4 tips for sustainable living for beginners from DBS Foundation's Social Enterprise Grant winners | Bahasa
Indonesia, 26 Apr 2024 - Who among us still uses single-use plastics, burns household trash, or forgets to turn off the lights during the day? These habits, while seemingly trivial, actually have serious effects on the environment! Among the negative impacts are damage to ecosystems, extinction of species, and various health problems.
Without realising it, we are still the main contributors to various environmental problems. Therefore, we need to keep up the momentum of the recent celebration of Earth Day 2024 on April 22 to raise awareness about our role in protecting the planet, including the environment.
Thankfully, there are many things we can do to start living more sustainably to prevent further environmental damage. We can start anytime without having to wait until another Earth Day arrives. Check out these four easy ways to become a planet hero!
1. Reduce the use of single-use plastics
It seems like we all know that single-use plastics, such as plastic bags, straws, and plastic bottles, are the biggest contributors to environmental pollution. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) warns that the amount of plastic waste entering the ocean could triple from 9-14 million tonnes in 2016 to 23-27 million tonnes in 2040 if no preventive measures are taken.
To take part in reducing plastic waste, you can practice conscious living by bringing your own shopping bags when shopping, using reusable drinking bottles, and saying “No” to plastic straws. One social enterprise (SE) that actively promotes the conscious living movement to reduce single-use plastic products is Liberty Society. Since its establishment in 2019 by Tamara Gondo, Liberty Society has been actively processing corporate waste such as plastics, textiles, and cardboard into merchandise and gift sets in a Business-to-Business (B2B) set-up.
“The key to living sustainably is to start with ourselves. We need to consciously consider what we need, think about the long-term impact when buying products, and reduce single-use plastics by finding more sustainable alternatives. Once we get used to it, we can encourage others to develop awareness of sustainable living and spread the impact,” said Liberty Society Marketing Associate Rachel Dwieputri.
2. Separate inorganic waste from organic waste
Separating organic waste from inorganic materials is not just the job of the janitors, you know! We can all contribute by separating waste. Inorganic waste such as plastic containers, glass bottles, and used metals can be processed into new products such as bags and accessories, wall hangings, and household furnitures. Meanwhile, organic waste such as kitchen scraps, food, vegetables, and fruit peels can also be processed into compost and animal feed.
Magalarva, founded by Rendria Labde, is an SE with a mission to eliminate food waste and build an environmental ecosystem that supports farmers by providing sustainable insect-based animal feed. Specifically, Magalarva collects food waste and processes it into high-quality animal feed and pet food using black soldier fly (BSF) larvae.
“Waste sorting is an important part of waste management. Waste sorting greatly helps many parties committed to further processing of waste such as Magalarva. In fact, waste sorting can also provide an additional income for us because there are people willing to pay for the service,” said Rendria Labde.
3. Stop burning waste
“Open burning of waste is one of the contributors to air pollution, so avoiding this activity is one of the simple ways people can do everyday so as not to worsen air quality,” said Nafas Co-founder & CEO Nathan Roestandy.
Burning household waste, plastics, and painted wood is not only an environmentally unfriendly practice, but it can also be harmful to health in the long run. Smoke from burning waste contains toxic chemicals that pollute the air and can be inhaled by humans and animals. Therefore, it is important to avoid burning waste and to look for more responsible and environmentally friendly waste management solutions.
Are you curious about the air quality around you? Nafas is an SE with a mission to increase public awareness of air and its impact on their health and lives. One of the products they have developed is the 'Nafas' app which you can use to view air quality accurately in real-time in a given location.
4. Use environmentally friendly alternative products
Switching to eco-friendly alternatives is a long-term investment to ensure the well-being of our planet and future generations. Moreover, eco-friendly products are often produced using more sustainable technologies and raw materials, thus helping to extend the life of limited natural resources. You know what? Nowadays, there are many quality eco-friendly innovative products at competitive prices!
