Skip to main content

Advertisement

Advertisement

From secondhand clothes to cloth hongbao, more young Singaporeans turn to eco-friendly ways of celebrating Chinese New Year

Ms Melissa Lam holding a pair of reusable cloth hongbao.

Ms Melissa Lam holding a pair of reusable cloth hongbao.

A crop of young Singaporeans are increasingly turning to eco-friendly ways of celebrating Chinese New Year, from choosing not to buy new clothes specifically for the few days of visiting to using alternative forms of paper “hongbao”, or red packets that contain cash gifts.

One, Ms Chan Kah Mun, said that she has not been wearing new clothes for the festival for the past few years. She has not been buying any since 2019, barring a few small essential items.

Green advocacy group ZeroWasteSg said that it has seen conscious consumption during the Chinese New Year gaining momentum in recent years. Fashion store Swapaholic, which allows customers to exchange their old clothes for secondhand clothing brought in by other customers, said that it has seen more shoppers at its Orchard Central store ahead of the holiday.

Ms Jen Teo, the executive director of non-profit group Singapore Environment Council, said that the council has also observed more people buying clothes from secondhand stores and donating old clothes to the Salvation Army instead of disposing of them.

Advertisement