Ecosystem aims to be a trusted community of socially and environmentally responsible people in Singapore and beyond
If you’re reading this, the chances are that you are resident in Singapore, have visited it, visit frequently or just generally love the place. You also know the challenges of pursuing an environmentally-friendly way of living here.
Where can you find organic groceries? Which establishments have the best single-use plastic policies? Where’s the best place to find fashion conscious items for men and woman? What is Singapore’s recycling policy? What can I put in the blue bin? How can I put my money towards something meaningful in this city? Where can we travel to and have the least (or most positive) impact?
This blog and the development of the Community around it aim to solve that problem.
We aim to collect information about the Singapore green-minded community and store them here in reviews and interviews. Information for green-minded people, written by green-minded people.
Information for green-minded people, written by green-minded people.
We will begin very simply – by reviewing a number of Singapore’s finest cafes, restaurants and bars by two simple categories – Environmental Impact and Social Impact.
This is an evolving community and we are very open to change! If you find that you’d like more information – we’d love to hear your suggestions in the comments below or by messaging us directly.
For now, we at Ecosystem hope you find our information useful.
This expert micro-coffee roaster situated at the Southern end of the famous Joo Chiat Road is a place for award winning coffee and local artistry.
A new micro-coffee roaster perched on Joo Chiat Road is award-winning and fresh onto the scene. It has recently expanded into offering food and has an admirable attitude to offering minimal single-use plastic in store.
The stylish front of house.
Environmental Impact 🌏
Single-use Plastic
No plastic cutlery in sight and they offer no plastic bags as standard. Although, as we consistently find – especially in Coffee shops – plastic is still a big problem for takeaways and no one seems to have found a viable alternative. Homeground offers single-use plastic cups for its takeaway beverages.
Plastic cutlery is replaced by metal.Reusable Coffee Cups made from Coconut Husks.
If you purchase a tin of their Coffee Beans, and then bring the container back to the store, you can get a $1 discount on your next purchase which is a great incentive for zero waste Homeground coffee.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ 4/5
Vegetarian & Vegan Food
Homeground have teamed up with local Mexican-inspired ‘Das a Wrap’ who offer a small number of options with plenty for Vegetarians and Vegans. Their Vegan Burr is a real triumph and recommended.
Plenty of Vegetarian and Vegan options for such a limited menu.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ 4/5
Organic Food
Homeground’s local ‘Vanta’ House Espresso Blend is made from 50% Red Catuaí coffee (ecoagricola Serra Do Cabral, Brazil) which although not stated as being organic, is certainly more sustainable than many other beans.
The cafe did provide Cakes from The Bakery by Woodlands Sourdough which previously use organic ingredients before it closed its doors late last year, but their food does not appear to use Organic produce. There does seem to be a genuine attempt to source their beans from more responsible sources.
⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ 3/5
Local Produce
Homeground’s food offerings are certainly sold by a local outfit but again, it’s unclear where the ingredients are sourced from.
Their cakes which are occasionally sold in conjunction with some of their newer, special blends are sourced from various local establishments including The Bakery by Woodlands Sourdough and Two Men Bagels.
⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ 3/5
Social Impact 😇
The Cafe is particular good at supporting the local Art community. When we visited, there were some wonderful displays and murals which could be purchased in store by Artist Ly Leow.
Large mural from local artist, Ly Yeow.
They also offer Brewery and Sensory classes to help spread the joy of coffee across Singapore. Singapore National Brewers Cup 2019 Champion, Elysia Tan is particularly good at sharing her love for Coffee.
⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ 3/5
Conclusion
This cafe is a wonderful addition to the Singapore Coffee scene and is a great place to experience some unique flavours in a unique corner of Singapore’s East Coast.
There have been some great starts made to their single-use plastic policies – particularly in the lack of plastic cutlery, takeaway bags and zero waste incentives. We’d like to see some more emphasis put on their locally sourced produce and more information on where they source their coffee. We look forward to seeing this venue grow and develop.
40 Hands is a quirky, Aussie-style cafe positioned in the Joo Chiat neighbourhood offering great coffee and even better decor.
This second branch of the celebrated Tiong Bahru cafe, 40 Hands (named to celebrate the 40 Hands it takes to produce a coffee from bean to cup) is a welcome addition to the Joo Chiat neighbourhood with excellent coffee and Aussie-style brunch on offer. We think the decor is also hilarious.
