Are you Eco.Le?

Eco.Le, a space of support and inspiration towards the journey of zero-waste

Written by: Low Wei Qin | Photos by: Low Wei Qin

Located on the third floor of Bukit Timah Shopping Mall near Beauty World station, lies a small store. Known as one of the few zero waste stores available in Singapore, Eco.Le strives to bring zero waste lifestyle essentials close to home.

How it all started

Eco.Le was started by a group of strangers who came together in wanting to start up a bulk shop in Singapore. It all began when the current owner, Thng Hui Hien, decided to write to organisations to ask if they could sell their organic products in bulk. She didn’t agree with the idea of buying them individually as these products are packaged in plastic. However, things did not go her way and she decided to start a store. Hence, Eco.Le was born.

“It all started because I didn’t want to continue to be a producer of trash for my own consumption. I am also irritated by comments saying that Singaporeans don’t want to do this or that. So I said, ‘fine’, then I will take the full risk and I will do it,” said Hui Hien.

“Stop telling me Singaporeans don’t want to do it, because I do it now. So, those who have said cannot, I have a shop that proves otherwise, ” she added.

Now, Eco.Le is a space for her to meet new people who are unaware of zero waste initiatives and she will share her experiences with them and teach them the ways to become sustainable.

Why “Eco.Le”?

When asked about the meaning behind the store name, Hui Hien cheerfully reminisced her trip to Europe a few years ago where she first came across a zero-waste store. Known as Underpacked, she thought to herself that she would not use the same name for her store. One day, while thinking about a name, a Singapore slang, “Are you Eco, le?” came to mind, in which, “Le” can also mean joy in Chinese.

She continued: “Most first-timers who visit the shop find the shop interesting and find themselves learning a lot. So somehow, Eco.Le also can mean Ecole which is school in French.”

What’s so different?

When asked about the differences between Eco.Le and other zero waste stores in Singapore, Hui Hien replied: “All of us are somehow similar in our mission for zero packaging and working with local businesses to sell local products. What makes Eco.Le slightly different would be our main focus on sustainability and sharing of knowledge on how each product came about. Moreover, we also try to not sell industrial products such as distilled vinegar, palm and canola oil.”

Eco.Le tries to keep items affordable, similar to prices  at the supermarkets so customers wouldn’t feel as if they are paying more just to be eco-friendly.

The Eco Step

“I am not a very viable retail business because I want people to switch their thinking to really consume what they need rather than persuading them to buy.”

Other than supplied zero waste goods, Eco.Le also houses second hand items donated from customers or from Hui Hien herself. There are also dispensers of liquid and dried food products for customers to dispense in their own containers under the supervision of Hui Hien for hygiene purposes.

It has been one year since Eco.Le opened and along its journey, Hui Hien gave up her previous job as a lab manager to be full time in charge of the store. “Somebody has to take the risk, everybody is waiting for someone to do it. I just want to show that it is not the lack of people’s will to do it,” she said.