A range of products from PLANA (Plastic For Nature), a green-tech startup that recycles plastics and rice hulls into husk plastic composite decking such as Planawood and Planabrick, are the result of innovation in processing plastic waste into sustainable building materials. The innovation is a realisation of PLANA's mission to provide solutions to the problem of excessive us of wood in buildings in order to save the Earth from waste and deforestation.
“Many people still think that eco-friendly products are expensive and of low quality, thus hindering the development of the eco-friendly product market in Indonesia. To address this issue, Indonesians need to be open and do research on eco-friendly products for a more sustainable earth now and in the future,” said PLANA Co-founder & Chief of Sustainability Joshua C. Chandra.
In 2024, DBS Foundation through the DBS Foundation Business for Impact Grant Award Programme 2023 provided S$710,000 worth of grants or the equivalent of Rp8.2 billion to four social enterprises (SE) from Indonesia, namely Liberty Society, Magalarva, Nafas, and PLANA. These SEs were selected for their innovative solutions to environmental and social problems, such as air pollution, plastic waste, and women's empowerment. The grant was expected to help the SEs to scale up their positive impact and inspire other SEs to contribute to efforts to build a more sustainable future.
Head of Group Strategic Marketing & Communications at PT Bank DBS Indonesia Mona Monika said, “In this modern era, living a sustainable lifestyle has never been easier. By getting into small, meaningful habits, we can make a positive long-term impact. In addition, more and more young people, such as the founders of social enterprises (SEs) Liberty Society, Magalarva, Nafas, PLANA, are concerned about the environment, so we can utilise the products and services they offer as part of our efforts to support a more sustainable lifestyle.”
In addition to the tips above, you can also reduce food waste to protect the environment and improve food security. In addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing food waste can protect limited natural resources, reduce pressure on food supply, and support public food security. By storing food wisely and recycling leftovers, you can make a significant contribution to efforts to build a more sustainable and prosperous society.
To support food waste reduction, Bank DBS Indonesia launched the #MakanTanpaSisa campaign in 2020 as part of the Towards Zero Food Waste initiative. By 2023, the campaign has successfully prevented 650,000 kg of food from ending up in landfills.
In an effort to expand its impact and reach, in 2024, Bank DBS Indonesia and DBS Foundation will focus more on food security issues through the Food Rescue Warrior programme. The programme is a collaboration with Jangjo and FoodCycle Indonesia and their tenants to address the issue of food surplus, especially in the hotel, restaurant and cafe (horeca) industry. Excess food waste from tenants will be donated to those in need, while food waste is processed into high-quality animal feed and compost using the black soldier fly (BSF) larvae bioconversion. So far, 75 institutions have joined this movement, including well-known hotel chains, restaurants, and cafes such as Kopi Kenangan, Menara Peninsula Hotel, Aston Pluit Hotel, and Harris fX Sudirman Hotel.
The small steps you take today will make a big difference for the future of the Earth. Let's follow the tips above and let's work together to protect our planet for future generations.
About DBS
DBS is a leading financial services group in Asia with a presence in 19 markets. Headquartered and listed in Singapore, DBS is in the three key Asian axes of growth: Greater China, Southeast Asia and South Asia. The bank's "AA-" and "Aa1" credit ratings are among the highest in the world.
Recognised for its global leadership, DBS has been named “World’s Best Bank” by Global Finance, “World’s Best Bank” by Euromoney and “Global Bank of the Year” by The Banker. The bank is at the forefront of leveraging digital technology to shape the future of banking, having been named “World’s Best Digital Bank” by Euromoney and the world’s “Most Innovative in Digital Banking” by The Banker. In addition, DBS has been accorded the “Safest Bank in Asia” award by Global Finance for 15 consecutive years from 2009 to 2023.
DBS provides a full range of services in consumer, SME and corporate banking. As a bank born and bred in Asia, DBS understands the intricacies of doing business in the region’s most dynamic markets.
DBS is committed to building lasting relationships with customers, as it banks the Asian way. Through the DBS Foundation, the bank creates impact beyond banking by supporting businesses for impact: enterprises with a double bottom-line of profit and social and/or environmental impact. DBS Foundation also gives back to society in various ways, including equipping underserved communities with future-ready skills and helping them to build food resilience.
