From an idea that popped into my mind back in Grade 5 to launching our first product – the launch of Eco Apparel has been a remarkable journey for me. I have learned so much from this experience, and I feel that it is time for me to share my journey of revolutionizing the fashion industry.

The idea first came to me in Grade 5, when I stumbled upon a YouTube video on how vegan leather is made. I was completely fascinated – the company would receive otherwise wasted mangos from a mango export company in the Netherlands and would use that as the raw material to create a sustainable textile. I thought that this could be the invention that could forever change the fashion industry, but I was wrong. The manufacturing process was expensive, and people were skeptical of calling it “vegan leather” when there wasn’t any cow skin involved in the manufacturing process. Despite all the pessimistic views on this invention, the seed of the idea for Eco Apparel started to grow in my head, as I started to think about bringing this invention to more people and the population that may not be exposed to these types of technologies.

The idea came back to me when I saw the video again in Grade 7 – the exact same video I saw in Grade 5. I started to think deeper about what I could do to bring this to life. At first, I wanted to invent another type of sustainable textile, and I even did research on what types of fiber and raw materials I could use to create sustainable textiles. However, after diving deep into the possibilities, I realized that this may not be the path for me to take as basically all the possibilities are used and they are products that you can buy from companies that produce them that have unfortunately patented them, so that means I could not produce them and make that into a business. However, after sharing my ideas and findings with a teacher, who I’d like to say is a mentor to this project, we decided to develop this project into a fashion business where I take the sustainable materials manufactured by those companies that make them and process them into clothing and sell the clothing. This idea was not particularly appealing to me back then as I thought that the world of fashion is way too crowded and the space for me to grow would be minimal. However, after considering all the pros and cons of spending the next four or five years of my life engaging in a research project that requires so much more money and time compared to starting a fashion business that would generally take less time and bring more revenue for me to use for charitable purposes, I decided to execute the idea. And the first step was to find MONEY.

The first step my team and I decided to take on the project to seek funding was to apply for the Jim Koerschen Award from the Association of China and Mongolia International Schools (ACAMIS). I was hesitant to apply for the award as I did not know if I wanted to bring the project to life yet. However, seven days before the award application deadline, our mentor notified us about the upcoming deadline, and we immediately started crafting our award application. We submitted it one day before the deadline.

Then, I saw advertisements for the Avenir business competition, and I decided to sign up. When I got into a group with one of the team members from the award application, we used Eco Apparel as our idea for the competition. We attended the competition and won the Junior division. The primary reason why I attended the competition was the fact that there was the potential for me to win the prize money, and thankfully, we received the prize money as intended.

We got the notification for the result of the Jim Koerschen award, and even though we did not win the award, the executive director of ACAMIS back then, Mr. Tom Ulmet, emailed us saying that even though we did not receive the Jim Koershen award, the committee felt that our project was very worthy of the Service Learning Grant. Thus, they presented us with the funding of the Service Learning Grant.

Right after we received those two funds, I wanted to pitch our idea to a VC and see what they thought about it. However, even though we mentioned every single unique selling point and specialty of the brand, the VC was not particularly fond of the idea and even suggested to us that we could start getting paid for working on this project even though it would be illegal. After we pitched to the investor and received his rejection, four of the six members of the team left, and the only two people that were left were Selena and I (Eco Apparel’s current team), and that made me doubt if this project was really worth doing if everyone did not want to do it with me. This is a point of the project that I would consider a lowlight, and even though I did know that there would be parts of this startup that would not be successful and would not be going as planned, I was not ready to receive such a result for an idea that won two awards. However, the lesson that I learned here allowed me to push through the next stages of the project and made me more confident in the fact that although there will be parts of the project that people do not like, I am the one who carries it out and makes it a success; it will be a rewarding journey regardless.

With those two funds in hand, my team and I got started on executing the project. We began to discuss the design and negotiated with the manufacturer if we could purchase an order that is below their minimum order quantity, and thankfully, they said yes. We then were able to have our design manufactured and made into the product we have today!

Below is a picture of the product we launched in December of 2024 on our 小红书 account (ecoapparel), and we hope you can support us on our journey!

