February 04, 2020, 11:42 AM
Unless you've gone cashless for Chinese New Year by using PayNow to pay and receive money, most of us will have empty red packets (ang baos) lying around after the festive season.
A few organisations have partnered local paper recycling company, Tay Paper Recycling, to help turn unwanted red packets into useful materials again.
OCBC turns unwanted ang baos into cardboard boxes
OCBC Bank explains in a video that you can drop unwanted red packets into the designated recycling bin at any OCBC Bank branch, from now until Feb. 18, 2020.
A spokesperson from Tay Paper Recycling, told Mothership that after the red packets are collected, they will be sorted at Tay Paper Recycling and exported overseas to paper mills.At the paper mills, these red packets will be broken down into paper pulp and prints will be removed with chemicals before becoming fresh recycled paper rolls or sheets.
According to Tay, the red packets can be recycled into new products, such as toilet papers or the corrugated part of carton boxes.
Other companies collecting ang baos for recycling too
Other partners of this initiative include DBS, Uniqlo and The Social Space.
DBS told CNA that their ang bao recycling bins, can be found at all DBS and POSB branches throughout the year.
The Social Space, an eco-friendly social enterprise, is also collaborating with Tay Paper Recycling to collect empty red packets for recycling at their two retail outlets.
The collection drive at The Social Space will end on Feb. 24, 2020.
You can also find an ang bao recycling bin at Uniqlo's flagship store at Orchard Central.Over 3,000kg of ang baos collected during the same initiative last year
This is the second year that companies have collaborated with Tay Paper Recycling to ensure that the red packets used for Chinese New Year are given a second lease of use.
During last year's collection drive, a pile of red packets weighed as heavy as a female Asian elephant was collected, between 3,000kg and 5,000kg.
That would have been enough to produce 6,000 carton boxes, Tay Paper Recycling told Mothership.
Photo by Tay Paper Recycling
Where to find an ang bao recycling bin
Instead of throwing the empty red packets away, here's where you can drop them into an ang bao recycling bin.
- All OCBC, DBS and POSB Bank outlets in Singapore
- The Social Space @ Marina One
Address: 5 Straits View, #01-03 (Garden Tower of Marina One Residences)
- The Social Space @ Kreta Ayer
Address: 333 Kreta Ayer Road, #01-14 Singapore 080333
- Uniqlo @ Orchard Central
Address: 181 Orchard Road, Level 3 of the store Singapore 238896
Top photos by Tay Paper Recycling and OCBC Bank/Facebook
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