With its extensive network of operations in Asia and emphasis on engaging and empowering its staff, DBS presents exciting career opportunities. For more information, please visit www.dbs.com.
Without realising it, we are still the main contributors to various environmental problems. Therefore, we need to keep up the momentum of the recent celebration of Earth Day 2024 on April 22 to raise awareness about our role in protecting the planet, including the environment.
Thankfully, there are many things we can do to start living more sustainably to prevent further environmental damage. We can start anytime without having to wait until another Earth Day arrives. Check out these four easy ways to become a planet hero!
1. Reduce the use of single-use plastics
It seems like we all know that single-use plastics, such as plastic bags, straws, and plastic bottles, are the biggest contributors to environmental pollution. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) warns that the amount of plastic waste entering the ocean could triple from 9-14 million tonnes in 2016 to 23-27 million tonnes in 2040 if no preventive measures are taken.
To take part in reducing plastic waste, you can practice conscious living by bringing your own shopping bags when shopping, using reusable drinking bottles, and saying “No” to plastic straws. One social enterprise (SE) that actively promotes the conscious living movement to reduce single-use plastic products is Liberty Society. Since its establishment in 2019 by Tamara Gondo, Liberty Society has been actively processing corporate waste such as plastics, textiles, and cardboard into merchandise and gift sets in a Business-to-Business (B2B) set-up.
“The key to living sustainably is to start with ourselves. We need to consciously consider what we need, think about the long-term impact when buying products, and reduce single-use plastics by finding more sustainable alternatives. Once we get used to it, we can encourage others to develop awareness of sustainable living and spread the impact,” said Liberty Society Marketing Associate Rachel Dwieputri.
2. Separate inorganic waste from organic waste
Separating organic waste from inorganic materials is not just the job of the janitors, you know! We can all contribute by separating waste. Inorganic waste such as plastic containers, glass bottles, and used metals can be processed into new products such as bags and accessories, wall hangings, and household furnitures. Meanwhile, organic waste such as kitchen scraps, food, vegetables, and fruit peels can also be processed into compost and animal feed.
Magalarva, founded by Rendria Labde, is an SE with a mission to eliminate food waste and build an environmental ecosystem that supports farmers by providing sustainable insect-based animal feed. Specifically, Magalarva collects food waste and processes it into high-quality animal feed and pet food using black soldier fly (BSF) larvae.
“Waste sorting is an important part of waste management. Waste sorting greatly helps many parties committed to further processing of waste such as Magalarva. In fact, waste sorting can also provide an additional income for us because there are people willing to pay for the service,” said Rendria Labde.
3. Stop burning waste
“Open burning of waste is one of the contributors to air pollution, so avoiding this activity is one of the simple ways people can do everyday so as not to worsen air quality,” said Nafas Co-founder & CEO Nathan Roestandy.
Burning household waste, plastics, and painted wood is not only an environmentally unfriendly practice, but it can also be harmful to health in the long run. Smoke from burning waste contains toxic chemicals that pollute the air and can be inhaled by humans and animals. Therefore, it is important to avoid burning waste and to look for more responsible and environmentally friendly waste management solutions.
Are you curious about the air quality around you? Nafas is an SE with a mission to increase public awareness of air and its impact on their health and lives. One of the products they have developed is the 'Nafas' app which you can use to view air quality accurately in real-time in a given location.
4. Use environmentally friendly alternative products
Switching to eco-friendly alternatives is a long-term investment to ensure the well-being of our planet and future generations. Moreover, eco-friendly products are often produced using more sustainable technologies and raw materials, thus helping to extend the life of limited natural resources. You know what? Nowadays, there are many quality eco-friendly innovative products at competitive prices!
A range of products from PLANA (Plastic For Nature), a green-tech startup that recycles plastics and rice hulls into husk plastic composite decking such as Planawood and Planabrick, are the result of innovation in processing plastic waste into sustainable building materials. The innovation is a realisation of PLANA's mission to provide solutions to the problem of excessive us of wood in buildings in order to save the Earth from waste and deforestation.