Full marks. 40 Hands uses only glass and metal in store with the only plastic in sight being those asking for takeaway coffee (difficult to avoid with no real alternatives outside of the BYO movement). They even offer environmentally-friendly paper towels in their toilets.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
Vegetarian & Vegan Food
Plenty of Veggie food to get your teeth into and dishes can be made vegan if you ask the friendly staff. The warm salads are a particularly good, hearty meal!
Good offerings of Vegetarian and Vegan food.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ 4/5
Organic Food
The food on offer at 40 Hands is not organic.
⭐️☆☆☆☆ 1/5
Local Produce
Their speciality Coffee is roasted right here in Singapore and most of the food is sourced locally using the same suppliers as Common Man Coffee Roasters (they are owned by the same Spa Esprit Group).
40 Hands have a great attitude to sourcing sustainable coffee.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ 4/5
Social Impact 😇
40 Hands are not on the same scale of social impact here in Singapore as say, the Social Space – but they are big proponents of sustainability and direct trade with their Coffee Bean suppliers. The decor in this Cafe is also celebratory of the local community (albeit with a bit of tongue n’ cheek) and their blog posts celebrate the communities within which they play a part. More can be done in this area however.
⭐️⭐️☆☆☆ 2/5
Conclusion
40 Hands play a part in their local community by sourcing locally and celebrating the regional culture around their two stores – but could do more when it comes to supporting social and environmental causes on a bigger scale. They also don’t offer organic produce.
This cafe is quirky, friendly, relaxed and the food is excellent. Their attitude to single-use plastic is good and they have plenty on offer for those who want to do their part to help by not eating animals with delicious food.
This gem describes itself as a “socially conscious multi-concept store…promoting a greater awareness for sustainability, an appreciation for providence, and more accessible conscious living”. It does exactly what it says on the tin and more.
The Social Space is a Tea Bar, Cafe, Zero Waste Store and Nail Bar rolled into one. The Social Enterprise is perched within the picturesque shophouse district between Outram and Tanjong Pagar and to us, is a shining star in the Singapore green-minded community, with excellent food, coffee, products and even better values.
Environmental Impact 🌏
Single-use Plastic
None in sight. There are metal straws and wooden spoons available for in-house use and even the napkins section has a large sign encouraging customers to join them in the fight against unnecessary waste.
Say no to Plastic.Join The Social Space in reducing waste.
The store contains its own “Refillery” which allows you to bring your own containers and have them refilled with local offerings which are displayed on their Facebook page.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
Vegetarian & Vegan Food
Their menu is entirely vegetarian and although it’s not exclusively labelled, the helpful staff told us that they could remove the eggs from most of their dishes to make them Vegan-friendly.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ 4/5
Organic Food
All food served at the Social Space is 100% Organic. Superb.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
Local Produce
Priding themselves on their ability to sell local produce, it is a haven for uncovering treats, specialities and produce from around Singapore and further afield. On discussion with the staff, they proudly announced to us that all their Bread comes from 100m up the road in an Organic Bakery.
Their 1ºC Tea and Cold Brew coffee is bottled and brewed by an elderly couple in their spare time – we recommend the Blue Pea Tea, it’s sensational. They will even take back the bottles in store for recycling when you’re done, but we kept them at home for use as homemade mouthwash containers.
In their “Refillery”, they sell Idocare – a local Singaporean eco-conscious cleaning products brand and although not exclusively from Singapore, we also enjoy their Natural Sodas from the Tapping Tapir who collaborate with the Malaysian Nature Society to protect endangered species across the water – the Lemonade & Lengkuas flavour has an irresistible tang.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
Social Impact 😇
There are an endless supply of examples, some of which we’ve already mentioned to you, about how the Social Space is paving the way in socially conscious consumer behaviour.
Aside from the many products the place sells which help charities nearby, the store is a Social Enterprise by definition. One of the stand-out demonstrations of this for us is their policy of “providing a platform for individuals who face a higher barrier to employment opportunities due to circumstances beyond their control, and equipping them with varied skills sets that will allow them self-sufficiency in the long term”.
The Social Space employs those with mental and behavioural disabilities (particularly woman) to help them get into the work place. This no doubt comes with its own heap of challenges – particularly in the beauty industry where the barrier for entry can be especially high, and the Social Space should be applauded for its efforts here. This place deserves your support.
The Social Space leads the way in socially conscious practices.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
Conclusion
The more we understand about this store, the more we fell in love with it. An example of how to beautifully combine all the values which we should aspire to in one harmonious store. You would do well to spend a good few hours here, drinking their coffee, understanding their business model, and perusing their products.
