A crafter by trade, Tan transforms recycled paper into paper bead accessories such as earrings, necklaces and bracelets. “By creating paper beads from upcycled paper, we can lessen our carbon footprint,” says Tan, who has been making paper beads since 2020. Creating paper beads encourages people to upcycle unused paper that would otherwise be discarded. A 2025 study, entitled Towards Sustainable Paper Waste Management: Insights from Source-Level Composition Studies, examines the challenges of paper waste management in Malaysia and finds that, while paper is highly recyclable, it still makes up a significant portion (15.3%) of domestic waste. To make paper beads, she rolls each strip of paper from the wide end to the tip, securing it with a dab of glue.

Source: The Star January 16, 2026 08:02 UTC