A new non-profit coalition has launched in Singapore to accelerate the reuse economy, as the city-state grapples with rising waste volumes and a stuttering transition to a circular economy.
Formed against a backdrop of surging packaging costs linked to the Iran war, the Singapore Reuse Coalition aims to strengthen resource efficiency and economic resilience by promoting returnable, refillable, repair, remanufacture and repurpose systems.
“Reuse is no longer just about waste reduction and circularity — it is a practical hedge against cost shocks,” said Sean Lam, co-founder of refill company Ecoworks and a founding member of the coalition.
It includes Nuryanee Anisah, co-founder of textile upcycling firm Commenhers, Jonathan Tostevin, CEO of reusable container brand Muuse, Lynn Kee, director of leather aftercare firm Dr Bags, and Lionel Dorai, executive director of waste non-profit Zero Waste SG as founding members.
The group is currently developing a white paper on Singapore’s reuse economy, aimed at identifying best practices and addressing structural gaps in the sector.
Globally, reuse systems have attracted just 4 per cent of circular economy investment for plastics between 2018 and 2023, compared with 82 per cent directed toward recovery and recycling, according to Circulate Initiative.
Singapore generates some of the highest waste volumes per capita in the world, while its domestic recycling rate dipped to a recort low last year.
“Much of the circular economy conversation is still centred on recycling, which continues to attract the bulk of funding. Reuse needs a stronger voice to grow,” Lam said.
The debate over reuse versus recycling gained traction at the Cities: Possibilities conference in Singapore last November. Tostevin argued that reuse should be treated as essential infrastructure — not merely a consumer behaviour such as refilling bottles or repairing goods — to justify greater investment.
“There’s a reason we say ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ — reuse comes before recycling,” he said. “But we prioritise what we build for, and right now, infrastructure investment is the missing piece.”
The launch of coalition comes five months after member of parliament Poh Li San called for stronger measures to curb single-use plastics and waste, and advocated for incentives to promote bring your own (BYO) container and cup schemes in coffee shops and food courts.
Momentum behind the BYO movement, supported by campaigns from Zero Waste SG, was disrupted during the Covid-19 pandemic, when hygiene concerns led many retailers to stop accepting reusable containers. While the movement has yet to fully recover, efforts to revive it are underway.
Reuse systems are widely regarded as the most resource-efficient approach to waste management, as they bypass the energy-intensive processes required for recycling. However, adoption in Singapore remains constrained by entrenched convenience-driven consumption habits.
Industry challenges persist. In October, L’Occitane’s Asia-Pacific sustainability head, Venisa Chu, noted on the Eco-Business Podcast that in-store refill stations can sometimes generate more waste if products expire before being used.
Lam said stronger incentives are needed to scale reuse in Singapore. These could include tools such as publicly accessible maps of water refill stations — similar to one developed by a student in 2024 — to encourage consumers to reduce reliance on bottled water. Singapore has one of the highest per capita consumption rates of bottled water globally, according to the United Nations.
The coalition’s launch also comes weeks after Taiwan moved to expand reuse initiatives following supply disruptions to petrochemical feedstocks linked to the Middle East conflict, which triggered panic buying of plastic bags across the island.
