Growing up, my mother had always preached about recycling and waste management and overall trying to minimize our contribution to the endlessly growing pile of trash on this world.
“Why must get plastic, ah?”
“Wash the container, can use tomorrow.”
“Go send that bag of newspapers and old milk boxes to the recycling place.”
And it’s been long enough of that that I’ve gone through the whole “this is stupid” to “whatever I’ll just do it” to “how can I avoid throwing another shampoo bottle?” pipeline.
And that led me to MINIMIZE.
Beginnings
Sitting between a clinic and an AC shop in SS14, MINIMIZE’s humble store once served as a “kombuchary,” serving artisanal micro-brewed kombucha under the name My Kombuchary.
“We were still lecturing then during the day and brewed kombucha at night at home,” said Jayne Lee, one of the co-founders of MINIMIZE.
“We started our sustainable values even back then by offering RM1 cashback for every clean kombucha bottle returned because glass is not easily recyclable in Malaysia.”
Along with Tan Pei Yan, the duo started off as lecturers, when they noticed a need for a zero-waste store in Subang after being intrigued by the ban on plastic bags in Selangor.
“Having learnt about the environmental impact of everyone’s individual consumption/purchasing habits, we were encouraged to embrace a more responsible way of life,” said 39-year-old Jayne.
And so, with the founders’ personal investments, they transformed the spot in SS14 into a store selling, well, a lot.
Not just for the rich
Mostly sourced from local businesses, distributors, and makers, MINIMIZE’s catalogue includes bulk food refills like grains and legumes, pet treats, reusable toiletries, and many household essentials, the latter of these made by local artisans, tailors, and manufacturers.
Opened post-COVID, Jayne said that seeing people’s necessities during times of crisis “encouraged us to ensure that we always have an affordable range of products on our shelves.”
“For example, we have the basic range of laundry detergent at RM5.50/kg, dish wash at RM3.50/kg, hand wash at RM8/kg.”
“Alongside, we have the natural detergent range that is more premium but is free of SLS, parabens, and artificial colorants or fragrances. This allows customers the option to select what they need depending on their budget,” she added.
She opines that in recent years, the zero-waste movement has made a shift, citing a realignment to the realities of a high cost of living, coupled with greater awareness of environmental issues.
“People are looking for affordable and realistic ways to live sustainably.”
As such, MINIMIZE looks to meet this demand by providing affordable, sustainable alternatives of everyday goods, proving that being eco-conscious isn’t just for upper class families.
“[We’re] combatting the misunderstanding that zero-waste stores are only for the rich. We have products that fit into a variety of price ranges, and we are careful when bringing in new products to ensure that they are within the price range acceptable to most of our residential middle-income customers.”
And keeping the local consumer base in mind has certainly paid off.
An eco-conscious community
Over the past couple years, various other zero-waste stores have unfortunately closed down, namely The Hive Bulk Foods (though they’re still operational online) and NUDE.
Although this might be indicative of a slowing in the zero-waste movement, Jayne thinks that MINIMIZE continues to see growth because of the preexisting eco-friendly awareness in the Subang Jaya township.
“We’re fortunate to be located in Subang Jaya where the municipal council and the member of parliament (Michelle Ng) have strong convictions in introducing and carrying out eco-friendly initiatives.”
“The MP has introduced a recycling campaign whereby garbage collection is paired with recycling collection at the same time, in addition to other initiatives.”
“Since we are building on this by encouraging Refusing, Reusing and Refilling before Recycling is considered, it helps that the residents here understand this as well. This is a major factor that has kept us going for 3+ years,” said Jayne, mentioning that their business is more stable now than during its first two years.
Looking forward, Jayne added that she hopes to bring more locals living in or around Subang Jaya towards a zero-waste lifestyle while bolstering the MINIMIZE brand into a platform for conversation on the varied aspects of living a low-waste life.
“MINIMIZE can only cover a limited scope but there are so many other voices that deserve to be heard too.”
“There are too many misconceptions and disillusionment on what the individual person can and cannot change when it comes to being environmentally conscious. Only by educating those around us, kindly and patiently, can we make a change.”
Featured Image Credit: MINIMIZE Zero Waste Store
