Funny how life moves in cycles. About 15 years ago I started a little eco company in Singapore called Green Bananas that made a paper making kit for people to recycle their own paper at home. Green because I wanted people to know it's environmental bent but more likely
because I was totally green to the cutthroat world of business and Bananas because everyone thought I was crazy to give up a good and stable job for what? An unlikely little paper making kit that may not even have a market.
We did sell about 1,000 kits during the 2 or so years the little
Green Bananas was out there doing paper making demos; giving magazine, TV & paper interviews encouraging people to start recycling paper in their own homes (in those days, Singapore had no recycling system for anything. Things have changed now though) and even holding a handmade paper art exhibition called, you guess it, Paper * People * Planet.
Back then I had quit my well-paying
job as a writer for a Interior design magazine and put all my meagre savings into designing, manufacturing
and marketing a simple paper making kit that made A4 paper.It had everything you needed to make paper (apart from the blender) and packaged, quite charmingly in a jute bag.
How I managed to wrangle my friends & family to help out in it's publicity and sales I have no idea. I just stand ingrateful awe that they did. We had quite a ride with it. I am willing to bet that at least 50 friends and family still remember how to make their own paper today. And if they've forgotten and would like to teach their children, the next post will help them along their way.
And this is was the purposely unintimadating instruction leaflet that came with the kit.
And now, here I sit years later, writing a blog on the beautiful diversity of handmade & recycled paper. On how people can use this humble medium of paper to help make this planet a bit better, by art & by recycling, for those who live in it now. And also for the children who will come after.Greening the earth seemed so possible then.
And so it it still is. It must be.
Because if not now, then WHEN?
And if not me, then WHO?
2 comments:
15 years on and this writer still gets excited when she discusses with her own children about the vision of Green Bananas and the courage and tenacity it took to carry it through. Thanks to Green Bananas, my daughter is embarking on her own vision and project to save the world. WAY TO GO!!!!!
Oh yes. I remembered that face. I still remember that glint in her eyes. And for sure I remembered her grit. We met "on the job" - two people passing by from different directions towards different destinies. She has gumption - that is the lesson for all of us...even a 55 year old.
chee seng
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