Eco-Warrior Influencers In Singapore That Rock

CHERYL OU: Founder of The Nail Social & The Social Space

As the founder of The Nail Social and The Social Space, both social enterprises, Cheryl has come a long way from her early days in the start-up scene. From nail salons to backpacker hostels, Cheryl had dipped her feet into businesses across many industries when a bad experience with an investor-led her to rethink her own motivations for running a business. Cheryl has now dedicated herself to creating meaningful companies that inspire and drive social change in our community. The Nail Social was a winner at the President’s Challenge Social Enterprise Awards in 2015 and was recognized as a Company for Good by NVPC in 2018. Cheryl is also very passionate about social projects and believes she can help make the world a better place.

One piece of advice for eco-loving kids in Singapore?

One of the best quotes that I abide by is: The people who make the biggest difference are the ones who do the little things consistently.

RAYE PADIT: Founder of The Fashion Pulpit & Connected Threads Asia

As Founder of The Fashion Pulpit & Connected Threads Asia, Raye’s mission is to bring awareness of the social and environmental impacts of fast fashion, while offering a sustainable, easy and fun solution through clothes swapping. He is also a budding fashion designer who uses waste fabrics in his pieces. He has been invited to speak at different events and institutions, including TEDx, PechaKucha, and Green Is The New Black.

One piece of advice for eco-loving kids in Singapore?

"The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it" - Robert Swan. This is our time now and we have every right to demand the kind of future we want to see so vote with your dollar. As an individual, we all can make a difference.

SAMANTHA THIAN: Founder of Seastainable Co.

Samantha is the founder of Seastainable Co. which sells items that help us live a more sustainable lifestyle, like metal straws! Samantha is a proud eco-warrior who shares with people why it’s important to protect our environment and lives her life as carefully as possible to avoid harming the planet.

One piece of advice for eco-loving kids in Singapore?

Always remember that we only have one Earth to live in. We must love and protect it because it takes care of us. Every little action counts.

MAYUR SINGH, DANIELLE CHAMPAGNE & AGATHA LEE 'AGY': Co-founders of The Green Collective SG

Mayur, Danielle, and Agy are the co-founders of The Green Collective SG which aims to make sustainability mainstream. Located in KINEX Mall, The Green Collective SG is Singapore’s first collective concept. They provide a platform for local eco-friendly brands to showcase their products and services, and work towards achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. You will find everything to start your eco-journey under one roof from reusables to swimwear made from waste plastic. The Green Collective makes going green fuss-free!

One piece of advice for eco-loving kids in Singapore?

Be a role model for others. Small actions like using a reusable container for take-out or repairing your favorite bag will definitely get your friends curious and encourage them to be more mindful too!

ANG ZYN YEE: Founder of Straw Free Singapore

Zyn Yee is a student Environmentalist and the founder of Straw Free Singapore. Zyn Yee fights to make our world a greener place and doesn’t let her age stop her. At 16 years old, inspired by other incredible teens taking action for our environment, she began Straw Free Singapore, a campaign to reduce the number of plastic straws used here on our island. Zyn Yee has given talks about Zero Waste to more than 15 schools, reached out to over 15,000 people and influenced more than 20 F&Bs to take up straw-free or straw lite initiatives.

One piece of advice for eco-loving kids in Singapore?

If you have an idea at the back of your head which you may deem “too crazy or outrageous” to carry out, ignore the doubts in your mind and just go for it. The world is actually quite a kind place to young people so there’s no better time than when you’re young, to spearhead a movement of your own!

NASYITAH TAN: Creative Director & Co-founder Of LOOMS Studio

For as long as she can remember Nasyitah Tan has been collecting materials people have no use for to turn them into artworks, greeting cards, and fashion accessories. Where others see waste, she sees the potential of beauty. Now at the LOOMs Studio, Nasyitah turns unwanted materials into works of wearable art and functional items. You will find used bubble wrap, leather scraps and textile off-cuts in the products that she creates for LOOMs. Her team is always discovering new waste materials and experimenting with their use in their growing range of fashion and lifestyle products. In addition to creating products that reuse waste materials, Nasyitah believes strongly in education as the ultimate eco-warrior weapon. Knowledge is power. She teaches eco workshops so that everyone can play their part in reducing waste by transforming it into works of art.

