Say yes to more space, less waste: how to stay stylishly sustainable in Hong Kong
5 ways you can reduce your impact on the environment – and all with a dash of panache
It’s not easy to stay sustainable in a city like Hong Kong. Your coffee comes in a paper cup, and your breakfast comes in a polystyrene container handed to you in a plastic bag. More than 2,000 tonnes of plastic waste is dumped in our landfills every day – madness, in a city where space is at a premium.
Here are some tips on how you can contribute to sustainability efforts in Hong Kong – while keeping your style intact.
1. Do your grocery shopping at a zero-waste store
Entrepreneur Tamsin Thornburrow has taken steps towards tackling our plastic waste problem by opening a packaging-free retail outlet, Live Zero, in Sai Ying Pun. Shoppers using the small grocery store are encouraged to bring their own bags and containers for goods and foodstuffs they wish to purchase. Live Zero sells spices, grains, sugar, oil, coffee and tea, as well as toiletries and utensils.
2. Wear clothing from responsible designers and brands
Kate Morris, winner of Redress Design Award 2017 – the world’s largest sustainable fashion design competition – is determined to change wasteful practices in the fashion industry, and recently launched her sustainable knitwear Pop Collection. The playful, pop-art inspired limited collection includes eight knitwear styles, all of which have been created by upcycling luxury yarn waste in a design collaboration with knitwear brand 22 Factor.
3. Switch to driving an electric vehicle