World Cities Summit | CDL

JJ Chuan
Jan 1
2 min read

Leading the world by example

rehyphen JJ Chuan was selected as a speaker at the World Cities Summit CDL city innovator with Esther An

The biennial World Cities Summit (WCS) is an exclusive platform for government leaders and industry experts to address liveable and sustainable city challenges, share integrated urban solutions and forge new partnerships. Jointly organised by Singapore’s Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC) and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), key highlights of the Summit include the WCS Mayors Forum, the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize and the WCS Young Leaders Symposium. City Developments Limited ( CDL ) is pleased to showcase 7 innovators whose technologies and solutions will drive change to construction, renewable energy, food security, circularity and waste management. Hear the vision and action of these innovators on their solutions and plan of making greater impact.

Rehyphen's founder J.J. Chuan is very honoured to be invited as one of the speaker in World Cities Summit CDL city innovators and exhibit our MusicCloth product at the event. It was so motivated to be with 4 other entrepreneurs on stage to share our story and have a conversation with Ms Esther An, City Developments Limited, Chief Sustainability Officer to discuss on our journey on how we contribute to sustainability future with :

- Lester Leong, Co-Founder of Gush, on ‘air-purifying sustainable paint that eliminates bacteria and regulates humidity’;

- Dr Tan Mei Chee, Associate Professor from SUTD, on ‘smart decarbonizer system that removes carbon dioxide in urban settings’;

-Matthew Chew, Co-Founder of The Igloo, on ‘an efficient alternative cooling system to air-conditioning’;

-J.J. Chuan, Founder of rehyphen, on ‘designing fashion and lifestyle products like handbags and city maps, woven from discarded cassette tapes’;

-Jeremy Lee, Founder of SimplyGood, on ‘dried detergent tablets for sustainable home cleaning’.

rehyphen JJ Chuan was selected as a speaker at the World Cities Summit CDL city innovator

Being selected by City Developments Limited as one of the “Inspiring Women Leaders 2020”, rehyphen is very honoured to design a MusicCloth blouse ( weaved of discarded cassette tapes ) for SMS Dr. Amy Khor - Singapore Senior Minister of State Ministry of Health & Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources for her statement piece to be wear at the Singapore Parliament debate when she talked about circular economy and zero waste.

In her closing speech she used rehyphen as one of the zero waste example,

"Mr Chairman, I want to end off my speech on an optimistic note. Even as the existential challenge of climate change looms over us, opportunities abound. We have to seize them and find creative solutions to make the most out of them. Just take my blouse as an example. Its designer JJ Chuan named it MusicCloth. Ms Chuan told me that 56 million kilograms of plastic have been used to make cassette tapes since they were first introduced in 1963. She gives them a new lease of life by upcycling discarded cassette tapes, weaving them into "fabric" for new products, such as evening bags like the one I am holding, and also this prototype matching blouse. By planning ahead and working together as SG United, we can turn the challenges from climate change into opportunities for our companies to innovate and internationalise, and create better jobs for Singaporeans. That's really turning trash into treasure!"