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The Waste(less) Cafe
Photograph: National Environment Agency

Get free coffee at Singapore’s first transparent café

Bring your own cup for free Starbucks coffee at The Waste(less) Cafe – you’ll also learn more about Singapore’s waste situation

Time Out Singapore in partnership with National Environment Agency
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Nothing catches our attention more than free things, and the main draw of The Waste(less) Cafe is obvious: free coffee. But this waste-free coffee pop-up around Singapore is also part of a greater initiative – to reduce the use of disposables and food wastage in our little red dot. It’s all part of the ‘Say YES to Waste Less’ movement. Head down to The Waste(less) Cafe to score a free coffee, all while learning more about leading a sustainable lifestyle in Singapore through the various exhibits.

The Waste(less) Cafe

At The Waste(less) Cafe, we can see how much waste builds over time. In cleverly repurposing paper and plastic cups, the café itself is filled to the brim with waste – it’s all part of the café itself and the mini interactive exhibits. While this pop-up café has already made its rounds at Paya Lebar, it will also be making an appearance at the Singapore Expo (March 4 to 5, 12-7pm) and Northpoint (March 11 to 12, 12-7pm).

The used cups you see are repurposed from The Waste Cafe, a social experiment conducted on January 28. Through this, we saw how much waste accumulated in just one afternoon – all from the seemingly innocent act of enjoying a cup of joe without bringing any reusables. We can only imagine how much more when other types of disposables and food wastage from our daily lives are added into the mix. No doubt it was an eye-opening experience, bringing to light the staggering amount of waste that naturally builds up in Singapore. 

While this pop-up café has already made its rounds at Paya Lebar, it will also be making an appearance at the Singapore Expo (March 4 to 5, 12-7pm) and Northpoint City (March 11 to 12, 12-7pm). 

As for the free coffee? All we need to do is bring a reusable tumbler down to get ourselves a free cup of Starbucks coffee (while stocks last). With a free coffee in hand, make sure to wander around The Waste(less) Cafe exhibition to explore the various transparent exhibits. Start at Zone 1, SG, We Have a (Waste) Problem, to find out how rapidly our waste generation has increased in recent decades, then make your way to Zone 2, A Day in Our Lives to understand how it’s our everyday habits that contribute to our current waste situation. 

Over at Zone 3, Spin & Learn, there’ll be useful tips on how we can reduce our waste. We can also get inspired by Zone 4, We Can All Do Our Part, which showcases brands making eco-friendly and conscious choices to reduce waste. The panels here are also filled with interesting fun facts, so take the time to ponder over the amount of waste that’s discarded daily.

Reducing waste in Singapore

As led by the National Environment Agency (NEA), the ‘Say YES to Waste Less’ movement hopes to raise awareness on how Singapore’s current waste situation is becoming a dire problem. After all, we might be the problem but we’re also certainly the solution. It’s easier said than done though, considering that each household threw away an average of $260 worth of food back in 2019 – that’s worth almost a staggering 70 million plates of chicken rice! 

It might be tempting to order a full feast when hungry or conveniently take and toss away disposable plastic bags. But just bear in mind that in just the last 40 years, we’ve increased our waste by 600 percent even though our population only grew by 135 percent. And that’s exactly why Semakau Landfill is estimated to be fully filled by 2035. 

In bringing our waste situation to the forefront, The Waste(less) Cafe serves as a reminder on why we should lead a sustainable lifestyle. Head down, not just for a free Starbucks coffee, but to also learn how to go green – simply by reducing disposables and bringing your own reusable bag, tumbler, or container. You can also reduce food wastage by buying and ordering only what you need.

Check out The Waste(less) Cafe here.

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