Impossible Foods — In March 2019, US-based startup Impossible Foods launched in Singapore, with dishes using its plant-based meat on the menus in eight high-end restaurants, including the Marina Bay Sands’ Bread Street Kitchen by Gordon Ramsay, Adrift by David Myers, and CUT by Wolfgang Puck. Made from wheat protein, coconut oil, potato proteins, and heme, the plant-based meat uses 87% less water and produces 89% fewer GHG emissions than the meat equivalent.

Unspun jeans — Here is a great innovation infusing the sustainability story into the status of buying and owning bespoke, custom-made products. Based in Hong Kong, tech-style startup Unspun is developing a 3D-weaving machine that can spin yarn into a custom-made pair of jeans fitted to any individual consumer, with zero cut fabric waste. It aims to disrupt denim, currently one of the most polluting fashion items to produce.

Sustenir — October 2019 saw Singapore-based vertical farm Sustenir launch a campaign to encourage people to buy local produce. ‘Choose Good. Do Good’ shows consumers the cost of each produce in terms of its carbon impact, for example highlighting the fact that leafy greens imported from Australia release 700 times more CO2 emissions than locally-bought produce.

Lane Crawford — In October 2019, Hong-Kong-based social initiative LUXARITY opened its preloved pop-up at luxury retailer Lane Crawford to shift consumer mindset around sustainable fashion. The pop-up features products donated by celebrities and fashion designers, and a program of talks and wellness events.

Nudes — The most Instagram-able cafes of the future will no longer be those with Millennial-pink walls and bright neon signs. India-based architectural firm Nudes opened the Cardboard café in Mumbai in April 2019, the interior of which is built entirely from 100% recyclable cardboard. Custom-built furniture and light fittings, including tables, chairs, benches and children’s highchairs, are made from corrugated cardboard cut into precise shapes and slotted together.

Filipino Congress — In Asia, few things signal higher status than educational achievements. Here's a powerful example to show a shift in that area – in May 2019, the Filipino congress passed a law requiring every student to plant 10 trees before being allowed to graduate from elementary school, high school or college.

Sunshine Kitchen — Government authorities in Shaoxing, China, are utilizing surveillance cameras and AI to catch breaches of hygiene in the city’s commercial kitchens. Part of a six-year long province-wide project known as ‘Sunshine Kitchen‘, the system uses an AI algorithm and IoT technology to scan camera footage and identify 18 types of unsanitary behavior, including lack of hand washing and smoking.

Limestone Network — A pilot project by a Singapore-based startup tested the idea of a smart city in Phnom Penh, Cambodia in June 2019, powered by blockchain technology. The scheme collects all residents and workers data to create digital passports on the Limestone Network app. The founders claim data generated from the project will help local governments resolve existing urban challenges.

Nissan — July 2019 saw Nissan unveil its ProPilot 2.0 hands-off, self-driving system in the new Skyline (Infiniti Q50) model. The driver programs the software at the beginning of a journey to pre-define the route on designated roads. A monitoring system confirms that the driver is paying attention to the road while the system is in use and if he or she doesn’t respond to an alert while driving, the system brings the car to a stop and automatically calls for emergency assistance.

Hong Kong Stroke Association — A safety scan app for the Hong Kong Stroke Association was released on Google Play in April 2019, providing early detection of stroke through a user’s cellphone. An algorithm in the Fatal Recognition app scans a user’s face every time they unlock their cellphone. If even the tiniest face droop is detected, the user receives a message to call emergency services for help.

Xinfeng Street Community — July 2019 saw several public housing estates in Beijing, China, implement a smart garbage disposal system that uses facial recognition to unlock the bins. A vending machine dispenses a free roll of bin liners to residents every month, while each bag has its own QR code so that if garbage is wrongly disposed, the system can trace the user.

VAAK — Japan-based startup Vaak launched a system in March 2019 that uses AI to detect shoplifters before they attempt to steal an item. Vaakeye monitors the body language of shoppers for signs like fidgeting and, in theory, encourages shop assistants to stand closer to potential perpetrators to discourage them from shoplifting. The founder of Vaak believes stores should be legally obliged to disclose its use.

Idle Fish — Idle Fish is Alibaba Group’s secondhand goods platform, where consumers can sell to one another. The platform is built around micro-communities called ‘Fish Ponds’, formed based on user location or common interests, such as cycling or skin care. Users can join Fish Ponds, interact with other members, and buy and sell from them. In January 2019, Idle Fish launched a new premium channel that allows brands to operate their own stores, selling sample items, overstock merchandise and more. As of September 2019, Idle Fish had 20 million daily active users.

Kroger and TikTok — In August 2019, Chinese social media platform TikTok launched a new social shopping feature, the Hashtag Challenge Plus. US grocery chain Kroger was the first to make use of the new feature, challenging users to post videos of their school dorm makeovers with the hashtag #TransformUrDorm. The hashtag landing page also features a separate tab where products from the brand campaign can be purchased within TikTok. #TransformUrDorm has generated thousands of videos and over 869 million views.

Meesho — One way to act on this trend? Empowering currently-excluded consumers to benefit from social commerce opportunities. Based in Bangalore, Meesho is an online marketplace that connects resellers with customers on social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram. The app claims to have 2 million resellers, mostly homemakers and small businesses, who largely deal with apparel, home appliances and electronics items.

Tokopedia — Social shopping in Asia has traditionally been influencer-led. Now with the shift to community-driven commerce, regular consumers can also participate. In April 2019, Indonesian e-commerce platform Tokopedia introduced a new feature that allows anyone to recommend their favorite products and generate profits from it. Called “Tokopedia ByMe”, it allows all Tokopedia users to promote items, while sellers can set the commissions. Those commissions are paid only when items are successfully sold by the promoter.

Sidekick — Launched in July 2019, the Sidekick platform lets tourists visiting South Korea chat with locals and receive help and recommendations in real-time. It works with a user’s live chat platform of choice (LINE, WhatsApp, Messenger and WeChat) and provides access to local ‘sidekicks’, who provide tips on restaurants, shopping, etiquette and culture.

Price Kaki — Available for download from September 2019, Price Kaki is an app that uses crowdsourcing to compile prices of daily goods sold across multiple physical retail stores in Singapore. Users are invited to contribute real-time information on prices and promotions, with the most active rewarded with shopping e-vouchers. Developed by the Consumers Association of Singapore, the app aims to bring transparency and consumer empowerment to offline shopping.