Semula Pte Ltd: Partnerships and Upcycling Initiatives to Inspire a More Sustainable Future for Singapore

Semula aims to be a key player in sustainability. Since boot-strapping its own operation, Semula has been largely focused on reimagining plastic waste. Through its own research and experimentation, Semula has adopted a unique process to transform discarded HDPE plastic waste into a reusable alternative material, reducing the need for businesses to rely on new resources. Semula's approach to sustainability and minimising waste is very much in alignment with Singapore's Zero Waste Masterplan.

In collaboration with like-minded partner Roger&Sons, Semula created cafe furniture from used HDPE milk bottles collected from Foreword Coffee Roasters' for its own outlet at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, National University of Singapore. This proudly showcased how, with a little imagination and the right processes in place, plastic waste can be turned into one-of-a-kind creations. Today, Foreword Coffee continues to provide Semula with empty plastic bottles to turn into an alternative material which can be reintroduced into the marketplace. The partnership has inspired Foreword's staff to actively participate in the collection and cleaning of empty milk bottles from their various outlets.

In June 2022, Semula won the Grand Prize award in the annual Singapore Design Awards organised by the Design Business Chamber Singapore. Semula is also a proud recipient of the Sg Eco Fund set up by the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment to support projects that advance environmental sustainability and involve the community.

Jeryl Yep, Co-founder of Semula Pte Ltd, said : "We are thankful for the ongoing support from the government, community and businesses. While it feels good to be recognised for the work that we have done, at the end of the day, it means more to us to know that we are making a positive contribution towards changing behaviour. We believe that long lasting change can happen when we band together to create a collective conscience and take responsibility for our environment, for the sake of our present and future generations."

Semula's initiatives are not limited to production of its upcycled Semula plastic and finished products. The company also offers talks aimed at building awareness of the environment and sustainability, hands-on upcycling workshops to create memorabilia from plastic waste and nature trails through some of Singapore's beloved parks and nature reserves.