Hong Kong zero-waste store Slowood encourages consumers to change their habits: ‘small things spread’
Opened by Dora Lam and Chen Kai-ping, the Kennedy Town shop is a one-stop shop for sustainable, plastic-free products, from cereals and nuts to skincare and homeware
Barely a year ago, the concept of zero-waste shopping (and we’re not talking about loose vegetables from the wet market) was an unfamiliar one in Hong Kong. Now, there are at least five retailers in the city that cater to the rising number of people who care about buying sustainably and minimising plastic in their grocery baskets and homes.
Slowood, which opened on January 19 in Kennedy Town, is Hong Kong’s newest zero-waste store, selling a selection of perishables, such as bulk cereals, nuts and eggs, alongside cleaning products, skincare, homewares and health drinks. The Scandi-minimalist, 2,900 sq ft store also has a vegan cafe that applies the same tread-softly philosophy to its menu and kitchen practices.
Its founders are husband and wife Chen Kai-ping and Dora Lam Shuk-man, who opened Slowood with family members, having run the eco-focused Tai Mei Tuk art gallery and shop Pimary since 2016.
Inspiration for Slowood came last April, when Lam, then pregnant, was seeking environmentally friendly products for her young family.
“In Hong Kong, there are many shops selling this and that but you have to visit lots of places to get everything you need. We wanted a one-stop shop. So we decided to start one ourselves,” she says.