WeChat Official Account: Eco Apparel

Images: Avenir Photographers, Margaret Yang, Pexels

This holiday season, enjoy the festivities with a Christmas tree in your living room without the guilt of knowing you’ve purchased more things that’ll soon end up in the dump. At the recommendation of Beijing mom Anna Zhu, this Christmas tree rental service is the best option to get yourself a real eco-friendly Christmas tree.

With this rental service, you can have a beautiful Christmas tree delivered right to your apartment within just two days, and the best part is the shipping is free anywhere in Beijing. When you’re ready to send the tree back, give them a call and they’ll come collect it. There’s a fee of RMB 100 for the pick up.

They’ve got trees of all sizes and the price varies depending on what size you choose. Anna’s 1.7m-tall tree came to around RMB 550. “My friend Cat has been getting her family’s Christmas tree from this supplier for years, so I knew they were reliable. This year is extra special because our daughter is finally old enough to get excited about Christmas, so we decided to treat ourselves to a real tree to make the season even more festive.
We chose a tree via pictures the seller sent through WeChat, and it was delivered (free of charge!) in a lovely pot the following day. On top of the usual excitement around decorating the tree, we’re enjoying the added bonus of teaching our kid to care for plants by watering it together every other day. Our tree is definitely a memorable highlight of this year’s holiday season!” Anna shares with jingkids.

Pricing:
150cm – RMB 525
200cm – RMB 700
250cm – RMB 900
300cm – RMB 1,500

Imagine the convenience of not having to worry about lugging a heavy tree home or dealing with the disposal after the holiday. Once the Christmas festivities are over, the service doesn’t end. The team will come back to pick up the tree and replant it, allowing it to continue its growth journey. This way, you get to enjoy the holiday spirit with a real, fresh Christmas tree while also being environmentally friendly.

The service’s Christmas tree farm in Shunyi is tended to all year round by the company, allowing the tree that’s brought your family so much love and joy during the holiday season to continue to grow and florish.

It’s a hassle-free and sustainable option that makes celebrating Christmas in Beijing even more special. So, this season, consider renting a Christmas tree, and be part of this innovative and eco-conscious trend.

To get in touch, add Mr. Wang Xu on WeChat (ID: Wx1018761545) or scan his QR code below. Please note that he doesn’t speak English but is happy to chat via the WeChat translation function.

Images: Anna Zhu, Pexels, Wang Xu

Quietly and without much ado this year, Earth Day is here again. In the midst of rising pandemic concerns, it seems that there are few official activities being offered this year, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take the time and effort to honor Earth Day! One might argue that as we live on Earth for all the days of our lives (unless you are an astronaut), we could and should honor these Earth Day practices every day, but that’s a decision for you and your family to make.

There are so many ways we can help our Earth, but we’ve chosen just a few to start with.

Earth Day Park Clean Up With Vegans of Beijing

Join the Vegans of Beijing at Fragrant Hills on Saturday, Apr 23, for a park clean-up in recognition of Earth Day. Much like the practice of “plogging”, you will help to pick up litter while hiking up the scenic trail. Trash bags will be provided, though in my experience you’ll want to bring your own gloves and thongs – no not that kind, the kind to pick rubbish with! You are reminded to pack your own preferably vegan picnic lunch – ideas below – along with a water bottle. Scan the QR code below to join the group!

If you are unable to make the event, you can always organize your own cleanup event whenever you can, like BCIS’ graduating student Qinglan Du. Gather your clean-up crew and head to the nearest park / outdoor space near you with thongs, gloves, and trash bags. You can even make it a competition to see who collects the most trash and the winner gets to decide what kind of pizza to have at the after-clean-up party!

Eating Less Meat

Last year, local plant-based meat company Zrou started to make its appearance on international school menus. More and more meat alternatives are also coming on to the market, but we can still do more.

My family has scheduled Meatless Mondays for a few years now, with off and on mixed success. Sometimes, we end up having to do Meatless Thursdays, or a meatless lunch on one day and a meatless dinner on a different day. But the fact remains that we are consciously choosing to eat less meat. This has been a bit of a battle with my son who declares himself a carnivore, but who also oddly enough went almost an entire week actively asking for meatless packed lunch options. I can only hope that this is due to our regularly discussing why we should eat less meat in general but particularly red meat, which my son sums up as “Cows take up land which trees need to grow (Deforestation in a nutshell) and their farts cause global warming (Not really but kind of)”.

