Founder and CEO, Story Wear

Kuan Chen founded Story Wear in 2018, with fashion, sustainability and social impact as its core tenets. It is the only fashion brand in Taiwan with a range entirely made from recycled fabrics, and it employs local artisans from disadvantaged backgrounds. Story Wear is a recipient of the Special Award for Innovative Social Enterprises from Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and has been featured at Taipei Fashion Week.

Story Wear has recently been recognised with the Butterfly Mark, an interactive trust mark that identifies brands in the luxury community of brands to trust, for its commitment to sustainability. Beyond its ecological initiatives, Chen is focused on social impact, employing socially disadvantaged women and fostering inclusivity within Taiwanese society.

One of the primary challenges that the brand seeks to address is the issue of fashion waste. Despite the enormity of the problem, Chen is determined to eliminate fashion waste, a goal that she believes can be achieved if sustainable fashion becomes mainstream.

Read more: Sustainable shopping: Learn how to be a mindful consumer

Co-founder, Sungai Watch

Sungai Watch was conceived to protect and restore Indonesia’s plastic-polluted rivers. Founded in 2020 by siblings Gary, Kelly and Sam Bencheghib, the environmental organisation has collected a million kilogrammes of plastic waste in Bali and is using data to improve waste management practices. He was one of the four recipients of the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2023.

In 2024, Sungai Watch conducted multiple cleanups around Bali and East Java to celebrate Earth Day. Over the course of two days, the community collected over 10 tonnes of plastic waste. The initiative involved direct engagement with the community to handle waste in rivers and educate the public on maintaining clean rivers.

The organisation shared their activities on social media, emphasising that every day is Earth Day for them as they work to clean rivers and prevent plastic from entering the ocean. While the cleanups are effective, Sungai Watch acknowledges that the work they do is a temporary solution and expresses a commitment to finding upstream solutions to improve local waste management infrastructure.

Beyond cleaning rivers, Sungai Watch works through its sister organisation design studio, Sungai Design to up-cycle plastic collected turning them into furniture. This includes the Ombak lounge chair, a collaboration with American designer Mike Russek. The chair is produced from a sheet material made entirely of discarded plastic bags, requiring approximately 2,000 bags per chair.

Read more: Why businesses can invest in sustainability and also do well

Co-founder and circular economy officer, Orgafeed

Pet ownership is not always the most sustainable business, but Ittikorn Thepmani is trying to make dog food that’s kind to the planet. Under its Jaikla brand, his company Orgafeed makes dog food from insects, cutting the resources needed to produce it. In 2022, it also upcycled more than 15 tons of surplus food, which it expects to rise to more than 80 tons in 2023, equivalent to 150 tons of carbon dioxide.

Orgafeed has partnered with major Thai supermarkets like Tops and Gourmet Market, to upcycle 45 tons of food last year, saving 520 kgs of plastic waste and 115k kg of CO2 emissions. Over 3,000 dogs consume the product, demonstrating the company’s expanding customer base. The company now serves international markets, including Hong Kong, Singapore and Canada.

The company is set to launch Asia’s first insect-based wet dog food in 2024, furthering their commitment to sustainability. This initiative is part of Orgafeed’s broader goal to establish sustainability as a standard in the pet industry, responding to the increasing demands of eco-conscious pet parents in Thailand. Their efforts have garnered positive social media attention, with customers celebrating their pets’ contribution to a greener planet.

Read more: Now or never: Dr Yasmin Rasyid wants to inspire the youth to act on the climate crisis

Co-founder and CEO, Humble Sustainability

Circular economy solutions startup Humble Sustainability is on a mission to prolong the lifespan of consumer products. The company, co-founded in 2021 by Josef Werker, concentrates on the IT equipment that large businesses need to replace. Instead of utilising its B2C e-commerce platform to sell these items, Humble Sustainability is taking a B2B approach, selling to retail, resellers, refurbishers, and recyclers in its B2B network.

It serves as the ESG arm for its clients, guiding them in the creation, tracking, and achievement of their ESG and CSR initiatives. The circular economy solution providers has collaborated with over 75 businesses to facilitate the sustainable sale and sourcing of IT equipment. Werker describes the company’s growth as including vertical expansion. This offers clients comprehensive ESG solutions that extend beyond IT equipment circularity to encompass renewable energy projects. These projects support the transition to sustainable energy sources and fund electrification efforts in rural areas.

Read more: 5 Gen.T honourees championing sustainability in Singapore

Founder and CEO, Ocean Purpose Project

Ocean Purpose Project (OPP) is dedicated to driving ocean conservation and plastic pollution prevention using a mix of deep technology and nature-based solutions. CEO Mathilda D’Silva founded the social enterprise after her own experience of becoming sick because of marine pollution. OPP has worked with a floating fish farm to filter out toxins in Singapore waters and is aiming to create the world’s first unit that converts plastic waste into hydrogen.

Over the past year, the organisation has concentrated on expanding its impact. In collaboration with Livingseas Conservation, OPP launched the Coral Reef Stars initiative. This initiative aims to rehabilitate zones in East Bali, Indonesia, where coral has been depleted. The coral reef stars are hexagonal steel bars that are installed by divers. They serve as a foundation for coral regrowth, enhancing genetic resilience and aiding the local dive industry. It has a goal to plant 7,000 reef stars over the next five years, OPP is committed to creating a self-sustaining reef ecosystem. They also aim to provide conservation and dive education, specifically tailored for Asian communities.

In addition, OPP supported One Ocean Empire, a nature conservation centre in Sabah, to buy solar panels to repair an eco dive centre centred on indigenous Sabahans. The area had previously been destroyed by a massive storm.

Read more: Conscious Codes: Ocean Purpose Project founder Mathilda D’silva on the solutions to address the plastic pollution problem

Co-founder and CEO, Chomp

In Hong Kong, a staggering 3,600 tonnes of food and 13 million rice bowls are discarded in Hong Kong’s landfills. This food waste constitutes 40 percent of landfill material, but only 4 percent is recycled. Food-saving app Chomp wants to change the way people feel about food consumption and encourage sustainable living. Founded by Carla Martinesi the app connects consumers to over 100 F&B outlets with surplus food, offering discounted mystery boxes.

Chomp is expanding beyond its app by organising Asia’s first sustainable dining event, called The Rescued Feast. This event aims to raise awareness about the global and local issue of food waste. By utilising food scraps, the event demonstrated how to transform surplus food into a gourmet meal. Over 150 tickets were sold for the event, and the proceeds were donated to the charity Refugee Union.

Meet more Leaders of Tomorrow in Sustainability.

NOW READ

16 most sustainable restaurants and bars in Singapore

How Asia’s innovative builders are championing sustainable architecture

Sustainability and fashion: Are shopping second-hand and vintage the new trend?