• Food
  • Family
  • Beauty & Health
  • Style
  • Great Women
  • Events/Win
  • Food
    • Eating Out
    • Cooking Tips
    • Festive Food
    • Asian Recipes
    • Food
    • Celebrity Recipes
    • Dessert Recipes
    • Healthy Recipes
    • Quick & Easy Recipes
    • Western Recipes
  • Family
    • Family
    • Save Money
    • Parenting
    • Sex & Marriage
    • Travel
  • Beauty & Health
    • Beauty & Health
    • Skincare
    • Makeup
    • Hair
    • Awards
    • Diet & Nutrition
    • Fitness
    • Wellness
  • Spa Awards 2022
  • Style
  • Great Women
    • Career
    • Great Women of Our Time
    • Real Life
  • Entertainment
  • EVENTS/WIN
  • #SchoolForLife
  • Hair Awards
  • Great Escape
  • Explore Singapore
  • Also available at:
Privacy Menu
SPH Media

Copyright © 2022 SPH Media Limited. Co. Regn. No. 202120748H. All rights reserved.

  • Food
  • Family
  • Beauty & Health
  • Style
  • Great Women
  • Events/Win

Career

A Part-Time Mermaid Talks About Being A Full-time Earth Warrior

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Great Women

A Part-Time Mermaid Talks About Being A Full-time Earth Warrior

(Who’s not above drinking bubble tea in a plastic cup)

May 10, 2021

When we meet at a cafe on a rainy Saturday afternoon, self-declared #earthwarrior Karyn Wong went for a steaming cup of hot tea — both for warmth and to avoid using a straw, she tells me.

I steal a glance at my own plastic straw peeking conspicuously out of a disposable cup. Oops.

But any guilt I feel is quickly dampened when she reassures me that her particular brand of environmental activism is more about celebrating the small successes rather than focusing on one’s imperfections (more on that later).

The 32-year-old works a part-time marketing job, does singing and mermaid performances on the weekends, occasionally DJs on Love 97.2 FM and somehow still finds the time to advocate for environmental issues, sharing daily updates and tips on her social media.

When asked what fuels her, she ponders for a second.

“It’s just a lifestyle that I want to achieve,” she explains. “It’s a way of living that I’m very accustomed to and want to celebrate.”

READ NEXT

Women To Watch: 12 Faces Making Waves In Singapore

How The Singapore Women’s Weekly Team Destresses And Practices Self-care

Side Hustlers: Meet 3 Women Who Have More Than One Job

https://www.womensweekly.com.sg/gallery/great-women/mermaid-earth-warrior-drinking-bubble-tea-from-a-plastic-cup/
A Part-Time Mermaid Talks About Being A Full-time Earth Warrior
'It all started because I was trying to save money'
custom

Her journey towards a greener lifestyle started some three or four years ago, says Karyn.

“It all started because I wanted to save money. It really was because I felt that I was spending way too much money on beauty products, cosmetics and all that,” she says.

She went through a “DIY phase”, she recalls, describing how she started using baby oil as makeup remover and even tried making her own facial wash.

Gradually, as she did more research on various DIY projects, she began to become more aware of the idea of being sustainable and reducing plastic waste.

But her ‘epiphany’ only came later. It happened when she was listening to local singer Tay Kewei’s song Plastic Mannequin Love, a story of a mannequin in the Great Pacific garbage patch pining for love

“It just clicked for me that, you know, this is really something happening to the world right now,” she shares, adding that she’d actually first heard the song many years ago without realising the meaning behind it.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ᴋᴀʀʏɴ ᴀɴɴᴀ ᴡᴏɴɢ | 黄诗敏 (@iamnotagirl)

Trying to go green? Just have fun; perfection is impossible
custom

But things weren’t all smooth-sailing.

When she first started going green, she set a goal to be “really zero waste”, she recounts. This eventually took a toll on her and she would beat herself up for mistakes like forgetting to bring her reusable straws out.

“My husband would be like, ‘Why are you so upset? It’s really an honest mistake.'”

Now, she says she’s managed to come to terms with the fact that perfection is impossible. Instead, she focuses on patting herself on the back for the little things such as managing to stash her shopping in her backpack instead of a plastic bag, getting her groceries from zero-waste stores, and carpooling.

“For example, if today, I really feel like drinking a cup of bubble tea, but I did not bring my cup with me, I’ll still drink it.

