Minimising waste through circular consumption
People in general are used to a system of consumption in the sense of making, using and throwing away, despite the product still having its uses.
Himali De Silva
This in turn is not the sustainable option. Wastage has constantly had an adverse impact on the environment and in turn our lifestyles. And perhaps one of the lessons we have to learn today, is the importance of sharing and reusing our products for a better tomorrow.
Towards this end, ‘Apé’ the passion project of its founder, Himali De Silva, launched recently. The ‘Ape’ platform strives to create awareness of Circular Consumption and provides a resale platform for the local community to help each other, ourselves and the planet. That is to consume wisely in a circular manner. But it doesn’t stop there, because 50 percent of the profit made from every sale is donated to Amitsu, a home for abandoned children. This is a charity that is close to Himali’s heart.
We conversed with Himali, who gave us an insight into the workings of Apé and its activities. Having worked as a Management Consultant for Deloitte & KPMG as well as in boutique consultancy in the United Kingdom, United States and Singapore for over a decade, Himali returned to Sri Lanka and joined Brandix, a renowned apparel manufacturer.
Today, she finds that working alongside the Brandix leadership team and colleagues who are all conscious and considerate of the community and environment, inspires her on a daily basis.
She explains that the choices consumers make, in terms of buying, consuming products, and what they do with them once it can’t be used any longer makes all the difference.
In this sense, circular consumption aims at handling products in a more conscious and responsible manner. This in turn minimizes waste as much as possible. Currently Apé is run via Instagram (@apelk1010). Several pre-loved items are shared weekly. And potential buyers could message the Apé team, if they are interested in giving these products a new home.
Similarly, sellers interested could also contact Apé via the page and the agreed items will be listed online. The logistics would be handled anonymously for a helper’s fee, out of which 50 percent is donated to charity.
Himali explains that Instagram was chosen, because it’s a great platform where one could easily reach and connect with a large group of people. Aside from this, the format of the app also allows Apé to promote and create awareness of the numerous benefits of circular consumption.
If one looks closely, every product in use on a daily basis would be of some value and quality, and the best aspect is that if you’d have no use for it anymore, someone else would. What’s advantageous is that you’d also be able to earn some extra money from an item that would have otherwise been thrown away.
Similarly, by making the conscious choice to buy pre-loved items, one could purchase them potentially at a much lower cost and thereby save. As Himali tells us, the other advantage to Apé is that if someone buys an expensive/ high quality product, they have the comfort of knowing they could potentially resell it on Apé when there’s no use for it anymore and get some return from it. This reduces wastage at the same time and more people would get the chance to enjoy a good quality product that they’ve always wanted, but couldn’t have because of the price.
Hence, Apé ensures that products are handled in a responsible and conscious manner, by keeping them in circulation for as long as possible. On the broader perspective, as Himali views it, Apé is more of a community where everyone who supports or takes part in it, contributes towards its success.
As the founder, Himali takes care of the strategic planning, operations and relationship aspects of the initiative. She is joined by ShivaneWickramasekera, the creative consultant and Iman Cader – Miss Planet Sri Lanka 2020, who has come on board as a brand ambassador. Apé also collaborates with PR Sri Lanka, an online concept store that sells quality, timeless, non-mass produced items. This in turn enables these items to be kept in circulation for a long time since they don’t deteriorate or go out of fashion.
As we close, Himali tells us her vision for ‘Apé’ is for it to be a resale platform for anything and everything, ranging from clothing, accessories, electrical appliances, furniture to even unique pieces of art. She hopes to eventually extend ‘Apé’ from the online platform it is, to physical events and eventually a physical space. With the impact of Covid-19 on global economies and the restriction on imports and exports, there’s a bigger need for conscionable purchasing patterns. ‘Ape’ is certainly a step towards that positive change.
For more information and to also be a part of the initiative, visit the Apé Instagram page on @apelk1010