Turning waste into a win

Climate change, ocean pollution and unsustainable consumption habits are exacerbating global issues for individuals and enterprises alike. But these issues exacerbate each other as they each have varying side effects and create secondary problems. In order to solve for them on a global scale it means turning to deep tech, efforts based in science and research that harness advancements in engineering and manufacturing. Deep tech is at the core of how to address today’s most pressing global challenges.

Consider food waste in the United States, where roughly one third of food is wasted annually, according to the FDA. Globally, food waste contributes between 8 - 10% of global greenhouse gases at a cost of roughly $1 Trillion. Food waste is as much about climate change as it is about money.

While many countries have their own initiatives to take on this enormous task, Singapore is looking to deep tech, catalyzing ideas and scaling up solutions to combat climate change issues. The Southeast Asian city-state is ranked the 4th most innovative nation in the world according to the 2024 Global Innovation Index, and is home to more than 4,500 tech startups, over 500 venture capitalists and more than 40,000 research scientists. This robust ecosystem is a result of an intentional intersection of infrastructure, expertise and policies. Driven in part by Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG), the country’s government agency championing enterprise development and fostering innovative deep tech start ups, like Alterpacks, for the global stage.

“We take a material that has already gone through the ecosystem at least once, not virgin materials. There is sufficient material in this world for us to reuse” says CEO and founder of Alterpacks Karen Cheah. She and her team are pioneering innovative technology that upcycles food waste and food byproducts to create new packaging materials, forging a closed loop sustainable system. Alterpack’s partnership with EnterpriseSG helped it to expand its reach into new markets like Australia, Japan, Europe, and beyond.

Circular solutions, clean energy initiatives, accelerated discovery of materials, and other sustainability efforts are worthy endeavors. Singapore has taken a leading role in such efforts, ensuring that homegrown companies are empowered by an ecosystem built to support all kinds of business needs. Platforms such as SLINGSHOT, a global deep tech startup competition and the Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology (SWITCH) have been pivotal in bridging the gap between local startups and the global community. Alterpacks is one example of the prowess of this network. “It proved to be invaluable because when you’re a startup, you’re navigating through all the vagaries that come with trying to get funding, trying to get your tech up to speed and navigating growth potential” says Cheah.

A potential that the founder and her team hope to meet, given the high bar they’ve set for themselves. “Our mission is to get rid of 1 billion units of single use packaging.” From mentorship to trade shows, investment, marketing and beyond. Alterpacks benefitted from being part of Singapore’s hub, and allowed Cheah and her team to expand a vision that aims “to throw out this throwaway culture that has been ubiquitous, because we are so used to convenience at all costs.”

While the pursuit of convenience may have created some of the global issues discussed, innovations like those, by leaning into deep tech, coming out of Singapore are driving positive change. “When you have the technology and you have the know-how, then it comes with the need for investments, the network, the industries, the connections for the long haul, because it’s not a problem that can’t be solved. It’s a mindset that has to be shifted.”