To add to this, you could consider the challenge of not ordering waimai from a restaurant that is within walking distance to you. This gives rise to the opportunity for additional family bonding time in the lovely spring weather, which also helps work up an appetite before and aids digestion after!

Beijing’s WellWomen community has beautifully summed up some other key practices we can start to incorporate into our lives to help slow down the planet’s unprecedented destruction by human activities.

Remember, change starts with us. It starts with me.

Need help explaining Earth Day to young kids? Watch this simple explanatory video on jingkids video channel!

Images: WellWomen, Pexels

We’re all counting down the days to Christmas and instead of the traditional partridge in the pear tree this year, we can celebrate with a more sustainable spirit of giving that will benefit everyone! This article will share some ways that the expats of Beijing as well as local eco-friendly businesses are aiming to throw a green Christmas.

At the start of December, the Well Women community got the party started with a 7 Day Challenge for a more sustainable Christmas. Here’s a quick recap of each day’s main theme.

One of my favorite takeaways from this 7 Day Challenge was the creative ways that many of the expat families made their own Christmas trees – like this amazing one by eco-warrior Eva Biehl and Ale Ale, who even knits her own adorable Christmas ornaments! Join the Well Women community to be part of their sub groups that encourage sharing and discussion of various themes from fashion to parenting. Scan  the QR code in the posters to join.

Why do we need to be sustainable?

Since the COP26 ended in the final week of November this year, sustainability has received a breath of fresh air and been trending in social media even here in China. Local eco-friendly business platform BOOMI published an article listing the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which are an urgent call for action by all countries – developed and developing – to work together.

First established in 2015, these goals recognize that ending poverty and other issues must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and encourage economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.

To make the eco-journey for all of us a little more fun and rewarding, BOOMI released their own 12 days of Christmas calendar yesterday offering special discounts and privileges for customers unique to each day until 25 Dec. Check it out below or follow BOOMI’s Official WeChat account for more sustainable news!

KEEP READING: Sustainability Sunday: Introducing BOOMI, China’s Eco-Conscious Platform

Images: Well Women, BOOMI, Unsplash

Before moving to Beijing, I lived in the capital city of Indonesia, Jakarta. It was there that I encountered my first landfill, which was within a mile of my manicured residential estate. I watched as an endless line of dump trunks unloaded their odious burdens onto an already-mountainous hill of waste, and my jaw dropped as barefooted children crawled out of the surrounding huts to scale and rummage through our garbage in search of valuable items.

Needless to say, it was quite a life-changing experience.

Shortly after, I joined a few expat women who founded a group called Going Green In Jakarta. We brainstormed ways to live more sustainably and help share our philosophy with others to create a cleaner, greener city. Among some of our accomplishments were working with local environmental groups to initiate recycling programs in our own residential compounds, and drafting and sending out organized requests to our favorite restaurants and grocery stores asking for less plastic packaging. We had a dream, and we acted on that dream.

I started my waste-free journey there, and am continuing my journey here. There have been slips and misses along the way, and I’ve needed to make changes and adjustments to fit life in this city. Nevertheless, in my opinion, it’s certainly a battle worth fighting, and I’m here to share three concrete ways you can start or modify your sustainable life to suit Beijing. And to make it fun and easy to remember, I’ve labelled them the ABCs of Going Green!

Plan in Advance: Whether it’s meal planning, or knowing when you’re going to eat out, the first step to your green journey is simply being prepared. If you’re constantly in survival mode and scrambling from one appointment to the next, you don’t need to add more to your plate. Once you’ve settled into a more structured routine, you’ll have the mental capacity to start forming new habits like remembering to bring your own…

… reusable Bottle! It’ll remind you to hydrate too, because your bag gets lighter the more you drink! Find a pretty one that captures your sparkling personality so you’re more likely to hold on to it. For kids, this stainless steel Camelbak is lightweight and comes in a variety of designs to suit all tastes, from pirates to fairies. Stainless steel ensures no mold or bacteria growth, but that doesn’t apply to the silicon straw parts so make sure you give those a good, thorough cleaning every week!

