Year End Ramblings

 I just returned home from dropping off a rather heavy bag of edible goodies at a collection point for IRR #WeHaveADream. 

Actually it was not in my plans to contribute to it. I am kind of a wet blanket during this festivity because Christmas gifting simply feels too wasteful. I have practically taken a total hands-off approach. This has messed with my head a little especially when I felt like the only outsider amidst a worldwide celebration. I did not receive many gifts this year (or for some years now) probably because my friends know how I feel about it (or maybe because they know they will not get any from me? 🤣)

I contemplated getting holiday themed cheesecakes for my colleagues because good food can always be enjoyed and less likely to be wasted. But a few factors put me off it and sometimes when things are not going smoothly I do not wish to force it to make it happen. Does anyone ever get this feeling?? Or is it just me being stingy again?

Well, one of the factors is that we already have so many gifts of chocolates, sweets and biscuits from our very generous clients/customers/kids! There really was no way we could have finished all of it at work and it was suggested that we bring them home but none of us was exactly thrilled with that idea either.

I saw a win-win solution. It is not the first time I found myself in such a position where my connections and knowledge solved a problem and/or fulfilled a need. The IRR initiative is available in the public domain and despite news coverage on them, who they are and what they do is not that widely known. Or perhaps it is just my crazily deep desire that nothing goes to waste that made me put two and two together.

So that is how I came to contribute, or rather, how my colleagues and I donated and hopefully put smiles on the faces of some migrant workers!

Which brings me to the concept of regifting because that is basically what we did. It is definitely not my first time but I have come a long way from feeling guilty about it to doing it appropriately. Let's make this a norm already!!

 

The images taken at the Bishan Salvation Army Donation Booth have been widely shared these few days. This situation can be avoided if we can move away from the R of recycle towards the R of reduce. Or apply the R of rethink right now and consider regifting those items that are on the wishlist of #WeHaveADream! 

The initiative runs till 10 Jan 2022 so do take the time to review what brand new items you have that might be an essential but out-of-budget item for the very people who are helping to build our nation. Alternatively, they are still accepting ReDiscover vouchers too! You only have 2 days left before they go to waste!!

VWYW

Today I stepped into a changing room of a retail shop. The full length mirror and hooks on the wall looked oddly strange yet familiar. I could not recall when was the last time I stepped into one. That is how long ago since I last did any shopping. Not because of the pandemic restrictions, not because I switched to online shopping (I find it difficult to buy clothes without trying them first) but for environmental reasons. 

I totally subscribe to the new Rs of sustainability. The most familiar 3Rs - reduce, reuse and recycle - are just not sufficient anymore. The number one R that can truly make a difference is refuse. I refuse to indulge my past careless purchases of clothing which are left forgotten in the wardrobe. I have no qualms about taking over second hand clothes so I do refresh my wardrobe when absolutely necessary, just not with brand new items off the rack. I shop at Fashion Pulpit!

So why am I buying something brand new off the shelves?! An unforeseen circumstance had left me no time to get home to retrieve an essential clothing so this purchase is out of a need to fulfill a work requirement. I was already at a mall then so it definitely made more sense to make a purchase than to make a detour back home for something easily found where I was.

I am quite thrifty (read: stingy although I also have to acknowledge that branded items tend to be of better quality and therefore last longer which will actually be more sustainable) so while browsing the price was a major factor which I kept track of as I went from shop to shop. Nothing seemed to fit in my budget. At the final shop, I had quite a few choices of a range of prices which were still not within my budget but something else caught my eye. 

RECYCLED POLYESTER FROM POST CONSUMER WASTE 

 I went straight for the changing room. I had picked out three different styles each with the abovementioned label. It fits. It fulfilled the need. I paid for the least expensive one I had tried even though it was not the cheapest I saw from all the shops I went to. At that moment, I realised I just voted with my wallet. However pretty soon, I started to doubt if voting with your wallet (VWYW) can really make a difference, especially by a consumer who is not willing to spend much in the first place. Hahaha! There is also the issue of greenwashing to consider...

Well, I do need to spend that money and I would really rather be supporting companies that attempt to help the environment than those that are just out to maximise profits. It just feels like the right thing to do despite the uncertainty of its effectiveness. Or I can even say that it personally feels wrong to buy anything else when I know I have this option now. Anyway, I see it as an advantage in simplifying my decision making process.

This seems to suggest that I might have worried for nothing. Good to know. And oooo.... there are quite a few Certified B Corporations in Singapore I can knock on the doors of!