Brac organized a fair where everyday items like cassette players, tape recorders, radios, smartphone stabilizers, leather bags, turntables, brassware, blazers, suits, lehenga-sari-top-jhuls, wedding accessories, flutes, and even the once-popular Canon AE-1 model film camera, now forgotten, are available.
The fair also features modern products like the laptops, smartphones, iPads, induction cookers, DJI Osmo smartphone gimbal.
As the production of goods for human consumption increases, so does carbon emissions, leading to accelerated environmental degradation.
In an effort to combat this, Brac encourages its employees to reuse old, unused products to reduce carbon emissions.
At the fair, an old-time music instrument, initially identified as a gramophone, is playing.
However, the seller clarifies that its correct name is a “turntable”.
Abdullah Al Mamud, an associate officer in Brac's construction department, shares that he purchased this music player in 1991, and it still functions. He is also selling an old tape recorder and camera at the fair.
The “Declutter Fair” took place on January 31 and February 1 in the forecourt of Brac, featuring around 3,500 products with organizers anticipating an 80% sell-out by the end of the event.
Dr Md Liakath Ali, director of the Climate Change Program (CCP), said: "Protecting the environment is a global concern. As people become more aware of climate change and the limited resources, through this event, we are trying to encourage minimalistic lifestyle, extending the life cycle of products and repurposing minimises waste, cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions from decomposition and production.”
The organizers reveal that producing a pair of denim pants emits about 33.5 kilograms of carbon, equivalent to driving a car for 111 kilometres or running a large-screen TV for 246 hours.
Similarly, the carbon footprint of manufacturing a full-sleeved cotton shirt is a quarter of 11 kilograms, and producing a sari emits more than 15 kilograms of carbon.
This fair, organized for and by Brac employees at the head office, is part of Brac's carbon footprint reduction initiative.
The primary goal is to motivate employees to reuse products, contributing significantly to reducing the carbon footprint.