“It’s really fine. We still need to enjoy life!”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ᴋᴀʀʏɴ ᴀɴɴᴀ ᴡᴏɴɢ | 黄诗敏 (@iamnotagirl)

Karyn's top tips to be eco-friendly on a budget
custom

Borrow and rent clothes instead of buying

Don’t be afraid to raid your friends’ closets. Karyn shares that she often borrows clothes from her friends as she believes that we “don’t always have to own things”.

They also turn raiding each other’s closets into a bonding activity, she adds.

“We have so much fun together! And to show my appreciation, I’ll buy delicious food for them. This spreads the love and joy around.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ᴋᴀʀʏɴ ᴀɴɴᴀ ᴡᴏɴɢ | 黄诗敏 (@iamnotagirl)

For cleaning, try switching to multi-tasking products such as vinegar
image

One of her favourite cleaning hacks is to use vinegar mixed with baking soda for everything from clearing her sink to removing stains from white shoes.

Not only is this paste simple and effective, you’ll save on buying various cleaning products — many of which come in single-use plastic packaging.

Admitting that she’s ‘kiam siap’, or cheap, Karyn tells me that the cheapest vinegar she’s come across is the one from zero-waste bulk retailer Unpackt ($0.11 for 100ml).

Instagram/iamnotagirl
Don't be fooled by 'eco-friendly' items
custom

Think twice and do your research before buying anything, Karyn advises.

While you may feel tempted to splurge on that cute reusable bottle or a shiny new set of utensils, these ‘eco-friendly’ items will just result in more waste (both plastic and monetary) if you don’t end up making full use of them.

Instead of trying to emulate Instagrammers and their picture perfect pantries stocked with matching jars, it’s perfectly okay to just reuse takeaway containers, she says.

Text: Kimberly Anne Lim/AsiaOne

Read Next

"Dress For No One Else But Yourself" - Singapore Designer Max Tan Shares His Inspirations And Style Tips

"Root Beer Hair" Is The New Colour Trend Working Women Will Love

10 Delicious Vegetarian Dishes For A Healthier You

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ᴋᴀʀʏɴ ᴀɴɴᴀ ᴡᴏɴɢ | 黄诗敏 (@iamnotagirl)

  • TAGS:
  • environmentally friendly
  • plastic
  • sustainability
SHARE THIS ON

What’s Hot

Great Women

"Freezing My Eggs Was The Best Decision ...

Great Women

Tan Kheng Hua On Life On The Kung Fu Set...

Great Women

Would You Stay With A Man Who Lost All H...

Great Women

Rape Victim Says We Need To Raise More A...

Great Women

Here's What You Need To Know About Ectop...

Great Women

How Yvon Bock's Business Supports Breast...

Great Women

This Tech Leader Says Humanities Bring V...

Great Women

An Author And Entrepreneur, Vivian Goh H...

Great Women

 Meet The Great Women Of Our Time 2022

Great Women

9 Female-Owned Singaporean Businesses To...

Great Women

She Bravely Quit Her Job In The Midst Of...

Don’t Miss These
  • Awards This Firming Facial Will Turn The Clock Back On Your Skin
  • Awards This Laser Treatment Gives You A Lit-From-Within Glow – #...
  • Awards Get The Body You Have Always Wanted With This Fat Freeze ...
  • Awards Trim And Tone Your Body In No Time With This Body Sculpto...
  • Awards The Anti-Ageing Facial That Protects Your Skin From Digit...
  • Awards This is the perfect escape from urban life to relax, rech...
Editor’s Picks
  • Real Life Head To This Hidden Corner At Keppel Bay Before It Closes Down
  • Diet & Nutrition Savour The Deliciousness Of Chocolate While Being Kind To Your Gut
  • Fashion A Day In The Life Of HK Actress Grace Chan, Her Wardrobe Must-Haves, Mom Guil...
  • Parenting Modern Mums: "I Practice Respectful Parenting But I Set Firm Boundaries"
  • Organising A KonMari Consultant's Hack For Saving Time & Money At Home
  • Entertainment Fiona Xie Is Still A Romantic, But She Is Spreading Her Wings Like Never Before
  • Great Women "Freezing My Eggs Was The Best Decision I've Made"
  • Career How To Return To Work After A Career Break
Don't Miss Out Ever Again!
Tips & tricks to stay sane + win invites to our events!

By signing up, you indicate that you have read and agreed with our Privacy Statement
Footer Menu
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Conditions of Access
  • PDPA
  • Privacy Policy
?>">
SPH Magazine

Copyright © 2022 SPH Media Limited. Co. Regn. No. 202120748H. All rights reserved.