One piece of advice for eco-loving kids in Singapore?

Small actions lead to big changes. Never underestimate what you can do. Never be afraid to stand up for what you believe in.

MARIA TAN, GOH YU XUAN, & CHUANG XUE YING: Founders of Back To Ground Zero

Back to Ground Zero was founded by three girls who love Mother Nature and aim to raise awareness on going green in Singapore through the Ground Zero Festival and completing eco-challenges through Bean Dare Done That. After a successful Ground Zero Market in 2018, they are working with Ground Up this year to organize the Ground Zero Festival in September, complete with music, art, workshops, and food!

One piece of advice for eco-loving kids in Singapore?

Be patient! Take it one step at a time and allow yourself to make mistakes, it’s all part of the process and remember, every effort counts!

JO TANG: Founder of The Sustainability Project

From holding a position in her school’s environmental club, working in a green startup, and to having experience providing consultancy services in sustainability reporting, Jo has been involved in the environmental sector and has been interested in sustainability for the past 9 years. Her interest and passion in sustainability and zero waste lifestyle has spurred her to start The Sustainability Project as a place to share her sustainable lifestyle and later branched out a shop to provide consumers with an avenue to make a sustainable switch. She is constantly on the lookout to learn more about every aspect of sustainability and to inspire and influence others to live responsibly and sustainably.

One piece of advice for eco-loving kids in Singapore?

Never underestimate your power to do something for Mother Earth.

BETH & SARAH MEDLEY: Hunter + Boo

As co-founders of ethical and sustainable kids-wear brand Hunter + Boo, Beth and Sarah strongly believe in championing a fashion industry that makes a more positive impact on the lives of garment workers and their environment. Their aim is to produce a brand which bridges the gap between a traditional ‘green’ aesthetic and modern design. They work hard to ensure the entire supply chain from seed to shipment is as ethically minded as possible.

One piece of advice for eco-loving kids in Singapore?

We love this brilliant initiative started in Australia called ‘3 For the Sea’.  Every time you go to the beach or a waterway, pick up 3 pieces of trash and bin it. The kids really get on board with this concept and it teaches the importance of a small act making a big difference for the future of our planet.

OLIVIA CHOONG: Founder of Green Drinks Singapore And The Tender Gardener

Olivia raises awareness of green issues through talks and panel discussions that the Green Drinks Singapore team organizes. Green Drinks is also a platform where like-minded people can meet and share ideas. Olivia also writes for The Tender Gardener to try to connect people to nature through urban farming topics. Olivia lives a low impact lifestyle and creates as little waste as possible by composting and feeding table scraps to her chickens.

One piece of advice for eco-loving kids in Singapore?

Stay on the green path and keep learning more ways that you can have a green lifestyle. Adults need your help and reminders where we can do better! Find some friends and start a green club so you can spread your interest in the environment, and continue to grow your knowledge as a group. Never stop learning and aspiring to create an impact!

LAURA FRANCOIS: Founder of Fashion Revolution Singapore

Laura is a Canadian social impact strategist based in Singapore who is focused on the garment industry. Her role in the industry has always been to enable projects and organizations to have the largest positive impact on people and the environment while designing new ways to integrate sustainability. Laura is the co-founder of Clothing The Loop, an art based project focused on the circular economy in fashion, as well as leading Fashion Revolution in Singapore, the world's largest fashion activism movement founded to radically change the way our clothes are sourced, produced, and purchased.

One piece of advice for eco-loving kids in Singapore?

Before throwing anything away, explore what new things you can make out of it! When you let your imagination run wild, waste isn’t waste until it’s wasted!

