The Hive Bulk Foods is the first and only Zero Waste Store in Malaysia. It had one branch in Bangsar, and recently opened another branch in Ampang. They offer dry groceries (nuts, seeds, grains, etc), household items (for cleaning, laundry, kitchen goods, etc) and also lifestyle items (skincare, bath and body, dental care, etc). You can check their website HERE.
I had always wanted to go to the Bangsar branch, but it's on the other side of town and I never ended up going. I was delighted when they opened the Ampang branch and earlier this month I made a trip to the store to purchase a few things.
It's really scary to think of our usage of plastics and sadly, most plastics that we use are single-use plastics. In the toilet, our shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and skincare products are all filled in a plastic bottle. Once we finish its content, off it goes into the bin, before the landfills.
The fruits, vegetables, grains and meat that we purchase are all neatly packed in plastics. We unwrap them, toss them into the bin and it stays in Mother Earth for the next hundred of years. It's sickening. We do so much damage to the Earth by being so blatantly ignorant and selfish. Corporations are willing to destroy the Earth for the sake of money.
This month, after my visit to The Hive, I was reading reports of recycling in Malaysia, and it's bad. As a country, we toss rubbish out of the car window and onto the streets so needless to say most people don't seperate their rubbish into categories and recycle them. I was determined to start recycling. I had a bag filled with empty plastic bottles, ready to take them to the nearest recycling centre. I kept them in my car boot... for days!
I. COULD. NOT. FOR THE LIFE OF ME, FIND A NEARBY RECYCLING CENTRE!!
It was so frustrating. We used to have a recycling centre about 1 km away from where I live, but its now closed down, probably due to the lack of recycling. The closest recycling centre was 20km away!
After reading more about recycling, I found out that it takes a lot of energy and resource to recycle. While it is definitely better than simply waiting for Earth to swallow it up, it is best to start opting for a zero waste lifestyle. I read a quote by Anne Marie Bonneau @ Zero Waste Chef that said,
"We don't need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly,
we need millions of people doing it imperfectly."
we need millions of people doing it imperfectly."
It gave me hope because investing in these things (in comparison to normal single-use plastics) definitely ain't cheap and a lot of my things still are plastic, and I feel terrible. I remind myself that in the long run, it actually saves a lot of money. I also ask myself how much am I willing to pay to slow down the Earth from being destroyed?
So these were the things that I bought:
1. A Bamboo Toothbrush
Review: My brother purchased another bamboo toothbrush a year ago, and said that the bamboo pricks his gums. I was hesitant to try it out, but I got a different bamboo toothbrush its good! It does its job, its bristles are quite soft and it doesn't prick me!
Rating: 4/5
2. A Variety of Straws
Malaysia recently launched a campaign called "Tak Nak Straw" which literally translates to "Don't Want Straws". Prior to purchasing environmentally friendly straws, I thought the campaign was telling us to refuse straws.
After purchasing environmentally friendly straws.. I realised that if you don't tell the waiters that you do not want straws, you'll automatically be given one. The campaign wasn't telling us what to do, it was a slogan. We need to actually inform and tell the waiters that we don't want straws. Lol.
There are so many options with straws! I've tried all of them, lol.
- Metal Straws
My personal favourite. I thought it would taint the taste of my drink and I am a person who chews on straws and you can't really chew on metal (unless if you wanna destroy your teeth then go ahead) but its the best! I got the bendy one and I luuuvvv it <3
Rating: 5/5
- Paper Straws
I carry these around to offer them to my friends. They're cheap, you can throw them afterwards (they are decomposable). They also don't turn soft quickly. If you're not into washing your straws and want an easier change, then I'd recommend this.
Rating: 5/5
- Silicone Straw
I'm not too sure as to how environmentally friendly silicones are? I've been trying to read more about it, and many sites and videos say that they're better than plastics as they are more durable. But does the Earth swallow it up??? Eventually, maybe??
As a straw, this feels the closest to plastic straws. If you're a plastic chewer, you can chew on this. I don't recommend chewing though, as it damages the product in the long run.
Rating: 3.5/5
- Bamboo Straws
In all honestly.. all I can taste is the bamboo.. and its bulky. I don't like it and wouldn't recommend it.
Rating: 1/5 (1 point for effort)
3. Metal Shaver + Razor Blades
I haven't used it yet and ended up giving it to my brother who was desperate for it. YouTube videos say they're great and that it's the closest shave they've had!
Rating according to my brother: 7/5
4. Bamboo Q-Tips
They're so nice! Love them more than I love the plastic ones because they're a lot more sturdy and do not break easily.
Rating: 5/5
That is all. I still have a long way to go but I'm glad that I'm making slight progress.
What small change will you make soon? :)
Lots of love,
Aisyah.
