I refer to the article posted by Straits Times "Discarded disposables in S'pore enough to fill 400 Olympic swimming pools" and I am appalled by the amount of waste generated by us. Of course, this could be fuelled by the lock downs and the need to dabao (takeaway) our food due to the COVID-19.
In effort to reduce my carbon footprints, here are some things I did/didn't do to save the earth in my own little ways :) Following the old adage of reduce, reuse and recycle, here's my humble sharing.
1. Reduce
One of the best ways to save the environment is to cut down on consumption because that's the only sustainable way in the long run to reduce waste. Some things I did to reduce was to cut down on fast fashion. Looking through my Money Manager app, I'm really proud that I have not bought a single new piece of clothing since the start of this year. I am committed to continue to cut down on fast fashion due to environmental, financial as well as social implications. Shall not touch on them here today.
As far as possible, I've opted for e-books, e-textbooks and digital note taking now instead of purchasing new books. For every new purchase of books, not only would the demand for natural resources increase, it would potentially clutter my space too. Initially, I was quite hesitant to port over to digital books as I very much like the feels of having a physical book with me. However, if I really do need the physical copy, I would search for second hand books or borrow from the library (reuse/recycle).
Going back to the astonishing amount of disposable waste we generate, we can try our best to bring along reusable glass/plastic containers if we really need to dabao. I know it is really inconvenient and one might argue that the washing of the containers after that may increase water wastage, I think the latter problem may be a far outcry compared to the first.
2. Reuse
Reusing certain items may be an avenue for our creative brain juice to flow! For example, we could use old glass bottles as flower vase instead of buying a flower vase for the sole purpose of putting a flower 👅 Been there and done that and thus, I'm learning to be mindful of my daily consumptions and be more careful when making new purchases.
For my upcoming new home with my fiance, I'm really happy and proud that my fiance actually agreed to purchase some second hand furnitures for our nest. While I understand that some (AKA our parents) may not really agree with second hand furnitures due to some beliefs, shopping at second hand shops can sometimes give you surprising cost savings! For example, my fiance and I managed to purchase a second hand and well maintained Rosewood antique study table for just $730 at Hock Siong. This is compared to the price quoted to us by another retailer who is selling the identical brand new table for almost $3k! *GASP* As long as you don't mind and the second hand piece is of acceptable quality, why not go for it! :)
Apart from furnitures, I've started purchasing more pre-loved clothes and bags online as well. My recent purchase was a wedding gown for my pre-wedding shoot for $35 and a bag pack for $18. It took me some time to get over the mental hurdle of purchasing used goods but after some time, I'm very much convinced that reusing and repurposing items help to contribute to a more sustainable future. On the same note, my pre-loved goods are also put on sale on Carousell for a very affordable price to help them look for a new home. Do check out my Carousell store here: https://www.carousell.sg/minimalistickitty22
3. Recycle
Compared to other countries, Singapore's recycling rate is one of the lowest. This is despite our almost zero effort needed blue recycling bin given to every single household. What do I mean by almost zero effort? Let me explain:
In Korea, one would have to sort out the different types of recyclables from normal waste and then bring it to the nearest recycling place to throw away the plastic. At the recycling place, there are different containers for different grades of plastic as not all plastic can be recycled. However, in Singapore, all we need to do is to ensure that the plastic are clean and dry before throwing into the blue bin without sorting out tediously. Despite this, many of whom I know still do not recycle. No judgement here, habits are difficult to build but I hope everyone can start to do their part because the earth is really heating up from our unconscious and unmindful exploitation of its resources.
If you do not know what are the items that can be recycled, please check out this comprehensive list of recyclables/non recyclables here: https://www.nea.gov.sg/docs/default-source/our-services/waste-management/list-of-items-that-are-recyclable-and-not.pdf
For more information about our nation wide recycling programme, you can also check out NEA's website here: https://www.nea.gov.sg/our-services/waste-management/3r-programmes-and-resources/national-recycling-programme
Since earth has given us so much benefits and comforts, shall we do a little part by making the effort to reduce, reuse and recycle please? :) Those little efforts may look insignificant but I assure you that everything counts!
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