REUSABLE RED PACKETS
Paper producer Olympia Premiums told CNA that sales of sustainable hongbao have risen by 20 per cent, despite them being twice as expensive.
“I think for the younger generation, they are more concerned about eco-friendliness,” said the firm’s production manager Kevin Kwek.
These environmentally-conscious consumers have shared their desire for red packets that are reusable, he added.
“We thought of ways to try to see whether we are able to actually come up with something that we can always use over the years,” he noted.
Olympia Premiums has been developing various sustainable red packets since 2018. These include a snakes-and-ladders design that can be used as a board game, and a hongbao which can double up as a festive decoration when it is fully opened.
However, Mr Kwek noted that such products come with many challenges during the manufacturing process, including how it can be labour intensive to pack.
Meanwhile, corporate gift supplier Purple and Pure has given a unique twist to its red packets, which can be sown and grown into plants.
The textured biodegradable seed paper takes twice as long to produce and comes with printing limitations, such as some restrictions on colours and embossing designs.
Purple and Pure founder Ankita Jain said this paper is handmade from recycled cotton, setting it apart from traditional red packets in terms of texture.
“Normal, traditional ang baos are made with a paper that is coated or laminated and cannot be recycled. Our paper is 100 per cent recycled, and because of the seed embedded, you can plant it into different flowers, herbs or vegetables,” she added.
