🌱Sustainable Steps:
From Old Tees to New Totes
On 18 July 2025, the Mutual Respect Room at our Learning Centre came alive with colour, laughter, and the satisfying snip-snip of scissors. Why? Because we rolled up our sleeves for a hands-on sustainability workshop organised by the JHC Sustainability Office — part of our ongoing “Heal Our Patients, Heal Our Planet. Make Earth Day Every Day” campaign 🌍💚
The mission: Give old T-shirts a second life by turning them into trendy, reusable tote bags 🛍️ — reducing textile waste one stitch at a time. Staff showed up, got crafty, and walked away with new skills and sustainable bags.
Because healing the planet can start with something as simple as your wardrobe. 🌱♻️
This wasn’t your average arts & crafts session – it was a fashion revolution in action. 💥🧵
What if we told you that the old t-shirt sitting in your drawer could help fight climate change? At our no-sew upcycling workshop, we turned tired tees into trendy tote bags — no scissors, no sewing machine, no waste. Just creativity and climate action. ♻️✨
Why Fabric Waste Matters
👚 In 2023, Singapore generated a jaw-dropping 211,000 tonnes of textile waste.
Only 2% of it was recycled. The rest? Burned — adding to the ash mountain at Semakau Landfill, which could be FULL by 2035. 😱
Much of this comes from fast fashion – cheap, trendy clothes made to be worn briefly and discarded. These often contain blended fabrics (like cotton-polyester mixes), making them harder to recycle. Combined with limited local recycling infrastructure and land scarcity, textile waste becomes a serious challenge.
🛍️ So the next time you're cleaning out your closet, pause before tossing. Can it be repurposed? Reused? Reimagined?
Your choices = your impact.
Let’s stitch sustainability into our everyday lives.
Voices from the Workshop
The information shared was very useful—especially learning how much textile waste we generate and its impact on the environment. I’ll definitely be more mindful with my purchases, knowing each decision contributes to a larger environmental footprint.
Annette Aw
Manager, Specialty Operations
The upcycling workshop was truly eye-opening. We uncovered the harsh truth about fabric waste and how much ends up in incinerators. It’s inspired me to reduce fast fashion, choose longer-lasting materials, and make more intentional clothing choices. Quality over quantity—it’s a small but powerful step towards sustainability.
Angel Chia
Manager, Nursing Administration
Here’s what participants took away beyond their upcycled creations:
Everyday Tips and Hacks to Reduce Textile Waste
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🧵Upcycle What You Already Own
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Turn worn-out clothes into cleaning rags, pouches, or bags. Mend instead of discard.
Buy Less, Choose Wisely
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Avoid fast fashion. Invest in durable, timeless pieces and explore second-hand options or clothes swaps via platforms like Carousell or organisations like Swapaholic and The Fashion Pulpit.
♻ Recycle Right
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Separate textiles from general waste. Drop clean, dry clothing at textile recycling bins like Cloop, Greensquare or Kloth Cares boxes found across Singapore.
🧵Support Sustainable Brands
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Shop from brands that prioritise ethical sourcing, low-waste production, and eco-friendly materials such as Muta Wear or The Green Collective.
🪡Spread the Word
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Share knowledge and inspire family members, colleagues or patients to be mindful of textile consumption and disposal.
Let’s Rethink, Reuse, and Reimagine
This workshop is just one of the many ways we're rethinking waste at JurongHealth Campus. When we reuse creatively, we not only reduce our environmental footprint but also build a culture of mindful living.
Take one small step today – your wardrobe (and the planet) will thank you.
🔔 Stay tuned and keep a lookout for more details on the other workshops! Let’s keep up the momentum and make green living a part of our everyday lives!