Pomelo Pantry Healthy & Sustainable Living (2026)

09/09/2023

Did you spot the similarities? 👀👀

Last week, I had the honour to attend the Sustainability Campaign Clinic. The weekend was beyond amazing!

Here are my key takeaways:
1. Collaborate, not compete. 🤝
2. Know the ecosystem. Map out everyone's roles and strengths. Partner & leverage. 🎼
3. Build credibility and network. This will take time and consistent effort. 💹
4. To maximise the marketing and outreach efforts, ride with the current trends and affairs! 🌊
5. For systemic change to happen, help one another. Find out the challenges and struggles authorities are facing. Support them and vice versa. 👯‍♂️
6. Effective communication. Make science and climate change issues easy and simple to digest. ⚡
7. Our emcee is so sweet and also talented! ☀
8. The cool lawyer partner showed up in her 'party dress' as a speaker for the session！ Caveat: must be damn good at your craft to do this. 😎
9. Our ASEAN friends have so much energy and ambitious visions for a greener future! 💋
10. Doing this with cute partner .s 🐣

Sustainability is not a sexy topic to begin with. The journey can be pretty lonely, especially when change is slow or "not everyone's priority".

Thank you WWF SG for organising the programme, and support from Temasek Foundation! Got to meet many like-minded friends and heroes who have been fighting in the environmental space

26/06/2023

Last week, I had the honour to speak along with YB Yeo Bee Yin.

Such a nerve-recking night not just because of the presence of VIP, but also because my zero waste sharing was being challenged by YB😨

Invited by HEYA, I spoke at a youth webinar earlier to share my sustainability journey as a youth in driving sustainability in Malaysia. Here are my main learnings:

1) There’s no perfect solution.

Don’t wait for the perfect solution to take action. Take action and perfect our solutions along the way.

The same goes for climate change and many other problems. Start doing something. Focus on the 1% improvement. Before you know it, you’re 37 times stronger than a year before!

2) There are many considerations to make a change.

It takes a village to raise a child. The same goes for government change, visible results, and everything else.

While government support is crucial to push for changes, other success factors are equally important. Financial sustainability, infrastructure, technologies, private sector support, the right talent and leaders, project management, etc. As the Chinese saying goes, 天时地利人和🙏

3) To create a systemic change, it’s all about VOTES.

All government care is what citizens want and votesss. If we want the climate change agenda to be prioritized, it must represent the majority of what Malaysians want for the country.

This is where we as YOUTH need to power up!

Talk about environmental issues. Educate ourselves. Take actions. Voice out! Grow the interest in environmental and sustainability space.

This is the issue. Malaysians generally have low awareness and interest in environmental topics.

On top of this, we too need to work on other fundamental social issues to ensure people can put food on the table. Ending poverty, closing the gap imbalance of rural and urban development, and most importantly, improving our EDUCATION.

So that Malaysians are more open and civilized to put religion, race, money, and self-interest aside, to work on important topics, and subsequently climate change.

The more I think about it, the more I 🤯. It is an uphill battle.

Hence, I hold my respect for YB. Her knowledge, experience, and dedication she has for climate change & nation-building. There is so much more to learn from her.

Some improvement note for myself as a speaker: Remember Murphy’s Law. I wish I was more flexible in my sharing and quick-witted to have more convo with YB and the audience.

Lastly, I would like to still give myself a pat on my back. A new milestone is unlocked! Looking forward to a wiser me!!💪

18/06/2023

Why do we visit Thailand's beaches and islands, when we have many in Malaysia?

Cheaper, better, and also cleaner? 🤨

Editor recently visited Krabi in Thailand. To my surprise, the beaches were SUPER CLEAN. 😇

There was little to no sight of trash on the beach or in the oceans. The water was so sparkling clear with blues and greens.

I also saw plenty of recycling bins and the use of paper straws. Thailand is pushing for environmental protection and the reduction of plastic waste. Aka sustainable tourism, especially for tourist hotspots.

The authorities even closed the famous Maya Bay in Phi Phi Islands from 2018 to 2022. To rehabilitate the coral reefs and ecosystems. When they reopened Maya Beach, they limit the number of visitors and visiting time slots. Environment > Money🤯

Krabi also bans all other kinds of motorized water sports. E.g. jet ski which pollutes the oceans and disturbs the ecosystems. The province even rejected movie filming opportunities ($$$) to preserve the environment. 😱

After all, we visit these places for their beautiful nature, isn't it?