YANMEI YANG: Founder of Trash Hero Singapore

Curious to find out more about Trash Hero, Yanmei participated in the first Trash Hero Singapore beach cleanup in July 2017. She was shocked by the amount of waste that was washed up on a recreational beach in Singapore and quickly realized it could be worse in other parts of the world. Since then, Yanmei has learned more about plastic pollution and how to avoid using disposable plastics, eventually joining the Trash Hero Singapore organizing team to encourage more people to start their journey towards a greener lifestyle. Yanmei wishes for Trash Hero to be a snowballing movement that will eliminate single-use plastics in the not too distant future!

One piece of advice for eco-loving kids in Singapore?

Single-use plastic items are everywhere in our lives and our obsessive usage becomes a global environmental issue. Collect all the plastics you use during a week, including food packaging, shopping bags, bottles, etc. You will have an idea of how much plastic waste we generate in our daily lives. Then, challenge yourself to swap a one-time use item with a reusable item, ideally a non-plastic item. Little steps together will maximize our impact.

ROXANE UZUREAU: Co-founder of barePack Pte Ltd

Roxane is the co-founder of barePack, a one-stop service whose primary objective is to end the use of disposable items. The corporate program (also available to schools) is designed to accelerate the adoption of healthier and sustainable lifestyles through tailored, easy-to-implement solutions and educational services with measurable results that benefit the company, people and the environment. Roxane shares her ideas on Instagram and Facebook.

One piece of advice for eco-loving kids in Singapore?

Refuse disposables when you eat out by always carrying a tumbler or bottle and your own lunchbox. You’ll even get discounts for bringing your own. Eat healthier snacks that don’t come in wrappers such as fresh coconut, dried fruits and nuts, and homemade muffins.

FLORENCE TAY & JEFF LAM: Unpackt Pte Ltd

One piece of advice for eco-loving kids in Singapore?

Start with a reflection of what is usually thrown, then seek ways to reduce the waste with alternatives. If every day we take time to reflect and do small changes, waste can be eliminated with just mindfulness.

STEPHANIE DICKSON: Founder of Green Is The New Black

Stephanie Dickson is the founder of Green Is The New Black, Asia’s first conscious festival and media platform for people who want to live more consciously by improving the way they think, work and consume while doing more good in the world. She is regularly asked to conduct talks on designing meaningful events, the conscious movement and is a 2 time TEDx speaker. Stephanie is on a mission to make sustainability not only mainstream but also fun.

One piece of advice for eco-loving kids in Singapore?

Every little bit counts, vote with your time, wallets and voices. You are heard and you can make a difference. Take #littlegreensteps every day and bring your family along for the ride!

MATHILDE MOYELL JUUL: Founder of Orgayana

Danish-born Mathilde is a green lifestyle buff. Founder of health and sustainability site, orgayana, she loves sharing her own green tips through articles, video, and podcast + amazing content from her 20 contributors, all specialized in the fields of food, wear, beauty, health, active, family, travel, and the planet. A mother of 3, Mathilde is particularly passionate about educating kids in looking after our planet - and you’ll find her at most green events with her Eco-Warrior Kids Corner or doing talks on Zero Waste and kids decluttering.

One piece of advice for eco-loving kids in Singapore?

Eco doesn’t mean brown and boring. Show your friends and parents that doing beach-cleans and DIY eco-crafts and gardening can actually be a fun family and friends activity!

AGNES NEO: Founder of twopluso

MIKE BROADHEAD: Creator of EarthFest

One of Mike’s first projects was helping to create a user-friendly open-source carbon footprint estimator for SG. This estimator was also used as part of a festival he created called EarthFest, which is an annual flagship sustainability event that walks the talk. That recently expanded into EarthLifeand creating events around sustainable living, like our EarthExcursion to Bintan. He also helped start and grow Animal Allies to help raise awareness for the negative impact of animal agriculture on our planet. Outside of volunteering, he is the Sustainability Lead at the Canadian International School Lakeside campus and worked to help the school become a WWF Eco-School.