Eco-Friendly Chinese New Year: A Guide to Zero-Waste Festivities

Chinese New Year is a celebration filled with joy, family connections, and meaningful traditions. With delicious meals, colourful decorations, and the festive buzz, it’s a time of abundance and new beginnings. But as we enjoy the celebrations, we often end up with more waste than we’d like. This year, why not combine the festive spirit with a little extra care for the planet?

Here’s a lighthearted zero-waste guide to help families celebrate a greener Chinese New Year, with tips on reusing and reducing waste in everything from food prep to decorations and gifts!

Greeners Action, a Hong Kong-based environmental charity, let us know that since 2014, over 16,300 trees have been used each year to make 320 million red envelopes for Chinese New Year celebrations in Hong Kong! When we factor in Singapore and mainland China, the environmental impact really adds up.

1. Mindful Food Preparation

Food is at the heart of Chinese New Year celebrations, but it’s also a common source of waste. In Hong Kong, an estimated HK$200 million worth of food is wasted during the Lunar New Year festivities. Here’s how to make your feasts more eco-friendly:

• Plan Your Menu Carefully: Avoid over-purchasing ingredients by planning meals in advance. Use a shopping list to ensure you buy only what you need.

• Buy Local and Seasonal: Go local and buy seasonal produce to reduce your meal's environmental impact.

• Use Every Part: Get creative with leftovers and food scraps. For example, vegetable peels can be turned into stock, and leftover rice can be made into fried rice or rice cakes.

• Compost Food Waste: Any unavoidable scraps can go into a compost bin. Transform the scraps into plant fuel for your home garden!

2. Sustainable Decorations

Chinese New Year décor is vibrant and symbolic, but it doesn’t have to be disposable. In Hong Kong, an estimated 320 million red packets are used every Lunar New Year, requiring about 16,300 trees for their production.

• Reuse Last Year’s Decorations: Store decorations carefully each year to reuse them for future celebrations.

• DIY with Natural Materials: Create decorations using biodegradable materials like paper, bamboo, or fabric. Try making paper lanterns like these crafty upcycled lanterns here, calligraphy banners, or fabric garlands.

• Swap Plastics for Sustainable Options: Replace plastic items with sustainable alternatives, such as wooden ornaments or cloth table runners.

3. Go Green for the Year of the Snake

In Chinese tradition, spring is a season of renewal, and what better way to embrace it than by making eco-conscious fashion choices for your tykes? 

• Refreshing Your Tyke’s Festive Rotation: Celebrate the New Year by updating your children’s wardrobe with preloved pieces. Explore Retykle’s curated collection of sustainable Chinese New Year styles here.

Shop new & secondhand designer qipao dresses, mandarin collar tops, cheongsams, snake-inspired prints, and more — all at 50-90% off. 

4. Additional Zero-Waste Tips

Here are some out-of-the-box ideas to make your Chinese New Year even more sustainable:

• Digital Invitations: Opt for e-lai sees or e-ang baos over traditional paper versions.

• Set Up a Recycling Station: Make it easy for guests to dispose of recyclables properly by setting up a recycling station during gatherings.

• Sell/Donate Unused Items: As you declutter for the New Year, donate items in good condition to those in need instead of discarding them. You can also sell your child’s outgrowns through Retykle for free! Simply book your free home pick-up here.

• Educate the Kids: Involve your children in zero-waste activities like DIY crafts, composting, and recycling. It’s a great way to teach them sustainability early on.

Celebrate with Purpose

In the Year of the Green Snake, let’s put a green spin on our festivities! Whether it's adding a little green to our meals, gifts, or decorations, let’s make this season of renewal joyful, festive, and kind to the planet.