M’sians embrace a sustainable lifestyle by cutting out product packaging
SUBANG JAYA: Malaysians wishing to do their part for sustainability by embracing a lifestyle that prioritises less or zero waste are now supported by a network of small zero-waste shops.
These early adopters bring not just their own woven bags, but also their own containers to store their daily necessities, cutting out the need for product packaging.
A customer of one such zero-waste shop in Subang Jaya, Phillip Karuppiah, 67, frequents the store with his own plastic containers every few weeks to stock up on cat food and other items.
Having been introduced to the store by his daughter over a year ago, the human resources director says he is glad to finally be able to do his part in protecting the planet.
“It took a lot of dedication and discipline for me to make the switch to bringing my own bags and containers whenever I go shopping, but now it’s just the norm for me.
“We keep hearing about investments in sustainable practices from the corporate and government levels, so it feels good to know that I’m now part of that change on an individual level.
“I believe we all can play a role in protecting our planet and I’m glad that I can do my part as a parent for my daughter and future generations,” he said.
Phillip added that his hope was for the government to push more entrepreneurs towards starting up zero-waste businesses to make it easier for more people to adopt such a lifestyle.
Another frequent patron is office manager Janice Lai, 46, who said adopting the zero-waste lifestyle had not only made her daily life easier, but also helped her financially.
“I always felt bad about tossing out perfectly good empty bottles of shampoo or dishwash since I have lots of them from over the years, which then made my rubbish pile up faster.
“But now, not only does my rubbish not fill up as fast since I’m reusing the bottles, but it also saves me money since I don’t have to pay for the product packaging.
“It also gives me a sense of patriotism knowing that I’m supporting local businesses at the same time since the shop only sells local small brands or startup products,” she said, adding that she was currently trying to get her friends and family to adopt a similar mindset.
Retiree and shop regular Zaridah Zainal Abidin, 65, said she embarked on the zero-waste lifestyle over a year ago, and has not looked back since.
“Not only are the products cheaper by around 20% to 30%, but it also feels very personalised since I can choose exactly how much of a product I want.
“It almost feels like I joined a community since both my family and other customers also donate our extra containers to the shop, which are used to store products for first-time customers,” she said, adding that she now buys her detergent, snacks, personal care and cosmetics from the zero-waste shop.
Another frequent shopper is Reena Pereira, 45, who drops by often for household cleaning products and dog treats with her own containers, while also dropping off used cooking oil.
“Getting rid of used cooking oil was a massive pain, but now I can just drop it off at the shop which then sells to another local business to convert to something else.
“I’m just glad that I’m finally able to do my individual part for the greater and greener good,” said Reena, a banker who has since introduced the shop and lifestyle to many of her friends.