This got editor thinking about the enforcement and actions in Malaysia. 🤔

How committed are we to maintaining the cleanliness of our islands and beaches? How serious are we in preserving our environment? How can we protect Mother Earth better? So that we can enjoy its beauty and also the resources it provides for us to live? 🥰

Here are some simple ways everyone can do☺️:

- Order your drinks WITHOUT straws
- Say no to plastic bags at the checkout counters
- Finish your food
- Be a responsible citizen 😉

Sources: CNA, DW (2022)

09/06/2023

If you think of 100 reasons you're not good enough to be on stage, you're WRONG.

It's never about you. It's all about the audience - sharing your messages with them, listening to how they're feeling, and connecting with them.

Language is just a medium. A tool. A resource. A heart speaks much louder than that. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. The more you make, the more you grow, even with bad grammar and pronunciation.

I wish my younger self would know this earlier. Thank you for realising this! ✨️

31/03/2023

Early last year, I was gifted a baby avocado tree as part of a free tree giveaway campaign.

A year later, this is how much the tree has grown. It's now taller than me and striving. 💕

We often hear brands/companies pledge to plant trees as part of their CSR effort. But what happens next? Where are the trees? Are they indeed reducing the carbon footprint?

As part of green marketing, many brands and companies are now committed to planting more trees. But as consumers, we often do not know what goes behind the scene.

Here are some key questions you should be asking about environmental sustainability commitment:

1. If one claims to be planting trees, where are they planted? What types of trees? Who will be taking care of those areas? What are the results and monitoring?

2. Are the companies sincere and committed? Or greenwashing to offset emissions on paper? Did they look into their own supply chain and also operations to be more sustainable? Where are the proofs of actions?

3. Why waste effort replanting trees & mangroves when we can simply stop deforestation?

Bear in mind that when we plant a tree, most of them need at least 10 to 20 years to mature. They don't start absorbing carbon dioxide immediately. If you buy a tree-based offset today, the trees will probably only start offsetting the carbon footprint from 2043 onwards... 👀

Yet, here we are: Talking about companies aiming to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. Countries pledging to cut emissions by 45% by 2030. Achieving net zero by 2050 to keep global warming below a 1.5°C increase by 2100...😅

Of course, there is no perfect solution at this moment. Being a human is wasteful. From food, transport, housing to economic development. Everything we do has a carbon footprint.

What we all can focus on is being mindful and taking action to reduce our environmental impact. Instead of tackling these complex goals, the low-hanging fruit solutions are already here.

It can be as simple as saying 'no' to straws, eating more plant-based food, or simply finishing your food.

For sure, decarbonizing the energy sector is important. Sustainable transport is also crucial to bring down pollution and emissions with solutions.

Let's focus on these: Start small. How can I help? As an individual, what can I do?

Hope this post gives you a new perspective on climate change and also greenwashing. Feel free to join the discussion @ comments below. :)

Sources: CBS News (2020), UN.

19/01/2023

Did you know metal can be recycled infinitely? Aka Unlimited lifespan!

Doesn't matter if the metal's rusty, compressed, or run out of shape.

Most metals including aluminium, copper, and brass, steel can be recycled over and over again, 100% without loss of quality.

That's why metal also has one of the highest values for recycling! Aka most money $$ from the karung guni.

For this festive season, enjoying can drinks or alcohol with your loved ones while yam seng?

Keep all the drink cans! Give them 2nd, 3rd, and more life infinitely - like how your wallet will grow infinitely! ;)

P.S. Here are some of the photos at a metal recycling facility!

24/12/2022

It's holidays and travel session! What do you look forward to the most?🎄🎁

Food? Gatherings? Travel? Or..

Celebrating the moments low-waste? 🥳

Here are some simple tips on how we can travel and celebrate the low-waste way:

1. Bring a mighty folder bag / use a backpack! 🎒
2. Bring a foldable container - pack any leftovers/buy food in it 🥖
3. Bring our own bottles - for water & any drinks🍸
4. Say no to straws/bags/reuse the bags 🛍
5. Shop less! 😜

While we celebrate the festivities, let's spread joy not only to our loved ones, but also to our one and only Mother Earth 🌎

Merry Christmas in advance 🎄🎄

09/12/2022

Taking public transport in Malaysia?