“Many people still think that eco-friendly products are expensive and of low quality, thus hindering the development of the eco-friendly product market in Indonesia. To address this issue, Indonesians need to be open and do research on eco-friendly products for a more sustainable earth now and in the future,” said PLANA Co-founder & Chief of Sustainability Joshua C. Chandra.
In 2024, DBS Foundation through the DBS Foundation Business for Impact Grant Award Programme 2023 provided S$710,000 worth of grants or the equivalent of Rp8.2 billion to four social enterprises (SE) from Indonesia, namely Liberty Society, Magalarva, Nafas, and PLANA. These SEs were selected for their innovative solutions to environmental and social problems, such as air pollution, plastic waste, and women's empowerment. The grant was expected to help the SEs to scale up their positive impact and inspire other SEs to contribute to efforts to build a more sustainable future.
Head of Group Strategic Marketing & Communications at PT Bank DBS Indonesia Mona Monika said, “In this modern era, living a sustainable lifestyle has never been easier. By getting into small, meaningful habits, we can make a positive long-term impact. In addition, more and more young people, such as the founders of social enterprises (SEs) Liberty Society, Magalarva, Nafas, PLANA, are concerned about the environment, so we can utilise the products and services they offer as part of our efforts to support a more sustainable lifestyle.”
In addition to the tips above, you can also reduce food waste to protect the environment and improve food security. In addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing food waste can protect limited natural resources, reduce pressure on food supply, and support public food security. By storing food wisely and recycling leftovers, you can make a significant contribution to efforts to build a more sustainable and prosperous society.
To support food waste reduction, Bank DBS Indonesia launched the #MakanTanpaSisa campaign in 2020 as part of the Towards Zero Food Waste initiative. By 2023, the campaign has successfully prevented 650,000 kg of food from ending up in landfills.
In an effort to expand its impact and reach, in 2024, Bank DBS Indonesia and DBS Foundation will focus more on food security issues through the Food Rescue Warrior programme. The programme is a collaboration with Jangjo and FoodCycle Indonesia and their tenants to address the issue of food surplus, especially in the hotel, restaurant and cafe (horeca) industry. Excess food waste from tenants will be donated to those in need, while food waste is processed into high-quality animal feed and compost using the black soldier fly (BSF) larvae bioconversion. So far, 75 institutions have joined this movement, including well-known hotel chains, restaurants, and cafes such as Kopi Kenangan, Menara Peninsula Hotel, Aston Pluit Hotel, and Harris fX Sudirman Hotel.
The small steps you take today will make a big difference for the future of the Earth. Let's follow the tips above and let's work together to protect our planet for future generations.
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About DBS
DBS is a leading financial services group in Asia with a presence in 19 markets. Headquartered and listed in Singapore, DBS is in the three key Asian axes of growth: Greater China, Southeast Asia and South Asia. The bank's "AA-" and "Aa1" credit ratings are among the highest in the world.
Recognised for its global leadership, DBS has been named “World’s Best Bank” by Global Finance, “World’s Best Bank” by Euromoney and “Global Bank of the Year” by The Banker. The bank is at the forefront of leveraging digital technology to shape the future of banking, having been named “World’s Best Digital Bank” by Euromoney and the world’s “Most Innovative in Digital Banking” by The Banker. In addition, DBS has been accorded the “Safest Bank in Asia” award by Global Finance for 15 consecutive years from 2009 to 2023.
DBS provides a full range of services in consumer, SME and corporate banking. As a bank born and bred in Asia, DBS understands the intricacies of doing business in the region’s most dynamic markets.
DBS is committed to building lasting relationships with customers, as it banks the Asian way. Through the DBS Foundation, the bank creates impact beyond banking by supporting businesses for impact: enterprises with a double bottom-line of profit and social and/or environmental impact. DBS Foundation also gives back to society in various ways, including equipping underserved communities with future-ready skills and helping them to build food resilience.
With its extensive network of operations in Asia and emphasis on engaging and empowering its staff, DBS presents exciting career opportunities. For more information, please visit www.dbs.com.