Singapore rolls out over 100 refill stations for household cleaners at 30% discount

Singapore's national recycling rate has stalled at about 11%, well short of the government's 70% target for 2030, according to figures cited by household product manufacturer Lam Soon.

To address the plateau, Lam Soon invested $1 million in hardware and tech startup Ecoworks to design and install more than 100 refill stations for its Bio-Home line of biodegradable laundry detergent, dishwashing liquid and floor cleaner.

The stations operate like vending machines, allowing consumers to fill their own reusable containers and eliminating single-use plastic bottles from the supply chain.

Removing packaging costs enables a 30% price reduction, with refills starting at roughly SGD $4.80 per liter.

Initial units are already operating at two university campuses and a community center, with broader neighborhood rollout planned.

Ecoworks says the network provides the convenient, standardized infrastructure needed for reuse systems to scale across dense urban areas.

Lam Soon manufactures the cleaning products, while Ecoworks supplies the dispensing hardware and manages installation.

The project targets an upstream reduction in waste by preventing bottles from entering the waste stream in the first place.