Sustainability Series
Do you know we can help save the environment by using reusable cloth pads made of bamboo? I have personally tried this and have found it so much more comfortable than the disposable ones. Even if you have been using the cottony types, I assure you, the touch of a cloth pad is feather-light in comparison.
It is also relatively easy to wash and care for. What I do is to soak it in a pail with some water and leave it to soak while I shower. After I am done, the blood would have come off and I proceed to rinse it till it is completely clear of blood. Then, I put some detergent on it and wash it like a would any other apparel. So far, it has been working fine.
To motivate us, these reusable cloth pads can be found in pretty fabric! I bought mine from www.yourcosyshop.com and I'm still loving them. They come in different sizes too - both day and night are well-covered.
Reusable Cloth Masks
I have been making my own reusable cloth masks since the start of the pandemic. While I cannot claim definitively that they prevented me from having Covid, I think they do play a part. After all, I have been out and about in 2020, when Covid first broke out in Singapore, as I went to source for fabric and materials for mask-making, as well as to the post office to send out orders.
One thing is certain - reusable cloth masks are more eco-friendly than disposable ones. We can choose anti-bacterial fabric from Korea to increase the utility, pick a style that suits our needs, and even layer a silky smooth 100% cotton from Germany to protect our faces. The disposable ones are non-biodegradable, and in order to dispose of them without any contamination, it requires more plastic in the form of a ziplock bag every time we throw one away. Imagine the impact on the environment in the long run.
And if anyone comes into contact with a disposable mask that is worn by an infected individual, the former can get infected too. That's how hazardous a mask like that is.
On the other hand, a reusable cloth mask is better for our skin, kinder on our wallets in the long term, and saves the environment more. There are various styles to choose from - pleated ones to cover extensively, 3D ones to fit our contours, KF 94 ones to prevent spectacles from fogging and provide more breathing space, and boat masks that can come in multiple layers.
We can choose our fabric too, be it the print on the external fabric so long as it is tightly woven to reduce the level of porosity, an eco-friendly material like our Oeko-Tex certified 100% organic cotton directly imported from Korea, a safe material like an anti-bacterial layer to increase the protection level, or the above-mentioned Germany cotton fabric that is highly comfortable.
Tote Bags for Shopping
I am a fan of tote bags. Not only are they durable, they are light and easy to bring along. Or on its own.
I love my current tote bag from Louvre Museum - it fits an A3 size paper and I bought it in Paris as I had a project while on a student exchange program there. It is thin yet hardy, and I use it when I leave the house. At any point when I need to get something, I simply put the item into the bag. I don't even need a separate shopper bag.
Other than this, I enjoy bringing our English Countryside tote bag when I go fabric-shopping. The short handle is just right for me to place it on my arm, and because it is all fabric, it does not hurt my arm despite the weight of the contents.
Matching Sets to Reduce Wastage & Help Styling
When I sew a dress, there might be some remnant fabric left. With this fabric, I can make a matching kisslock bag to match the dress for a formal occasion, or matching fabric earrings and ring for a more informal look.
Depending on the fabric print, different items can be created too. Some print look good as bags, while others as tissue holder or zippered pouches. Some might be suitable for masks too.
As a result, we can have differing matching sets for each piece of fabric that comes through our hands.
When we seek to maximise the fabric this way, we are doing our part to reduce wastage while helping our styling to be easier too.
