5 Simple Steps for a More Eco-Friendly Chinese New Year

As we hope that the lunar new year will bring us an abundance of prosperity, good fortune and dumplings, it will sadly also bring us an abundance of waste. Chinese New Year is known for traditions such as buying new outfits in lucky colors, hosting the whole family for decadent meals, receiving fresh new money in red packets and clearing out clutter from our homes. However, this can lead to a huge amount of waste filling up our already heavily burdened landfills. 

With the new year bringing new beginnings and fresh starts, here are some easy steps for you and your family to start for a more sustainable Chinese New Year. 

1. Start shopping secondhand for your clothes

For Chinese New Year the most sustainable place you can start is with your own wardrobe but if it doesn’t present any truly viable options, then secondhand clothing platforms are the next best alternative. When you consider that if everyone bought 1 used item instead of a new one, we would save nearly 6 billion lbs of CO2e, the cost to our planet of a new dress may be far greater than what is shown on the price tag. 

Luxury fashion resale platforms receive clothing in great condition, with many still with tags on. Adopt a more mindful process when shopping for you and your family’s outfits this year and consider second hand. 

At Retykle you can shop new and new-to-you clothing for your kids and help to reduce your family’s environmental footprint. You can then always resale any purchases with Retykle creating a virtuous circular loop. Check out our special CNY collection here

2. Resell, repair or donate your unwanted items

As we enter the Year of the Rabbit, many of us will be busy spring cleaning our homes and clearing out any items we no longer need. Whilst it is a great idea to declutter, The Salvation Army in Singapore reported last year they had seen the number of donations triple over the festive and Chinese New Year period. 

In addition, whilst Singaporeans may believe they are clearing away their bad luck, they are in fact clearing it straight into landfill. In 2021, the domestic sector created 1.82 million tonnes of waste of which only 13% was recycled.  

Try reselling your unwanted items first to ensure it is going to a household that really needs it. If you are looking to donate, make sure you are donating to a local charity that will service your local community rather than sending it abroad or to landfill. You can check out Green Is the New Black’s list on how you can resell, repair or donate in Singapore here. 

3. Reuse or recycle Hong Baos 

It is customary to offer children and unmarried adults crisp new notes in brand new hong baos. This tradition however racks up quite the carbon footprint. The Monetary Authority of Singapore has warned that issuing new banknotes generates carbon emissions equivalent to 430 4-room HDB apartments and would need to plant 10,000 new trees to offset the emissions. As such they are encouraging the use of “good as new” notes, which have been verified by a banknote processor, or the use of electronic hang baos instead. In China, giving e-hangbaos through the messaging app WeChat is already a common practice.

Electronic hang baos also cut down the use of red envelopes. A Hong Kong charitable environmental group reported an astronomical figure of 320 million red packets doled out every year, amounting to deforesting 16,300 trees. If you are handing out physical ang pows try to source designs made from recycled paper or choose ang pows that don’t have any foil or shiny parts so they can then also be recycled. Alternatively find designs that aren’t tied to a particular year so that you can reuse them year after year. 

Photo Source: ​​https://chalkacademy.com/easy-to-diy-chinese-folding-fans/

4. Craft your own Chinese New Year decorations

Decorating your home with red lanterns, banners and other decorations is traditionally done to keep evil away and bring in joy & peace, health and prosperity. It can be tempting as such to stock up on the cheap and colourful lunar new year decorations that fill most shops in the run up to the new year. Why not try making your own upcycled decorations this year with the family? It is a great way to cut down on waste, reuse old packaging and keep the children busy! For some inspiration, take a look at our blog here on Chinese new year crafts. 

If you do buy new decorations, start buying those that have no prints of this year's zodiac on them so you can use them again year after year. 

5. Plan your meals to avoid wasting food

Food waste is a serious problem in Singapore and on average accounts for 50% of the waste thrown out every day by households. This grows by a whopping 20% during festive seasons. 

Plan your meals for the week over Chinese New Year, maximising the use of everything in your fridge so that nothing goes to waste. Be realistic over how much everyone will eat and consider incorporating more vegetarian dishes or the use of alternative meats. Where possible buy local, seasonal produce and don’t forget to bring your tupperware to any family meals so that you can transport any leftovers home with you for you to enjoy the next day. 

Wishing you and your family a very healthy and prosperous Year of the Rabbit!