SINGAPORE – Home-grown designer Liu Tingzhi believes everything that the modern world needs today already exists – in waste.

“There’s no shortage of materials in the world, but what’s missing is imagination and the ability to see beauty in what’s been discarded,” says the 34-year-old, who founded local materials and design studio WASTD in 2024.

The atelier transforms waste into objects and surfaces for interiors, fashion and the hospitality sector.

More design studios in Singapore are gunning for “everyday sustainability” – embedding green practices into the core of daily operations – instead of treating eco-friendly initiatives as a standalone approach.

Even shards of glass and liquor bottles are being reimagined as works of art and architectural ceramic glazes.

Glass artist B. Jane Cowie, 63, of RefindSG, and designer-artist Genevieve Ang, 33, of Other Supply, are raising awareness for more to be done to repurpose glass in Singapore.

According to the National Environment Agency, Singapore generated 75,000 tonnes of glass waste in 2023, of which only 6,000 tonnes – only 8 per cent – were recycled.

This means about 69,000 tonnes of glass pieces were thrown away, most of which ended up in the Pulau Semakau landfill.

Ms Dawn Lim, executive director of national design agency DesignSingapore Council (DSG), says design is a powerful tool for creating tangible impact in sustainability. It can drive behavioural changes and build systems that are more resilient for people and the planet.

“Many local designers and design firms have embedded sustainability in their work for years, such as Forest & Whale, which started Reuse Lab in 2021, and Hans Tan, who was awarded a President’s Design Award in 2023 for his R for Repair project,” says Ms Lim.

Design studio Forest & Whale’s Reuse Lab created the KopiCup, a takeaway beverage container wi...