Recyclers who are not afraid to pick up sacrifices on Mid-year Festival: We just don't want to waste food

[The_King]

In order not to waste food, a group of people who claim to be "food savers" collected oranges and other sacrifices to worship "good brothers" in the early morning of the fifteenth day of the lunar calendar. In order to ensure not to offend the "good brothers", they also asked beforehand. Taoist ask for advice.

The reporter followed the four-person team to Bishan and Shunfu in the early morning yesterday (2nd) to start the "Orange Picking Operation" together. At 12 o'clock in the morning, Zheng Chunlin, the initiator of the operation, drove a rented Lorry, ready to return with a full load. .

 

41-year-old Zheng Chunlin is the initiator of the local "Freeganism" (Freeganism). What non-consumerism advocates is not to spend as much as possible, to make a living by picking up waste, sharing materials and environmental protection. Zheng Chunlin said that picking up sacrifices is also one of the activities that can reduce waste.

When Zheng Chunlin and his party took away the sacrifices, they thanked the'good brother'.
Picture: Deng Qinyi

Don't be afraid, but you must follow the rules

During the seventh month of the lunar calendar, the public generally prepare fruits and other foods and worship lonely souls and ghosts on the roadside. Zheng Chunlin said that he picked up oranges for the first time on the Chinese New Year Festival last year. This year he wanted to gather more people to participate. Two weeks ago, he started the call through the Facebook group Freegans in Singapore, which he founded. However, many people were offended by this event. "There were concerns, so it was not until a few days before the event that he successfully called three people to participate.

"Actually, I have consulted a Taoist priest before starting the activity. He told me that as long as the incense is burned, the sacrifice can be taken away, because that means that the'good brother' has already'eaten'; and he is taking away the worship offering. You must always thank the "good brothers". Just as we usually save some food or objects that others discard, we only save these "good brothers" discarded food by picking up sacrifices."

Everyone met on the ground floor of an HDB house in Bishan. Before starting the activity, Zheng Chunlin explained the origin and traditional customs of the Chinese New Year Festival. "This is not just an orange picking activity, I also hope you can learn something from it."

Before starting the activity, Zheng Chunlin explained the origin and traditional customs of Zhongyuan Festival.
Picture: Deng Qinyi

Participants dare not tell their parents

Lai Kehong, a 25-year-old college student who participated in the sacrificial offering for the first time, said frankly that he was afraid to tell his parents that he would be unhappy. "We are Chinese, so they may think that this is bad and rude to'good brothers'. I tell them to do other things because I think they may not understand or how to explain to them." 

The 34-year-old fitness trainer Yan Chaowei also participated in the sacrificial offering for the first time. He who has no religious beliefs believes that this behavior is not wrong as long as the sacrifices are taken away when the "good brothers" are respected. "If we don't take it, the cleaners will also throw away the food the next morning. It would be better if we take it, and we can give it to those in need without wasting food."

The team traveled to the HDB area around Bishan. Every time they saw a sacrifice, they would stop to check whether the incense was burned. Then one of them would put the picked fruit into the drag basket, and the others would Will put his hands together to thank the "good brother", and then move on.

The team’s harvest this year is about half less than last year.
Picture: Zheng Chunlin (left), Deng Qinyi (right)

The team stayed in Bishan for an hour and a half and found more than 20 fruits, and then moved to the HDB area around Shunfu to try their luck. By 3 am, a total of more than 80 fruits were picked up.

Zheng Chunlin said: "This year’s harvest is about half less than last year. I picked up more than 100 oranges in one and a half hours last year. This year, probably because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it seems that there are not many people paying respects, but this is also a good thing. It means that less food will be wasted."

At the end of the event, both Mark and Lai Kehong said that although they were a little tired, they were very satisfied. The team divided the oranges equally and prepared to take them home to share with family, friends and neighbors.

Trash can hunting is also one of the ways of "non-consumerism" to save items.
Picture: Deng Qinyi

Saving waste has become a way of life

In the sacrificial collection room, the reporter found that Zheng Chunlin and another member of the team, the 57-year-old direct salesperson Zeng Meiling, would from time to time pay attention to whether there are other good "treasures" in the garbage dump. Trash can hunting is also one of the ways of "non-consumerism" to save items.

Sure enough, that night, they found a microwave oven and a pair of porcelain cat furnishings. Zheng Chunlin said that he would take the microwave back to see if it can be used, while Zeng Meiling plans to sell furnishings online at low prices.

Zeng Meiling goes to a bakery twice a week to collect unsold bread, and then donates it to people in need. "For me, rescuing waste is a way of life. When I go out on a walk in the evening, I always pay attention to whether there are good abandoned items. However, rescuing waste is also responsible. When the items are in your hands, you You must figure out how to deal with it, not just throw it away."

The team also found a microwave on the way to picking up sacrifices.
Picture: Deng Qinyi

College student Lai Kehong became interested in "non-consumerism" at the beginning of this year and joined the non-governmental organization Food Rescue Sengkang as a volunteer in June. He goes to the Pasir Panjang wholesale market every week to collect the remaining fruits, vegetables and food together with other volunteers and distribute them to those in need.

Regarding other people's misunderstandings about the collection of waste products, Lai Kehong hopes that Chinese people can be more open and understand that they are doing this to reduce waste. "Our purpose in picking up these sacrifices is not to be greedy for petty gains, we are to save these fruits. If we don't take them, these fruits will be cleaned up, which will increase the amount of waste food in our country."

"In fact, restaurants and hotels waste a lot of food. We can cook as much as we can. Although it's just a few steps to pick up fruits, these small actions will be of great help in the future."

Lai Kehong said: "Our purpose of picking up these sacrifices is not to be greedy for petty gains, we are to save these fruits."

 

 

https://www.8world.com/news/singapore/article/hungry-ghost-festival-orange-hunt-1239526

[meng.huat]

I participated in this year's offering by the street earlier this month. We offered peanuts, biscuits and oranges.

My family is ok with someone taking the offerings after the incense has finished burning, similar to the Taoist priest's advice,  Just dont disturb the offerings before we finish the process.

If we don't need them, someone else can take.

 

25 minutes ago, The_King said:

The team divided the oranges equally and prepared to take them home to share with family, friends and neighbors.

 

This is funny, Lai Kehong said he didnt inform his parents about him going out to pick oranges because he thinks they will be pangtang. but, he is bringing oranges back to share with his family. i wonder how will the mom feel if she find out the origins of the orange later.