Comment below! 👇

01/12/2022

Is Malaysia a high-income country?

I think yes, because the food that we Malaysians waste every day is enough to feed 2.2 million people 3 meals a day.

Malaysia is also the no.2 in Asia, for producing the MOST plastic waste. See, Malaysia is pretty rich isn't it? 😉

This is the footage filmed earlier this year for work and the summary of the waste issues in Malaysia:

1. Malaysia is the no.2 in Asia that generates the most plastic waste - 16kg/person pa.

2. Our nation produces 38,000 tonnes (~38 mil kg) of waste daily that is enough to fill in KLCC every 7 days to get 52 'new' Twin Towers every year.

3. 45% of the waste is FOOD WASTE, of which 24% of those (4,080 mil kg) is avoidable and enough to feed >2.2 million people 3 meals per day.

Every waste we produce comes at a cost. Not just economically, but also our health, quality of life and most importantly, our future - human existence on Earth.

During this monsoon season, let's us take this chance to reflect our daily lifestyle impact on the environment!

P.S Share this if you find it valuable! 💪

😏

12/11/2022

Yesterday was 11.11! Here I am with one of my favourite brands - 😎 But nope, I didn't buy anything, because the fashion vs environment pollution dilemma is real.

I love apparels. Asian cutting, sleek, and good quality. Most importantly - they make me feel good while wearing them!

But, even since I started my zero waste journey, I hardly buy any new clothes...

Because the fashion industry is the second largest polluter in the world, just after the oil industry. 😢

The global fashion industry is valued at USD 1.7 trillion. At the same time, the industry also accounts for up to 10% of global carbon dioxide output—more than international flights and shipping combined, according to the UNEP. 😱

After learning these, it's become obvious to me not to buy new clothing, even from my beloved brand 💔

As Love, Bonito has always been championing women's empowerment, I'd like to take this chance to encourage the brand to go green & innovate on environmental sustainability 💪

I believe with the innovation culture & strong community LB has, the company is capable of making a difference! A greener supply chain, more sustainable material sourcing, or even renting services (my personal wishlist 😛)!

For sure, this is gonna be an uphill battle. But I believe LB could be a role model and set the industry standard. Everything is possible! 😎

How about you who are reading this now? 🙈 Have you made the right choice today to protect Mother Earth? 🌎😉

07/11/2022

Have you had this experience before - you put in lots of effort and got nothing; But when you expect the least & about to give up, you've got a surprise result? 😯

This happened to me!

What I planted didn't grow. But what I didn't plant popped up to be...

A TOMATO PLANT 😱

As a beginner gardener, while I have successfully planted spinach and kangkung (aka the longkang vege that can grow anytime anywhere), my venture to growing other vege has been stagnant. 😭

I saw nothing but grass growing in the area 💔

One day, a special plant grew. All my housemates including myself didn't know what it was, but we kept it anyway. 2 weeks ago, the grass-cutting abang told us that it's a tomato, and all of us were 😱

Come to think about it. It's the same as life isn't it?

Often we are too goal-driven. We always chase after that one thing. One thing that we have yet to achieve, and feel like a total failure.

Remember to always take a step back. Improvise, pivot, work smarter or simply just don't be too stubborn over it.

Nothing ever gets wasted. We just learned - what works and what doesn't. Sometimes when you least expect it, good things happen. Like the cute tomatoes 😳

How about you? Have you had a similar experience too? ;)

P.S Hope this gives everyone less blues on a gloomy Monday! Please pardon the messy grass 😬

28/10/2022

Do you see what I see? Zoom in and spot the difference 👀

Everytime before I order, I would quickly scan the restaurant to check if they serve any single-use straws or use reusable ones.

Then I will remark: "No straw". It's a simple act. And TA DA: 1 less trash. Save more 🐢 too 😍

Have you said Tak Nak Straw to your orders today? 😉

P.S The food, service and WiFi are amazing. Would be even better if can switch to reusable metal straws 🤪

Pomelo Pantry Healthy & Sustainable Living