BALANCE
Ms. Cheow has all the time been lively on the environmental scene, collaborating in coastal cleanups and different initiatives. She has additionally been looking for second hand garments together with her sister since her highschool days.
“After we began, it was the time when there have been loads of issues with shipments and vessels. We additionally needed to wait a very long time and had an empty warehouse for 2 months. At first it was very troublesome and many individuals mentioned that it was not a superb time to begin a enterprise throughout COVID.
“However I feel we have been very fortunate that there are lots of people who’re beginning to get keen about sustainability, and that is why we’re nonetheless alive.”
The workforce nonetheless has round half of the eight,000 kg of clothes to undergo. Ms Cheow, who graduated with a bachelor’s diploma in arts and social sciences with a minor in psychology from the Nationwide College of Singapore final July, mentioned the enterprise has virtually damaged even.
The model celebrated its first anniversary in September.
“My objective is a really humble objective – I simply need to have the ability to proceed to do that in a extra sustainable means. Assembly like-minded individuals who need to come and save, working with individuals who need to rework (garments)…as a result of that is actually the way you scale back waste.”
Whereas having a brick-and-mortar retailer can be “cool,” the thought is not fairly possible for now, as it will be too financially pricey for the enterprise to have a brick-and-mortar retailer and warehouse, he mentioned.
With a full-time job, discovering time to handle your startup can be troublesome, Cheow mentioned.
She spends most of her day at work, heading to the warehouse after work two to a few instances per week to fulfill companions who’re interested by working with the model, internet hosting occasions, and trying out her remaining clothes.
“My firm is actually very supportive, however usually it has been troublesome to juggle each…I’d say difficult, however not unimaginable. It’s kind of extra strenuous, however it’s nonetheless doable,” she mentioned.
LIVE SUSTAINABLY AND CONSUME LESS
When requested how she encourages the individuals round her to dwell extra sustainably, she emphasised that even a little bit goes a good distance.
“I all the time stress that you do not have to be a 100 % sustainability queen, you do not have to be zero waste your complete life. Simply do some bit like simply 20 %, 30 %, that is higher than nothing.”
A stint on the non-governmental group Zero Waste SG additionally taught her how corporations conceal details about how sustainable their clothes actually is.
For instance, corporations could say on the label that clothes is constructed from 90 % recycled content material, however they may solely be referring to a particular a part of the merchandise, making the merchandise sound higher than it really is. mentioned.
“I feel that was after I lectured essentially the most,” he mentioned with fun. “However over time, I noticed that once you shove it down individuals’s throats, individuals do not take it very effectively.
When he talks to individuals about sustainability, his objective now could be to “simply get them ,” and never make them really feel like they are not doing sufficient.
While you accompany your mates to quick vogue shops, you’re taking the chance to supply comparable second-hand items out of your retailer to encourage them to eat much less.
“I am going to say ‘Oh, I’ve one thing comparable, would you like it as an alternative? I can provide it to you without cost.’ I choose to relocate (the garments) and ensure they do not create extra waste or eat new merchandise.”