Call them the 'scissoring generation'. Young people on the mainland concerned about the carbon footprint their lifestyle leaves on the planet are using scissors to get the most out of their purchases before throwing them away.
Kam Xie, an office worker, says she always cuts open the containers of toothpaste, facial cleanser and hand cream when they seem empty.
'Although the paste or lotion can no longer be squeezed out, there is some attached to the inner surface. Cut it open, and then you can use it for a few more days,' she says.
'Actually, I did not regard this behaviour as low-carbon or environmentally friendly at the beginning. I felt it was wasteful to throw away stuff that had not been used up completely. Now I know it is a way to reduce my carbon footprint.'
Anne Li says she does not go shopping for clothes as often as she used to. She changed her attitude after reading a report that said the making of a pure cotton T-shirt weighing 250 grams was responsible for emitting 7 kilograms of carbon into the atmosphere. The figure for a pair of pants or dress made from polyester was 47 kilograms.
Anne now re-fashions what she has in her closet. 'Take this white dress as an example,' she say. 'It is an ordinary dress, but when I cut the hemline into several tassels, it turns into another style. When I put on such altered clothes, my friends ask me where I bought these 'new' things.'