Top sustainable living tips from Singapore’s sustainability leaders
Meet the pioneers blazing the trail for environmental issues and environmental impact this Earth Day April 22 2021
Earth Day has been celebrated on April 22 around the world since the 1970s, highlighting environmental issues and raising awareness of the importance of sustainable living. Here in Singapore, alertness to environmental impact is rapidly rising and initiatives to promote green living are notably increasing. The Soothe speaks to sustainable leaders who are making the wellbeing of people, and the health of our planet, their priority.
Sustainability Leader: Vikas Garg, founder & CEO of abillion
Vikas earned his first Wall Street internship at just 14 years old, going on to forge a successful career in finance. He’s a life-long vegetarian and made the switch to become vegan in 2008. In 2017 he acted on a bold idea to help people find vegan dishes and products in their local area through recommendations from other users on an online platform. abillion was born.
How you’re representing the sustainability space: Taking a community-first approach, abillion aims to close the gap between sustainability feeling like a sacrifice, to where living sustainably is simply the easiest thing to do. abillion also thinks like a non-profit; for every review posted, users are able to immediately donate $1 to some of the world’s most impactful organisations, who lead conservation, education and diet change efforts. Since its debut in 2018, the abillion community has grown to over 300,000 users in more than 130 countries.
Advice for living more sustainably: Start with food; it’s the single most important lifestyle choice when it comes to the health of the planet. Reduce meat, fish and dairy and eat more plants. Also explore what are some common habits that you can start by doing better? For me one of them was reducing impulse purchases.
Favourite places to eat in Singapore: The Living Café and Miznon — the white pita, with cauliflower, tahini, tomato salsa, chilli and spring onion is incredible. Also check out the plant-based menu at the Shangri-La’s Origin Grill – they have a dedicated vegan chef, and it really shows! I always share my reviews of local vegan dishes on my abillion account, so give me a follow for more recommendations.
Favourite green IG accounts:
Genesis Butler The 14-year-old activist uses her Instagram page to spread awareness about climate change and animal agriculture
The Sustainable Fashion This is an online community where conscious minds gather to offer fresh perspectives on the issues and trends influencing sustainability
Sea Shepherd: The only international and non-profit marine conservation organisation in the world that engages in direct action campaigns to defend marine life
Sustainability Leader: Katherine Desbaillets, co-owner & director at Saladstop!
After Katherine graduated from Cornell University she moved to Bangkok where she worked with The Body Shop in Bangkok before joining the family business SaladStop! in 2010.
How you’re representing the sustainability space: We believe that eating is about more than just being good to our bodies. It is about being good to everything around us too. 80% of our salad bar is plant-based; over SGD 10,000 donated to WWF; we don’t use plastic bags, only FSC-certified paper bags; and 80% of our packaging uses recycled plastic. In 2020 we launched our GO Climate Positive campaign which allows customers to offset their CO2e per meal. Our future plan is to launch ‘green stores’ (plants-based outlets) and add traceability of origin for the main ingredients on our menu.
Favourite plant-based dishes to eat in Singapore: Some of my favourites are the mushroom head at Joie, the dumplings at real foods, and the desserts at Prive.
One thing we can do today to make a difference: Eat a vegan diet. Researchers at the University of Oxford found that cutting meat and dairy products from your diet could reduce an individual's carbon footprint from food by up to 73 per cent.
Favourite green IG accounts:
Hellohubbub Provides daily inspiration for healthier and greener living through creative campaigns
Lesswastelaura Laura is an environmental scientist and climate activist who strives to live a zero waste life
Melissa.hemsley A passionate advocate for eating sustainably by reducing waste and choosing better ingredients
Sustainability Leader: Rebecca Cappelli, public speaker and award-winning filmmaker
Rebecca has lived in Asia for over 18 years including Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and now Singapore. She works with non-profit organisations with her initiative Let us be Heroes to empower people to become a line of defense for their health, the planet and animals.
How you’re representing the sustainability space: My work aims to alleviate human and non-human suffering, with a focus on how our values are connected to the health of our planet. I help people become more conscious with films, public speaking and social media. Over the next few years, I’m going to focus on China as I can work proficiently in Chinese.
‘Aha moment' to creating something impactful: I was at a restaurant when I saw for the first time on my plate not meat, but animal body parts. I changed my diet and went vegan. Very quickly this evolved into sharing facts on why we need to take action.
Advice for living more sustainably: Align yourself with what you preach. Opt for big steps rather than baby steps. Aim for balance on a daily basis.
How to manage a sustainable work-life balance: I make sure I schedule self-care, spiritual practice and time with loved ones in my calendar just like work. On a daily basis, I eat high raw vegan food, exercise, and go to bed early.
Tips for staying well: Eat more fruits, spend more time in nature and less time on your phone, reconnect with yourself.
Sustainability Leader: Yuan Oeji, chairman and owner of The Privé Group
Yuan is one of the pioneers of plant-based eating in Singapore, having introduced vegan-friendly dishes to his restaurants including Empress, Bayswater Kitchen and Privé.
How you’re representing the sustainability space: As animal farming is the largest contributor to climate change alongside fossil fuels, following a plant-based diet allows me to have a personal impact on reversing climate change. I donate regularly to organisations that advocate for humanity to switch away from animal farming. Through my restaurants I work to inspire people to make responsible choices in their food. I’m also reaching out to fellow restauranteurs to offer my help (pro bono) to introduce more plant-based options in their menus.
How to manage a sustainable work-life balance: Keep things simple — avoid complicated plans and undesirable relationships. Trust and delegate — this gives me time to focus on things I want to do and am good at. Value life and relationships — focus on family and meaningful connections.
One thing we can do today to make a difference: Indulge less, be it meat, seafood, consumerism or air travel. The main sources of climate change are animal farming, dairy and egg production, commercial fishing and burning of fossil fuels (including air travel).
Who inspires you: Joaquin Phoenix for using his influence to spread the message of compassion and change. I loved his 2020 Oscar speech.
How to stay well: Eat more of what’s good for you rather than less of what’s bad for you. Move more throughout the day, even if you don’t have time to exercise. Take a few moments throughout the day to practice a little mindfulness.
Sustainability Leader: Paul Gabie, co-founder and director of Proof & Company
Paul is a spirits industry veteran and entrepreneur. In addition to Proof & Company, he leads ecoSPIRITS, a company working to lead a transition from linear consumption and single use glass to a sustainable, circular future in the spirits industry.
How you’re representing the sustainability space: ecoSPIRITS delivers a transformative reduction in packaging waste and carbon footprint for your favourite gin & tonic or martini, equivalent to 150g of C02 emissions saved per serve. Also, with our C02 mitigation partners at Green Steps Group, we are planting more 10,000 trees per quarter through the ecoSPIRITS Forest Program in the endangered Kalimantan rainforest in Borneo.
Advice for living more sustainably: The first insight is the simplest one: awareness matters. We can all be more mindful of how we live and how we consume. Rely less on single use packaging. Support brands and companies that are genuinely embracing sustainable practices.
Favourite plant-based places to eat in Singapore: 1880 have been supporters of Impossible Foods since the beginning and were the first restaurant in the world to serve Eat Just’s cultured chicken offering. This month, I’m also enjoying the 28 HongKong Street’s sustainable dinner collaboration with TiNDLE plant-based chicken and Brass Lion Distillery.
Who inspires you: David Attenborough is a personal hero. If you haven’t seen it, watch his recent documentary Life On Our Planet.
Favourite green IG account: The BCorp movement is changing the world of business for the better. If you’re curious about how your company can be part of a more sustainable, equitable future, give them a follow @bcorporation.
