This year, Frasers Property Retail’s red packets were made without cutting down a single tree.
Each year, millions of red packets are printed in celebration of the Lunar New Year. While there are no Singapore-specific numbers, a 2017 study found that 320 million red packets are produced in Hong Kong every year, which translates to approximately 16,300 trees being cut down to make these red packets.
Much effort has been made to make this tradition greener through recycling drives, electronic red packets, and using environmentally-friendly paper. As part of our sustainability goals, the malls of Frasers Property sought to make this yearly ritual more environmentally-friendly, while retaining the spirit of this treasured custom, by designing tree-free red packets for a greener Lunar New Year.
The red packets were made from bagasse which is the left-over waste created from sugar cane products.
Made entirely from sugar cane pulp, also known as bagasse, these vibrant and festive red packets are 100% biodegradable, and can break down into compost in a span of 30 to 90 days without generating any toxic matter. Furthermore, sugar cane takes only a year to be produced, compared to trees which take 20 years, making it a much more sustainable process.
Bright and vibrant-coloured red packets are able to be produced using bagasse paper.
Part of the process involves testing the printability of bagasse paper, which isn’t commonly used for this purpose. However, we were pleased to find out that the red packets turned out bright and vibrant despite the use of tree-free paper.
Find out more about the entire process in this video.
Producing tree-free red packets marks another step towards our journey of achieving net-zero carbon by 2050. In line with one of our sustainability pillars, consuming responsibly, we seek to extend our impact beyond our operations and create value across our supply chain, and we are glad that our vendors and shoppers can be part of this journey.
For more information on how you can get your hands on these red packets, click here.