Sorting recyclables in Christchurch, New Zealand, changed Anna Lee’s perspective of the world, as she knew it.
“It was my last job at the recycling factory that opened my eyes,” said the 26-year-old. “The mountain of trash they sorted through was astounding, and how much of it could be recycled was uncertain.”“I didn’t want to return to teaching or facilitating. I wanted to do volunteer work or something close to nature,” said the Church of the Holy Redeemer, Klang, parishioner. But the pandemic struck and Anna resorted to working as a freelance translator and copywriter.
This led the entrepreneur to research and experiment with making soaps with the used cooking oil. Anna eventually found a recipe that worked well. She shared the end product with family and friends and received positive feedback. The multi-purpose soap concoction is not to be used on the body but works well with washing grease from plastic containers and dishes.
Anna adds pure coconut oil and sodium hydroxide to the used oil to make the soaps. She said it takes up to two and a half hours to make one loaf of soap, which must then be cured for four weeks before it’s ready for sale.