Unpakt were the first zero waste grocery store in Singapore, this is the second store opened in the City Centre and is a brilliantly convenient way to reduce food waste and excessive plastic packaging, while saving you money on your weekly bill.
This store is the second store from the Team that set up Singapore’s first zero-waste bulk store in Ang Mo Kio. Situated in OUE Downtown Gallery, it’s a perfect after-work stop for those who are based in the City Centre and can’t face the travel north to Ang Mo Kio.
Environmental Impact 🌏
Single-use Plastic
This store dedicates itself to producing no unnecessary plastic waste in its store. The very concept is designed to reduce packaging. Bring your own containers, have them weighed, fill them up with goods from the store, reweigh them, and then finally pay for the difference. It’s a brilliant way to reduce waste. If you’ve forgotten your own containers – the Store also welcomes donations of jars and other containers which can be picked up and used instead. The store buys in bulk where it can to save on packaging and also contains it’s own up-cycled seating area made from plastic bottles. It offers no Plastic bags and no paper receipts which can be emailed to you on sign up in store.
Part of the seating area available with chairs made from upcycled plastic bottlesThere are interactive art displays in store.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
Vegetarian & Vegan Food
The store is awash with Vegetarian options and offers no meat products whatsoever. Finding Vegan options is tricky however, as there is no sign posting. The friendly-staff are always willing to help however and after asking – we found out that they have many Vegan options and are working on a way to display that in the future. Stay tuned.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ 4/5
Organic Food
There are plenty of Organic options to choose from and the store updates what stock it has on it’s Facebook page so that you know what exactly is available before you go. We’ve recently been in to try their new Organic Coffee beans from Italy.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ 4/5
Local Produce
Much of what is available in Unpakt is imported from overseas but they do have some really great local produce to offer. Our favourite is their Toothpaste powder, which can be refilled on return for a discount of 50 cents. They also have great local soap and jam preserve offerings.
Unpakt locally-sourced soap displayThese are the locally sourced Jam preserves offered by Conscious Delights.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ 4/5
Social Impact 😇
The Unpakt Team are active supporters and contributors to ZeroWaste SG’s BYO initiative which aims to inspire people in Singapore to reduce plastic waste by bringing their own containers and receiving incentives and discounts for doing so.
⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ 3/5
Conclusion
This store is a true pioneer of the Zero Waste scene in Singapore and their commitment to reducing waste is inspiring. This recent move to OUE Downtown makes it that much more convenient and accessible to your average person. Their staff are friendly and very keen to answer any questions you may have on their products. We would love for them to spend more time spreading the love around their message, advertising and working amongst the wider community. A functioning website and newsletter for updates on offerings would be a good start there.
This spin off from the popular and well established Common Man Coffee Roasters in River Valley, sits in the heart of the city on Stanley Street and is part of a much loved Coffee Roasting Brand here in Singapore. Staff are friendly and attentive, but don’t expect Common prices – coffee and food is pricey.
Environmental Impact 🌏
Single-use Plastic
The Cafe/Restaurant is a supporter of the fight against single-use plastic waste. Not a straw in sight on entry and no plastic bags either. Metal straws are offered with their selection of fresh juices, they offer no plastic cutlery in store or when taking away, napkins are made from bamboo and glasses are used instead of plastic cups. If you bring your own cup, there are discounts to be had too, although that’s not actually displayed anywhere.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
A view from behind the Espresso Bar at Common Man Stan
Vegetarian & Vegan Food
There are plenty of Vegetarian options (i’m a big fan of the Cacao Granola in the Mornings), but Vegans are much more limited with only one option available on the All Day Breakfast Menu and Lunch Menu apiece.
⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ 3/5
Organic Food
The only issue with this place is that the Menu doesn’t seem to use much Organic food. At least, if they do – it’s not being shown to customers. We did ask staff but not much was known on the subject.
A quick browse of the Common Man Coffee Roasters’ website shows that they take the transparency and sustainability of their supply chain seriously. They support local communities in Burundi directly and are active in discussions to improve the lives of suppliers in Bali.
The project aims to plant a green belt of 15,000 seedling trees in Burundi’s Kibira Forest, training locals through the Forest Scouts programme to protect, preserve and expand the indigenous Kibira Forest.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ 4/5
Conclusion
This Cafe/Restaurant is a champion of green-minded thinking in Singapore and certainly falls in line with the Environmental and Socially-minded. It’s not light on your wallet and could improve on Organic produce, but this Cafe is a lovely way to spend an afternoon and is an excellent example of how a modern Cafe should operate and inspire us. The Coffee is also superb.
Ecosystem 