Reusable Cutlery and straws: This GoEat magnetic set from Joseph Joseph (I got it at April Gourmet) is ideal for those with kids, but also great for any time you encounter a restaurant that only offers chopsticks. What’s more, you’re less likely to lose them since they stick together! That said, I (well, really my son) did forget the spoon at a restaurant but the fork and knife remain extremely useful.

There’s another all-in-one set from local waste-free store The Bulk House that includes organic bamboo cutlery and a bent straw that’s perfect for smaller kids. There’s also an option for thicker straight metal straws that are ideal for sipping smoothies. *Fun Tip: When my kid was teething, he used to love sucking on the metal straw itself!

I know, I know. It sounds like so much work! Having to remember to carry things in your bag, and say “我不要吸管 Wǒ bùyào xīguǎn I don’t want a straw” every time you visit a restaurant or cafe is tiresome. Change is hard, and starting a new habit is especially hard. But as I like to tell my kid, “We can do hard things” (thank you Glennon Doyle!). Focus on the benefits of telling your kids that you’re all on a mission to save the earth: Make a counting challenge out of how many straws you didn’t use because you brought your own, and always remember to be kind to yourself if you slip up, which you will. We all do the best we can, and that is enough.

Want more Sustainable Sunday news and tips for living an eco-conscious life in Beijing? Let us know in the comments what you want to learn about and we’ll do our best to help!

KEEP READING: All My Designer Clothes Are From Xianyu, China’s Leading Secondhand Shopping App

Images: Courtesy of products, The Bulk House, Pexels

The average age that a woman gets her first period is 12-years-old. Considering that a period lasts an average of five days and each person uses approximately four pads a day, that makes 240 disposable pads a year, per person. Over the course of 40 years, that amounts to a grand total of 9,600 blood-stained, plastic-ridden pads in a landfill. Yes, you read that right, pads contain plastics, or in most cases are made of plastics (rayon and or other super absorbent polymers). And just to drive that point home, it’s estimated that these pads take between 500 and 800 years to decompose.

All of which is to say that we might want to start looking at other, more sustainable options to the default disposable pad.

Jingkids found some alternative period care products available right here in Beijing and decided to ask our teen interns whether or not they would use them.

Scan the QR code below and find out what they had to say!

Reusable pads function pretty much like the disposable kinds, albeit with one significant difference: you wash them instead of throwing them out. I just run it under tap water in the sink until the water runs clear, and then toss them in with my regular underwear for laundering. No matter how much you want to boil these, the general recommendation is to wash them in water no warmer than 40 degrees Celsius and then air dry them. These washing directions apply to the period underwear too.

As for menstrual cups, aside from rinsing them after you “do the pouring thing” to get the blood out, I put the cup in a small pot of boiling water for under a minute after my period. I’ve heard stories of it melting in the pot if you forget about it though, so some folks opt to put it in a cup of water and microwave it for a minute.

Have you used any of these products? What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!

KEEP READING: The Bloody Truth About Periods: Everyone Needs to Know

Images: Unsplash 

The Kennedys are a true expat family, having lived abroad for 16 years, the last six of which have been spent in Beijing. Mom, Amy, works for the Girl Scouts and dad, David, is an IT manager. Meanwhile, their oldest, Avery, is busy studying at university, and their two younger kids, Claire and Luke, attend Western Academy of Beijing.

How did the whole family learn about garbage classification?

Our housing community introduced the new garbage classification system through notices, and we informed ourselves with the signs put up around the new sorting trash bins.

What do you do for garbage classification at home?

We have a bin for non-recyclables, and we also have a bin for recyclables in our home. We usually use a bowl when we have food waste so we can bring it to the community food waste bin.

What questions did you encounter during the process of garbage classification? Which garbage is the most difficult to sort?

Plastics can be difficult, and food-takeaway containers, as they can’t always be recycled if they are contaminated with grease or food residue.

What efforts did the children put into sorting garbage at home?

Our children participate in sorting their garbage within our home system, and they take turns bringing our bins to the community sorting bins when they are filled.

