Culture vs Traditions
Hello guys!
Happy Chinese New Year :) We are currently at Day 3 of CNY and it typically lasts for 15 days even though we will have to head back to work on the 4th day of CNY this year.
That being said, I was trying to illustrate how this CNY tradition is a “big thing” for us Chinese. As part of the traditions, married couples and elders would hand out “packets of blessings” in the form of red packets, which contains a token sum of money.
Can you imagine how much red packets turn into trash the moment the “blessings” (money) has been taken out by the recipient? At a corporate level, it is a dilemma for me. A big one. The green culture vs Chinese traditions.
While I try to make as good an estimate as possible each year and cut supply as close as possible to demand, we still print and produce a large amount of CNY collaterals including these red packets. If I had under ordered, I would get into trouble disappointing stakeholders who have waited a year for these; if I had over ordered, it just stings my conscience.
Paper can be easily recycled? Nope. Not exactly for red packets which are adorned with stubborn red ink, foil stamping, spot UV treatment and film lamination.
So it was kind of nice to see Singaporean banks move towards more environmentally-friendly production practices in their red packet production. FSC-certified paper, designs with sustainability theme, collaboration with local recycling plants to collect and recycle the used red packets etc. BUT. it’s still very much trying to put on a green act. Paper can usually be recycled seven times, but why are we condemning the resource just after one use.
The society requires a mindset shift.
One of the banks has decided to grow their green footprint by promoting QR code/ e-red packets. This is the way to go.
When will we be able to move past this tradition and embrace our green culture? Towards e-red packets and less/no purchase of new clothes for CNY.
Nuff said on the red packets. At the back of my mind, I believe that leverage can be created on top of these traditions. Still on the topic of making it easy for people to make the right choice, I’m exploring the possibility of getting the local food bank to place a collection point at my company’s property so that people would not have to make a deliberate trip to the food bank to make their donations, especially during festive periods like this where we have literally too much food at home and in office.
In the spirit of CNY, wishing you a year of great prosperity!
