Singapore, 12 March 2019 – As part of Ecosperity 2019, Temasek has launched the first-ever Trash to Fash: An Upcycling Competition, challenging participants to design clothing using recycled PET¹ fabric and other upcycled materials.

The three-month competition aims to raise public awareness about the circular economy and inspire youth to develop sustainable solutions. Open to anyone residing in Singapore aged 17 and above, participants will learn about the value of “trash”, what it means for the fashion industry to adopt a closed loop supply chain, and how materials can be upcycled into fashionable apparel.

After the close of online applications on 18 March, 25 individuals and/or teams will be shortlisted for the second phase of the competition, where they will undergo a half-day workshop and be mentored by leading fashion designers. During this phase, they will have to collect PET bottles to be exchanged for recycled PET fabric, which they will then use to design and create their finished products.  

These collected PET bottles will be processed by persons with intellectual disabilities and stored at MINDS Woodlands Employment Development Centre, before being recycled by engineering firm Miniwiz into rPET fabric.

In the final phase of the competition, eight finalist individuals/teams will share more about their designs and showcase their apparel during a Fashion Show Finale held on 3 June 2019. More details on the competition can be found in the Annex.

S$8,000 worth of prizes will be awarded to the top three teams, and the designs of all eight finalist individuals/teams will also be on display to an international audience at Marina Bay Sands during Ecosperity Week 2019, at the Ecosperity Innovation Showcase.

“A problem with fast fashion is how it contributes to a throwaway culture and hence, excessive waste,” said Robin Hu, Head, Sustainability & Stewardship Group, Temasek. “Trash to Fash hopes to inspire youths to demonstrate how Ecosperity can be achieved with sustainable designs that shape the future of the fashion industry.”

“Establishing the circular economy needs to begin from the ground-up, and we have to get our hands dirty,” said Arthur Huang, CEO and Founder of Miniwiz. “As the participants collect and exchange PET bottles, they will see first-hand the large amount of waste created by single-use plastics and learn about what needs to be done to close the loop.”

“Designing for sustainability not only requires the redesign of habits, lifestyles and practices, but also the way we think about design,” said Mark Wee, Executive Director, DesignSingapore Council. “We need to educate our designers on how to design for a more sustainable future and Trash to Fash is a good initiative to raise design sensibilities of the next generation. We are delighted to be a supporting partner.”

Trash to Fash: An Upcycling Competition is organised in partnership with local events curation agency Tabula Rasa and supported by Taiwanese engineering firm Miniwiz, DesignSingapore Council, Temasek Shophouse and MINDS (Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore). To learn more, please visit https://www.ecosperity.sg/trashtofash.

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About Ecosperity

The term ‘Ecosperity’ twins ecology with prosperity, reflecting our belief that doing good and doing well can – and must – go together. It is the idea that growth and development go hand in hand with an abiding respect and commitment for a clean and sustainable environment, and that governments, businesses, civil societies and individuals must work together to achieve a “ABC world” of Active and robust economies, Beautiful and inclusive societies and a Clean and cool Earth.

Presented by Temasek, the annual Ecosperity conference pushes the frontiers of sustainable growth by exploring the latest megatrends shaping our future. The 2019 Ecosperity Conference is held in partnership with Ecosperity Week. Together with key partners, the week-long programme from 4 to 7 June 2019 will bring global business leaders, policy-makers, investors, entrepreneurs and academia together to drive action on sustainable development. Key highlights include an innovation showcase, conferences, roundtable discussions, pitch sessions, site visits and networking opportunities across events.

For more information, visit www.ecosperity.sg or follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ecosperity/).

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ANNEX

Competition Details

Phase 1 – Online Applications (open till 18 Mar 2019)

Interested participants may apply as individuals or in teams of two or three. As part of the application and assessment process, applicants will be asked to share their understanding of the need for a circular economy and their post-competition aims and aspirations.

Phase 2 – Project Development and Pitch (25 Mar 2019 – 12 May 2019)

25 shortlisted individuals/teams will undergo a half-day workshop and mentorship sessions, which will guide them as they conceptualise, design and produce their apparel. Participants will also have to collect PET bottles as “trash currency” to exchange for recycled PET fabric to produce their designs.

These collected PET bottles will be processed by persons with intellectual disabilities and stored at MINDS Woodlands Employment Development Centre, before being recycled by engineering firm Miniwiz into rPET fabric.

At the end of this phase, participants will have to submit a three-minute video to describe and pitch their finished apparel. They will be judged based on the number of PET bottles collected, public voting on their pitch videos, creativity of design, and their success in meeting and addressing the needs of their target consumers.

Phase 3 – Fashion Show Finale (3 Jun 2019)

Eight finalist individuals/teams, to be announced on 21 May, will then share more about their designs and showcase their apparel during a Fashion Show Finale held on 3 June 2019.

The winning teams will be determined by a judging panel comprising Mark Wee, Executive Director, DesignSingapore Council; Arthur Huang, CEO and Founder, Miniwiz; Esther An, Chief Sustainability Officer, City Developments Limited (CDL); and representatives from Temasek and a sustainable fashion label.

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¹Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), commonly used in plastic bottles and containers that are labelled with the number “1”