These 5 industries in Southeast Asia are circling back to sustainable practices
What goes around comes around (as they should)
Southeast Asia, comprised of 11 countries — namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam — is a region known for its rich topography and abundant natural resources.
Acknowledging the importance of history, it’s crucial to know that 10 out of these countries (Thailand excluded) were formally colonized in the past. While Thailand also faced colonial influences, these previously colonized countries were exploited through resource extraction and strategic interests, which profoundly impacted their local cultures and economies up to today.
The region’s history of colonialism has shaped its struggles and efforts toward sustainability. The harmful effects of colonialism include deforestation, excessive resource extraction, and the displacement of Indigenous communities, all of which disrupt traditional ecological knowledge systems rooted in care and sustainability.
Traditional Southeast Asian practices are fundamentally anchored in community-based approaches and Indigenous knowledge. These practices often foster resource conservation, respect toward biodiversity, and ecological balance.
Today, Southeast Asia is home to 70,000,000 businesses.
While some are taking action toward sustainability, many more need to transition immediately to circular economy practices where production is sustainable, waste reduction is prioritized, and resource management is optimized.
In this newsletter, we’re exploring how 5 industries in the region that are embracing circularity and inspiring other industries to do the same.
1. Agri-Food Sector 🥦
The agri-food sector covers all operations within the food supply chain. Circular initiatives in this industry focus on waste minimization and resource optimization, integrating agroecological methods, repurposing agricultural by-products into value-added products, and implementing closed-loop systems.
🇻🇳 In Vietnam’s cocoa sector, the From Bean to Bar initiative is a business model where chocolate manufacturers manage the entire production process, from sourcing cocoa beans to creating consumer chocolate. Supported by Switch-Asia, this program aims to reduce ecological footprints through low-carbon energy, decreased water and energy use, and bio-based packaging with digital traceability systems.
🇰🇭 Fair Farms in Cambodia helps smallholder farmers adopt sustainable organic practices using local fertilizers. By promoting circularity through resource-efficient collaborative schemes, the initiative enables farmers to obtain organic and Fair Trade certifications for spice exports.
2. Textiles and Apparel 👖
The textile industry is infamous for its environmental impact and its struggle in implementing circular practices. However, businesses are starting to adopt recycling initiatives and innovative designs to extend the lifecycle of products and reduce textile waste.
🇹🇭 In Thailand, Moreloop promotes resource circularity by upcycling deadstock and excess fabric into new products while facilitating trade for others to do the same. This initiative reduces waste, energy use, and greenhouse gas emissions from new fabric production, avoiding 1,119 metric tonnes of CO2e emissions and repurposing 74,630 kg of surplus fabric.
🇵🇭 Reztyle in the Philippines implements circularity by repurposing discarded fabrics into new products. By the end of 2023, it recovered 9,800 kg of textiles, diverting them from landfills and saving approximately 39 m³ of water and 29 metric tonnes of GHG emissions. It also enhances resource efficiency through aggregated logistics for textile waste collection and partners with recyclers for non-recoverable materials.
3. Plastics and Packaging 👝
For a region where plastic pollution is a critical issue, it’s crucial for companies to use bio-based and biodegradable materials and strengthen recycling processes. Initiatives like redesigning packaging for recyclability and promoting plastic take-back schemes are being rolled out to decrease reliance on single-use plastics.
🇻🇳🇹🇭 In Thailand and Vietnam, some supermarkets are using banana leaves instead of plastic as a packaging alternative. Major supermarket chains in Vietnam, such as Big C, Co.opmart, and LOTTE Mart, started adopting the practice in 2019 and were inspired by Rimping Supermarket in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
🇲🇾 For those who have a habit of hoarding used containers, a creative solution is found in Malaysia: What a Waste, a social enterprise, works to reduce food waste by redistributing surplus food to those in need. In partnership with Shell, they encourage communities to drop off their clean, old food containers in selected Shell stations across KL, which will then be used for food distribution.
4. Tourism and Hospitality 🏝️
In the tourism sector, sustainable practices are being integrated into hospitality services. Efforts include reducing resource consumption, such as water and energy, and managing waste through recycling and composting. Circular approaches are also seen in sustainable food sourcing and eco-friendly accommodations, aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of tourism.
🇱🇦 SUSTOUR Laos fosters sustainable tourism by aiding and guiding MSMEs in adopting green practices such as waste reduction and responsible consumption, using the Travelife certification. The project boosts resource efficiency, reduces carbon emissions, and supports sustainable supply chains, aligning with Laos’ green growth goals.
5. Construction 🔨
Building things is best when circularity is practiced. This includes using recycled materials in building projects and designing buildings for disassembly to allow for component reuse.
🇮🇩 WEGE in Indonesia promotes modular construction's role in boosting resource efficiency and circularity by minimizing material and energy use, resulting in reduced greenhouse gas emissions. This approach facilitates the disassembly and reuse of structures, as seen when a COVID-19 hospital was transformed into classrooms, demonstrating its potential for sustainable construction practices.
Do you know of any circular businesses and trends in these industries in Southeast Asia? Comment them down below. 💭
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