These two mums are giving old Singapore school uniforms a second life as bags, toys and more

If you have school-aged children, you may find yourself contemplating the challenge of what to do with pre-loved school uniforms once your child outgrows them or graduates.

Perhaps the school uniforms can be handed down to a younger sibling if they are of the same gender and go to the same school. Or you could pass them on to another child who needs them. You could also give them to The Circular Classroom, where they get a second, upcycled life.

More than 420,000 students are enrolled in primary and secondary schools, and junior colleges in Singapore each year, according to the Ministry of Education. Each year, about 90,000 students graduate.

Over 70 per cent of students own three or more sets of school uniforms, based on a feasibility study done by The Circular Classroom with Singapore Management University (SMU).  

That’s a lot of school uniforms. The study found that 86 per cent of these end up in general waste or are donated to organisations where further usage is mostly unknown.  

CREATING NET ZERO CLASSROOMS

Leonie Nagarajan and Zinobia Tinwala say that school uniforms don’t have to end up in the bin. The mothers set up The Circular Classroom in 2023 with the mission to create net-zero classrooms in Singapore.

Net zero refers to the ideal state where the amount of greenhouse gases (GHGs) released into the atmosphere is balanced by the amount of GHGs removed.

Nagarajan explained: “Net-zero classrooms are learning spaces centred on sustainability and environmental protection.”

Under the Singapore Green Plan 2030, Singapore aims to reduce two-thirds of net carbon emissions from the schools sector and have at least 20 per cent of schools be carbon neutral.

The pair met when they were both members of the Parent Support Group (PSG) at Changkat Primary School, where their children were students. The German-born Nagarajan is a Singapore permanent resident, while Tinwala, who was born in India, is now a Singapore citizen.

“We joined the PSG to better understand the local education system and Singapore culture. We also wanted to connect with other parents,” said Tinwala, 43.  

When two of their children graduated from Changkat Primary School in 2016 and 2022, leaving behind unused education materials and a stack of pre-loved school uniforms that could not be handed down to their siblings, the women thought of how they could collaborate with the school on sustainability initiatives.

TURNING SCHOOL SHORTS INTO TOTE BAGS

Following the study with SMU, “we decided to set up a social enterprise to turn the challenge of school materials and uniform waste into an opportunity that could benefit an environmental and social cause”, said Nagarajan, 46.

One of the initiatives by The Circular Classroom is to create unique upcycled products from pre-loved school uniforms.

They decided on school uniforms as students have a strong connection with these items of clothing. “School uniforms come in different colours and prints, and we can be more creative in repurposing them,” said Tinwala.

The Circular Classroom works with various schools, including Changkat Primary School, Tampines Meridian Junior College (TMJC) and St Patrick’s School. This year, they collaborated with 28 schools. “Our goal is to collaborate with all 324 schools in Singapore. But for 2025, we’ve set the goal for 60,” Nagarajan added.

The Circular Classroom works with the schools on a uniform donation drive. Pre-loved uniforms that are still in good condition are sold to students who need them.

Other uniforms are turned into items, and those that cannot be salvaged are used for art and craft purposes. “We don’t want to waste any resources,” said Nagarajan. Belts and even buttons are saved for future use.

With her background as an origami artist and seamstress, Tinwala comes up with the design for the items. For example, a pair of school shorts is turned into a tote bag, while other uniforms are turned into art brush holders, bucket hats, backpacks and cutlery set holders.

“We create items that can be used in schools, since that is where we get the resources from,” Tinwala said. Her two kids, aged 20 and 14, give the final approval on the designs.

Schools and PSGs can commission The Circular Classroom to customise products, incorporating the school’s colours and identity.

The pair work with a few seamstresses from community development agency Beyond Social Services. “As a social enterprise, we dedicate 20 per cent of our resources to social and environmental causes, and provide green job opportunities for vulnerable groups in the education and sustainability sector,” said Tinwala.

Sometimes, they also work with the schools to sew the products, such as in the case of TMJC students, who came together after school to sew a collection of tote bags featuring their school crest and colours. The students did bits of hand sewing, while the seamstresses put in the finishing touches.

The items produced are given away as gifts for Teachers’ and Children’s Day and for award ceremonies or are sold at the schools, with revenue going to the PSG.

This year, The Circular Classroom also started collaborating with Thye Hua Kwan Moral Charities to provide monthly workshops to seniors at two of their Active Ageing Centres.

On a recent weekday afternoon, the pair taught 20 seniors at THK Active Ageing Centre @ Kaki Bukit to make Christmas wreaths using scraps of school uniforms. A couple of Institute of Education students were also on hand to help seniors with needle threading and cutting, as part of the institute’s Service Learning Programme.

Its centre manager Farhanna Abdul Rahman said: “Intergenerational learning is a valuable way for seniors and youth to connect and share experiences. Through initiatives like The Circular Classroom, they work together to turn recycled materials into creative projects, while also building meaningful relationships.”

BRINGING THE CIRCULAR CLASSROOM OUTSIDE SCHOOLS

Upcycling school uniforms is only one of several initiatives that The Circular Classroom does in its mission to create net-zero classrooms.

The pair and their team of five also design and conduct skills workshops and training to organisations and the public to provide them with knowledge and tools to adopt sustainable practices.

For example, during Singapore Design Week in September, the pair conducted a workshop where participants, from as young as 10 years old, made their own drawstring bags from pre-loved school uniforms. The workshop also included a brief introduction on circularity in the textile industry, and allowed participants to reflect on their own green practices.

Studies have shown that crafting reduces stress and enhances mindfulness, and with this in mind, The Circular Classroom collaborated with the Institute of Mental Health on a workshop that included hand-sewing and machine-sewing.

MORE THAN UPCYCLING SCHOOL UNIFORMS

The pair say their initiative goes beyond repurposing school uniforms. “It is more than just collecting old school uniforms, cutting them up and sewing them into something else,” said Nagarajan.

“We partner with schools at all levels to foster environmentally-friendly practices and design extra-curricular activities that reduce ecological footprints and cultivate a deep sense of eco-consciousness among students,” she added.

To raise awareness about environmental sustainability and textile waste among students, they set up mobile exhibitions in schools such as Tanjong Katong Primary School, River Valley Primary School and ITE College Central. The students gain insight into the repercussions of discarding their uniforms and discovered innovative ways to repurpose them, turning waste into creative solutions.

“We will never run out of school uniforms,” said Nagarajan. “What we’d like is for people to see pre-loved school uniforms as a valuable resource, rather than unwanted clothing.”