How is the garbage classification done in your own community? What needs to be improved?

It has improved a lot since the implementation of the new sorting system in Beijing – before there were only two bins, residual and recycling.  A lot of people still aren’t very aware of the system here. There are some areas where the only option for trash is a residual waste bin with no other options. It would be helpful to have the variety of waste bins for sorting in all key areas around the compound.

Will you talk about environmental protection with your children? What do you talk about?

We try to be conscious of teaching them to pick more sustainable options when possible, and not get unnecessary things that will end up being thrown away quickly. We all make an effort to use reusable storage containers instead of plastic bags for packing food, to reduce our non-recyclable waste.

Have you and your children participated in activities that support environmental protection?

My husband and son are involved in Boy Scouts and they participate in trash clean up events. They are going to be planting trees at a camp-out soon to help efforts to reforest areas. We participated in a clothing swap organized through the Girl Scouts a few years ago, and we always donate or pass on outgrown kids’ clothes. As a family, we try to incorporate a lot of vegetarian meals into our weekly meals, in an effort to reduce our environmental footprint.  We would like to start learning more about household composting. We could definitely always be doing more, but we try our best with the little things.

Dad, Lixian Zhang is a book editor and publisher who usually likes to read and watch Sci-Fi movies. Mom, Lei used to be a teacher and is now a stay-at-home mom. Their daughter Muhe is an outgoing and cheerful girl who likes swimming, outings, listening to music, playing with friends, and also loves to eat big strawberries.

How did the whole family learn about garbage classification?

As parents, we are very concerned about the impact of the environment on our children, and environmental protection has always been a practice for family members. In May last year, when Beijing began to implement garbage sorting, we read some articles about it, and watched some short videos about garbage sorting with our daughter to first let her know the different color and logo about garbage bins. Since she is only three years and five months old, she can’t fully understand many environmental concepts, but that doesn’t stop her from learning some simple classification of garbage.

What do you do for garbage classification at home?

We play games to practice garbage sorting, such us putting together vegetable leaves, fruit peels, batteries, water bottles and old stuffed toys together, and then sorting them out by kitchen waste, recyclable waste, hazardous waste and other waste, to see who can do it correctly.

Our family uses the sorting method of “two cans and one bag” where two trash cans are used to put kitchen waste and other waste respectively. Recyclable waste and harmful waste are put in plastic bags, and then put into their own trash cans in different categories, which is convenient and can save space.

What questions did you encounter during the process of garbage classification? Which garbage is the most difficult to sort?

It’s true that there are some confusing parts of the garbage sorting process, such as corn cobs, bones left over from soup, and nuts. Most of the time we regard them as kitchen waste, but they actually belong to other waste. Then we found a rule: garbage that is not biodegradable in a short period of time belongs to other garbage so it’s easier to think about it this way.

Another one that is challenging to sort is used dirty towels. We think towels are recyclable, but if the towels have been contaminated, we need to put them into other waste. There is also a small formula to share with you: those in the blue bin can be sold, those in green bin are easily rotted, red bin is toxic and harmful, none of the above belongs in the gray bin.

What efforts did the children put into sorting garbage at home?

Muhe became interested in throwing away rubbish when she was very young. She would throw orange peels into the trash can in the kitchen and put the water bottles into the recycling bin while playing in the park. Now she has gotten to know more about the garbage classification method, she would put empty batteries of electric toys into a small box, until she has collected enough, then we take her to throw them into the “harmful waste” red dustbin. Every time I throw away my mask, she reminds me to fold it inward because “otherwise, the virus will get out.”

How is the garbage classification done in your own community? What needs to be improved?

Our community’s garbage sorting is very good. There are all kinds of garbage bins lined in a row, each bin has a small rod for you to open the lid without touching it, which is convenient and clean. If you don’t know which bin to throw, there will be an officer ayi close by to help you sort it, and also introduce some sorting methods.

As a small note for improvement, I think they can post a special notice on the the publicity column in front of the trash can, for more common confusing garbage, so that it is clearer at a glance.

Will you talk about environmental protection with your children? What do you talk about?

