How Commonhers wants to make upcycling cool while providing jobs for women

She laughed as she explained that the mess was a “necessary evil”. The team was gearing up for several upcoming upcycling workshops with different companies, where participants would learn about upcycling – the creative process of turning waste into something new – and technical skills such as basic stitching.

“This mess is part of the process,” the 25-year-old National University of Singapore (NUS) undergraduate told CNA Women. “It’s an eyesore, but it won’t be here for long.

“Our small team of four full-timers needs to prioritise the workshop and other tasks, and sometimes, that means embracing this mess, or at least directing our eyes away from it.”

The name Commenhers was created by merging the words “commoners”, “men”, and “hers”, to emphasise the company’s inclusivity.

Commenhers serves as a bridge between reducing corporate waste and creating livelihoods for women.

The company works with businesses to transform unused textiles and other discarded materials into upcycled products, from bags to small pieces of furniture. It does this by engaging women from vulnerable backgrounds, including the elderly, single mothers, and stay-at-home mums from low-income families, who carry out the upcycling work while honing their sewing and craft skills.

“We run on tactile, hands-on experiences,” Nuryanee said. “Seeing all this clutter doesn’t feel strange or wrong. In fact, it can even be where a lot of cool ideas are born.”

INSPIRED BY HER FAMILY’S CARE FOR THE EARTH

“Upcycling and sustainability sound new, but many of us Asians have practised sustainability for generations,” Nuryanee said. “I grew up seeing my parents turn old clothes into rags, and reuse bottles or empty containers multiple times before throwing them away.”