farm Community
Address: 130E Minden Rd, Singapore 248819
Opening Hours: Monday-Friday 12pm-2:30pm, 6pm-9pm
Saturday-Sunday 11am-3:30pm, 6pm-9pm
Contact: 6471 0306
Grocery Shop Sustainably
Strive for using less waste and plastic-free when grocery shopping. As Singapore have started this movement by charging for plastic bags at certain grocery stores, we can strive to do even more. We can cut down on our use of plastic by shopping for groceries at more eco-friendly shops. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of zero waste grocery shops in Singapore. This means that we can bring our own glass bottles and reusable boxes to store our goods. You are able to bring your own containers and package the products you want yourself. Here are some zero-waste grocery stores you can check out around Singapore!
Scoop Wholefoods
Address: 163 Tanglin Rd, #02-17/18 Tanglin Mall, Singapore 247933
Opening Hours: Monday-Sunday 10am-7:30pm
Contact: 6235 2739
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Unpackt
Address: 6 Jln Kuras, Singapore 577724
Opening Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 10am-7pm, Closed on Mondays
Contact: 8399 3552
The Source Bulk Food
Address: 501 Bukit Timah Road 01-05a Cluny Court, 259760
Opening Hours: Tuesday-Friday 9am-8pm, Saturday-Monday 8am-8pm
Contact: 6974 0943
Striving to be more sustainable does not happen overnight - it takes practice and effort to be better to ourselves and to the environment. But through these tips, we hope that it can help make it easier for us to make more sustainable choices in our day to day lives.
