TreeDots is an online platform that allows individuals, eateries and voluntary welfare organisations to order discounted groceries that would otherwise be thrown away.
The items may be slightly defective or approaching their expiry dates, but prices are hugely marked down. About 10 individuals also order TreeDots’ weekly “vege boxes”, which contain up to 14 kilograms of fruits and vegetables that may look “ugly” or are blemished.
It began operations six months ago and now has about 180 business partners, which obtain discounted groceries from about 30 suppliers.
While eco-businesses selling items such as upcycled bags or bamboo and stainless steel straws are not new to Singapore, the experiences and ability of two fledgling ventures that deal with perishable food items could signal if a broader swathe of local consumers are ready to adopt low-waste habits in a bigger way.
On Saturday (May 5), a 1,200 square feet grocery store opened in Sembawang Hills estate, targeting patrons keen to shop for daily necessities stripped of the usual packaging. UnPackt’s co-founder Florence Tay, 36, is looking to help the average shopper to take small steps to reduce waste in everyday life.
UnPackt’s co-founder Jeff Lam, 38, who lives alone, said he used to throw out a lot of unfinished food that had expired and hopes to “debunk the myth that eco-friendly habits are expensive and unsustainable”.
The efforts by TreeDots’ and UnPackt’s founders come amid the growing amount of food and plastic waste generated in Singapore. A waste audit by the National Environment Agency found that over half of food waste generated by households here would not have been trashed had consumers bought the quantities they needed or cooked the right portions. Meanwhile, packaging waste made up a third of the 1.7 million tonnes of domestic waste generated here in 2017.
But the key ingredient determining the reach and sustainability of businesses such as TreeDots and UnPackt could ultimately be their prices, said business experts and observers. The majority of consumers in Singapore still make their purchases based on prices, they said.
Mr Jeff Cheong, president of advertising agency Tribal Worldwide Asia, said brands that championing the zero waste culture must be “actively involved in education and outreach to share ideas that ‘normal people’ can do right from their home”.
Other smaller outfits that operate online or as pop-up stores said challenges lie in reaching out to a wider segment of Singaporeans.
Ms Danielle Champagne, who co-founded the Green Collective, a three-month pop-up store in Paya Lebar, said: “We might feel like there is a growth (of people reducing waste) but it could be because of the circles we are in… We don’t want to just be preaching to the converted.”
Ms Champagne owns Zhai Eco, which sells clothing made of natural fibres like bamboo and linen. Zhai Eco is one of 15 brands found at the pop-up, which offers customers recycled bags only when they request for one.
The Green Collective also holds do-it-yourself workshops, talks and “plant swaps” (sessions to exchange seedlings, seeds or gardening tips).
Others, like online shop The Sustainability Project and pop-up store The Zero Ways hope their wares can help Singaporeans adopt more eco-friendly behaviour.
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Source: TODAY Online, 7 May 2018