The demand for environmentally friendly shopping bags has surged since the plastic bag levy took effect at major supermarkets and chain stores earlier this month. Fashion trendsetter Jan Lamb Hoi-fung, 42, said he's been encouraging people to use reusable shopping bags for years by making his own.
Lamb (right), the popular radio host, stand-up comedian and globetrotter, said he's long been aware of green issues and now wants to be a role model for young people by committing himself to protecting the environment.
'When I was little, I loved staring at a mini globe and as soon I saved enough money, I started planning trips to different places. Recently problems related to climate change have affected all of us,' he said. 'Environmental issues have become an increasingly serious topic and none of us can ignore it.'
Why did you start making eco-friendly shopping bags?
Years ago, when I would go shopping with my family, I realised how many plastic bags we would use each time we shopped and I began to think about making my own reusable bags. I bought some fabric and took it to a local bag manufacturer. I showed them an ordinary plastic shopping bag and said I wanted the same look, but using the fabric. I remember the owner being puzzled by the request.
What did you do with the bags?
I gave most of them away to friends and kept some in my car. Whenever my family went shopping, we would use our own bags. Actually, now that I think about it, we might have been among the first people to have used environmentally friendly shopping bags in Hong Kong.