Muhe is very fond of marine animals, “The Octonauts” is her favorite. She’s always wanted to go to the sea for diving and visit the sea friends she’s learned about like whale sharks, seahorses, jellyfish, hermit crabs, flying fish, walruses, etc.

What we’ve been talking about recently are the effects of face masks on marine life. According to a report released late last year by Oceans Asia, a marine conservation group, about 1.6 billion face masks will be found in the oceans by 2020, posing an irreversible threat and damage to marine ecology, as a single mask can take up to 450 years to decompose. But it won’t go away. The main material for masks is polypropylene, which is a non-degradable plastic. It decomposes but continues to circulate in the human food chain in the form of microplastics, and then it easily finds its way into marine organisms. Most likely, we have all eaten them. Let alone the fact that masks probably carry a large number of virus or bacteria. Fish eat it, then we eat the fish. So I told Muhe not to throw away the masks, because it will hurt our sea friends. Protecting our sea friends is actually protecting ourselves too.

KEEP READING: Meet Leafy and The Sustainable Spartans 

Images: Courtesy of families

This article appeared in the jingkids 2021 May issue

Welcome back to my DIY series, where this week I will be sharing with you how to make natural homemade baby wipes that are sensitive enough for our little ones’ bottoms! Do you know what ingredients are used in your go-to shop-bought baby wipes? Leading brands have a good way of hiding behind expensive marketing campaigns and glossy images of giggling babies and soft bottoms. However according to this cosmetics database, which gives you a complete list of hazard ratings for different brands of wipes, there are a number of chemicals used in our seemingly safe baby wipe choices.

Pampers

I have been using Pampers Baby Wipes ever since my son was born and have only recently stopped using them after finding out exactly what ingredients they are made with:

Water, Disodium EDTA, Xanthan Gum, Caprylic Triglyceride, PEG 40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Benzyl Alcohol, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Sodium Hydroxymethlyglycinate, Citric Acid, and Fragrance.

The wipes I was using on my baby have been given a 5 for hazard (out of 10) and warnings include possible allergies, immunotoxicity, and organ system toxicity. Shocking, right?

I have a rule that I use when shopping for products and food. If I can’t pronounce what is listed as ingredients on an item, it doesn’t go into the shopping cart. Similarly, if I don’t understand what something is, it’s likely to be a chemical of some sort, and so doesn’t make it into the my basket of goods. Do you know what each of the ingredients listed above are, and are you certain that they are safe? If not, have a go at making my 100 percent natural baby wipes, which are safe for babies and kids. The following is a cost effective and simple change you can make that also has great benefits for the environment. 

Did you know: Experts warn that baby care wipes could take up to 100 years to biodegrade (break down) in a landfill, and most wipes, including those for the home and for the removal of makeup, are up to three-quarters polyester. Let’s all go green and get DIY’ing our baby wipes today!

Here’s what you will need:

• 1 roll of heavy duty paper towels (Note: I use Bounty for wipes. Stay away from cheap brands, as they won’t work as well)
• 1 old wipes container,  plastic shoe box container, old plastic coffee container, or empty plastic ice cream gallon tub
• 1 3/4 cups boiled water (or distilled) – cooled but still warm
• 1 tablespoon of pure aloe vera – check the ingredients
• 1 tablespoon of pure witch hazel extract
• 1 teaspoon of liquid castile Soap (vegetable oil based soap)
• 10 drops grapefruit seed extract or 2 capsules of vitamin E (optional)
• 1 teaspoon of olive or almond oil (optional)
• Essential oils of choice (optional- I use 6 drops each of lemon, orange and lavender from Doterra)

Instructions:

1. Cut the roll of paper towels in half using a sharp knife
2. If using a plastic shoe box or old wipe container, accordion fold the wipes into the container
3. In bowl or quart size jar mix the water, aloe vera, witch hazel, castile soap, GSE/Vitamin E and oil and stir.
4. Add essential oils if desired and stir.
5. Pour over paper towels in container and let absorb for around 5-10 minutes.
6. Flip the container over to make sure wipes are well soaked.
7. Use as you would regular wipes.

Note: If your child has extremely sensitive skin, you may need to leave out the essential oils or use calendula or chamomile.

Smile, knowing you are not causing your beautiful child any future health problems!

Photos: Pixabay