Rachel Tan’s 3,000 Instagram followers are regularly treated to her light-hearted and quirky posts on her daily struggle trying to be a zero-waste heroine. On her gram (@nocarrierpls), she also has tips and sustainable item giveaways.
This eco-Insta-warrior feels that most people have a narrow notion that living waste-free is hard, but she says that small steps are all that are needed.
“You don’t have to go fully waste-free. It’s a journey that is nothing but feeling good about what you do. You can just start by skipping a plastic bag – don’t ever feel like you’re not doing enough, because your individual effort has a huge ripple effect,” she encourages.
“I discovered the Bring Your Own (BYO) movement and decided to bring it to Singapore,” adds the 21-year-old. She now brings her own tumbler to buy bubble tea, and drinks from her own reusable bamboo straw (you can buy one from @bamboostrawgirl).
Sceptics gave her weird looks in the past; some even refused to serve her a drink in her reusable cup. But Rachel says there have been small victories: Other customers have told her they’ve realised they could bring their own cup or utensils, and refuse a straw.
In the process of sharing and educating, Rachel says she’s grateful for all the feedback and ideas coming from others as well. “My followers have taught me so many things I often don’t consider. I think one of the biggest takeaways is to show you’re not alone on this journey, and that making conscious and sustainable choices is actually a pretty attractive thing to live by – something that doesn’t always come at a cost but also with a benefit.”
ALSO READ: SUSTAINABILITY SHE-ROES: THE WOMAN WHO’S MAKING ZERO WASTE APPROACHABLE FOR ALL
