11 beauties learn about zero-waste lifestyle, homemade skincare products

Eleven beauties from different states in Malaysia learned the meaning of "zero waste" lifestyle from Upcycled Shack founder Tressie Yap (sixth right) as part of their journey to be crowned as Miss EARTH Malaysia this Friday.(NSTP/EDMUND SAMUNTING)
By Olivia Miwil - September 2, 2019 @ 5:35pm

KOTA KINABALU: Eleven beauty pageant finalists learnt about the zero-waste lifestyle on their journey to be crowned as Miss EARTH Malaysia this Friday.

Upcycled Shack founder Tressie Yap, who is an architect and a designer championing the cause of “turning trash into treasure”, held a half-day “Zero Waste” training programme with the hope that the beauties can share the knowledge with more people.

“Today, the contestants learnt about the trash system in the country; what items are recyclable or non-recyclable, and how to put the theory into practical lifestyle.

“We advised them to refuse and reuse by upcycling them into creative items.

“For some, it was an eye opener. I did not mind spending more time to answer their questions as long as they can learn how to be zero wasters,” said Yap, who will use recycled items to make jewellery for the finalists on their coronation night.

During the workshop, contestants learnt about homemade skincare products and household detergents, as well as composting.

Fourth-year medical student Kejel Kaur, 23, from Ipoh, Perak, who has adopted a minimal-waste lifestyle said she had benefited from the workshop.

She said practices such as bringing her own food container and tumbler, preferably metal ones which last longer, would cut down waste.

She said carpooling, reusing plastics or making ecobricks (reusable building blocks made of plastic bottles that are packed densely with used plastic) were good practices too.

“I have to admit that my lifestyle only contributes to about 70 per cent of zero waste practices.

“The workshop has enlightened me about the many ways to reduce waste in our daily lives,” she said.

Fitness instructor Amanda Lee, 25, and brand ambassador Jasmine Lai, 24, said they would share what they had learnt about composting when they returned to their hometown of Kuching, Sarawak.

“It was an eye opener as we learnt how black soldier fly larvae and worms can be used to produce compost,” Lee said.

Other contestants said they would talk to schoolchildren about the zero-waste lifestyle.

They said pupils could be taught to use containers to bring food to school and about companies that produce biodegradable plastics.

Architect cum designer Tressie Yap, who is also the founder of Upcycled Shack, sharing her experiences with 11 finalists on how to identify recyclable items and turning them into something usable. (NSTP/EDMUND SAMUNTING)