Over 100 more refill stations for detergent, household products to open across S'pore

Over 100 new refill stations for detergent and household products will be progressively opened in Singapore over the next 12 months.

Singapore manufacturing company Lam Soon announced on Jul. 23 that it has led a S$1 million investment into refill station startup Ecoworks to build refill-station infrastructure across the island.

Lam Soon produces eco-friendly and plant-based products under the brand bio-home, including dishwashing liquid, laundry detergents, and floor cleaners.

The new Ecoworks x bio-home stations will be fitted at locations frequented by residents and shoppers.

The first station is currently in operation at Pinnacle@Duxton, and dispenses bio-home laundry detergent and dishwashing liquid.

It will offer bio-home products starting from S$3 per 800ml, which is over 30 per cent less than retail price, according to the brand.

Plateauing recycling gains

Lam Soon's investment comes as Singapore's recycling gains have plateaued, the company said.

According to them, the national domestic recycling rate has remained at around 11 per cent, far from the government's goal of 70 per cent by 2030.

More upstream solutions are needed to fill this gap, including reducing and reusing packaging before waste is created, they added.

"Ecoworks has identified what is required for reuse to scale — convenient, standardised infrastructure in every neighbourhood."

Current machines

Ecoworks currently has a number of refill stations at locations like the National University of Singapore, the Singapore University for Technology and Design, and Frontier Community Club.

The existing refill stations allow you to fill bottles with Ecoworks's house-brand laundry detergent and dishwashing liquid.

According to the website, the products are biodegradable, plant-based, and produced using renewable energy.

Users can bring their own bottles to purchase the refills. Prices start from S$3 per litre.