Lendlease turns waste into a year-round conversation

Lendlease Malls is expanding its "You won't believe it's trash" (Y.W.B.I.T.) campaign into a year-round sustainability platform, as it looks to encourage shoppers to adopt more sustainable habits beyond its annual activation.

Dubbed "A new lease of life", the initiative builds on the campaign's fifth anniversary and will bring together retailers, students and shoppers through a series of ongoing sustainability programmes across Lendlease's four Singapore malls: 313@somerset, Jem, Parkway Parade and Paya Lebar Quarter.

Kicking off the refreshed platform is a design competition held in partnership with Temasek Polytechnic's School of Design. Students have been tasked with transforming discarded and surplus materials into commercially viable products, with the top 10 entries set to be showcased in a travelling exhibition across the four malls from 24 August to 29 September.

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The competition also sees retailers including K.STAR Karaoke, G2000, Fieldnotes, Clarks and 2nd STREET contribute archived materials, surplus inventory and end-of-life products for students to repurpose into new creations.

Alongside the exhibition, shoppers can participate in a roving collection drive, earning Lendlease Plus$ rewards for recycling items such as plastic bottles, aluminium cans, paper and textiles. Sustainability-themed promotions from participating retailers will also run across the campaign period.

Meanwhile, circular fashion platform Cloop will return to Parkway Parade with an expanded edition of its "Open wardrobe" pop-up, offering curated pre-loved fashion from SG$10 per item. Last year's activation attracted more than 1,200 shoppers, rehomed 2,500 pieces of clothing and raised SG$3,680 for environmental and wildlife causes.

According to Lendlease, the refreshed platform reflects a shift from standalone sustainability campaigns towards continuous community engagement, partnerships and retailer initiatives throughout the year.

The move comes as Singapore reviews its Zero Waste Masterplan following a decline in national recycling rates, with renewed efforts to improve recycling outcomes and encourage more sustainable consumption habits.

Launched in 2022, "You won't believe it's trash" forms part of Lendlease's Mission Zero sustainability roadmap. The campaign has previously transformed discarded materials including expired makeup, used clothing, cardboard and plastics into artworks and fashion pieces.

“At Lendlease, we believe that retail spaces can play an important role in making sustainable living more accessible by bringing together retailers, partners and shoppers to drive meaning-ful action. Through collaborations with like-minded partners such as Temasek Polytechnic and our retailers, we are able to give new life to materials that might otherwise go to waste, while demonstrating how small, collective actions can strengthen a shared sense of responsibility across our community," said Jenny Khoo, Lendlease Malls' head of retail and workspace management.

She added, "As 'A new lease of life' evolves into a year-round movement, we hope to inspire more conscious choices and show that sustainability can be both practical and engaging, becoming a natural part of our everyday life. By embedding these experiences into our malls, we want to show that every small action contributes to a more sustainable future for our communities.”

Elaine Ho, director of Temasek Polytechnic's School of Design, said the collaboration gave students an opportunity to apply their skills beyond the classroom by tackling real-world sustainability challenges. Through the initiative, students transformed surplus and discarded materials into practical, market-ready products, highlighting how design can influence not only products but also consumer behaviour.

"More importantly, they experienced how creativity, sustainability and industry collaboration come together to create meaningful impact. This reflects the way we prepare our graduates at Temasek Polytechnic School of Design: not just to design for today, but to help shape a more sustainable future," she added. 

The expansion comes as more brands experiment with creative ways to bring sustainability into consumers' everyday lives. Earlier this year, AIA Singapore launched a four-part short film series that reframed sustainability through the eyes of children, exploring themes such as protecting the planet, biodiversity, inclusion and circularity through spontaneous conversations and play.

The campaign aimed to make environmental responsibility feel more accessible and emotionally resonant by showing how sustainable values can be nurtured from a young age.

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