Unplug rides the sustainability trend with an emphasis on small, artisanal brands
Sisters Atiyya Zulkarnain and Najmia Zulkarnain are on a mission to spread the word about eco-consciousness and helping to reduce carbon footprint with Unplug. They call it a conscious select store as the lifestyle products that it carries are carefully selected for their commitment to sustainability.
It now boasts over 35 Malaysian and international brands including Ozero Swimwear that uses regenerated nylon, ZeroYet100 that harnesses all-natural ingredients for its skincare and Suria Artisan Batik, a Kuala Lumpur-based creative enterprise that hand-paints all of its batik instead of using dye, saving tons of water in the process.
"It was also an opportunity to give customers an alternative to lifestyle products that are sustainable as well as have a positive social impact," said Atiyya Zulkarnain.
Related: Curious About Sustainability? These Malaysian Activists & Lifestyle Brands Make It Easy
What is sustainability to you?
To us, sustainability is the basic principle of co-existing with your environment. We grew up understanding that we're not alone on this Earth and that we're a part of an ecosystem. Every step we take in this world has an impact, be it on nature or people. It's about longevity and balance in what we do and how we do it. It’s a value to practice in your life, not just an aspect of it.
How do you practise this in your own life?
Things like being conscious about wastage, co-existing with nature, and being mindful about how our actions affect others. We don't proclaim to live a zero-waste life - and we don't expect it from others - but just being mindful is already a huge step.
With Unplug, we also get to support small businesses that have the same values.
Why did you decide to start this conscious select store?
We wanted to champion brands that are meaningful. We wanted to make better choices with our purchases. Also, when you support small brands directly, you support the supply chain and the cause, and that was important to us.
Read: 7 Easy Ways to Have a More Sustainable And Eco-Friendly Lifestyle in 2020