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4 Mins Read Founded by 15-year-old student Bailey Cherry in 2019, reBooked is a nonprofit social enterprise dedicated to promoting a circular economy for books in Hong Kong. It is Hong Kong’s first online platform for secondhand English language children’s books, redirecting hundreds of books away from landfills and giving them a new home. We recently had the […]
5 Mins Read Since lockdown measures have gotten stricter, we all need more home projects. We also need to help our local brands or they won’t survive. Plus, we all could do with being more environmentally responsible – have you seen the latest stats about our global plastic waste crisis? It’s terrifying. So below, we share bathroom swaps […]
5 Mins Read On a mission to fight plastic waste, Hong Kong-based startup Distinctive Action has created a bag that completely disappears in water. Designed to replace conventional plastic bags, the company’s solution is non-toxic, biodegradable, compostable and leaves no trace of microplastics on the planet. But what’s even more unique? The company’s packaging is vibrantly branded, firmly inserting […]
4 Mins Read There’s nothing more permanent than a temporary solution, the old Russian proverb says. While we were thinking of social distancing and self-isolation as something temporary, Corona is here to stay for much longer. And although it has severely affected the way we live and move in 2020, we can still take charge of how we […]
3 Mins Read Loop, the reusable packaging e-commerce platform, has partnered with supermarket giant Tesco to launch its circular delivery service in the United Kingdom. It marks the first time groceries will be available in reusable containers in the country, reigniting hopes that the anti-plastic movement will regain momentum after months of stagnancy during the coronavirus pandemic. Founded […]
9 Mins Read Composting is one of the most effective ways to minimise food waste, which accounts for 30% of what is thrown away for the average household and contributes 10% of global carbon emissions. According to NGO Feeding Hong Kong, over 3,600 tonnes of food waste are sent to landfill every day. In fact, once you start […]
3 Mins Read Dole Packaged Foods has just announced its new sustainability pledges, including eliminating food waste and all petroleum-based plastic packaging from its product lines by 2025, as well as achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2030. Dole’s environmental commitments follow a slew of renewed sustainability promises made by multinational brands, and is yet another sign that […]
3 Mins Read Swedish furniture and homeware giant IKEA has just unveiled its newest eco-friendly concept in Szczecin, Poland. Dubbed the Home of Tomorrow, the space was envisioned by Polish designers looking to redefine the way we live at home. The 2,700 square foot showroom is fitted with sustainable design solutions from micro-gardens to composting stations, furnished with […]
3 Mins Read Two students from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have just won a sustainability prize in an entrepreneurship competition. Swapnil Mishra and Aditi Deodhar, who founded Planeteers, have created a vegan and biodegradable edible alternative for single-use cutlery in order to fight the city’s mounting waste and pollution crisis. Founded by Swapnil […]
3 Mins Read Whilst some food establishments have chosen to stop accepting reusable containers and cups during the coronavirus pandemic, experts say that these fears are unfounded. In a new statement, scientists say that reusable containers do not increase the chance of transmission of the coronavirus, and are completely safe to use by employing basic hygiene. On Monday […]
3 Mins Read Reebelo, a Singapore-based refurbished secondhand electronics marketplace startup, has announced a US$1.25 million seed funding round. The startup’s new capital will be used to accelerate the company’s expansion into Asia-Pacific markets, as well as increase its offerings such as device rentals and bundles for companies. The seed round was led by Berlin-based tech investor June […]
3 Mins Read Food delivery giant Foodpanda has just announced that they are collaborating with Singapore startup barePack to offer reusable food containers to their customers in the city-state. Currently in pilot stage, the delivery platform hopes to have more restaurant partners join the program in the coming weeks and months. The initiative hopes to combat rising disposable […]
3 Mins Read ShoeX, a Vietnam-based footwear company that has created coffee shoes, has just launched its new product line of coffee face masks. Called AirX, the face mask is made from Vietnamese coffee beans and is reusable, biodegradable and antibacterial. The company hopes that it will help protect people from the coronavirus without further burdening the planet. […]
3 Mins Read We all want to live a little lighter on earth, but making waste-free choices doesn’t mean that we have to sacrifice on our favourite bath, body and skincare products. You might be wondering – how can we really avoid all that plastic packaging in our everyday toiletries? We’re here to help. Here, we’ve put together […]
4 Mins Read Redress, the Hong Kong-based charity working to reduce waste in the fashion industry, has just announced the 10 finalists of its annual Redress Design Award. Finalists hail from 9 regions globally, and will go on to compete in the world’s largest sustainable fashion design competition that will conclude this September. Founder and chair of Redress […]
3 Mins Read A biochemicals company based in the Netherlands is now developing “all-plant” bottles, which may soon land on supermarket shelves. The company, Avantium, uses plant sugars instead of fossil fuels to manufacture its degradable and recyclable plastic bottles, and has already won support from major beverage makers such as Carlsberg and Coca-Cola. Avantium, a Dutch chemical […]
3 Mins Read Household rubbish sorting is now mandatory in Beijing, the capital city of China. It is the latest of 16 cities that have enforced the regulation, as a part of the country’s wider efforts to curb its monumental waste crisis. While the move is a step in the right direction, the bigger problem of our overconsumption […]
4 Mins Read In collaboration with iconic denim jean brand Levi’s, The R Collective, a Hong Kong-based sustainable upcycled fashion brand, has created a fully traceable denim collection. Called The Denim Reimagined, the collection uses scannable garment labels to bring digital education to consumers on how to reduce their fashion footprint with practical tips, taking sustainable fashion beyond […]
3 Mins Read Local charity ImpactHK has recently opened a second hand clothing store called 1ofaKIND. Located in Yau Ma Tei, the shop offers employment to homeless people while encouraging a circular economy for fashion, and also doubles as a community café where food and beverages are provided at no cost for anyone in need. At a time […]
2 Mins Read Turns out, the Romans were not only the engineers behind aqueducts and underground heating. Excavations at Pompeii by classical academic Allison Emmerson and a team of researchers and archeologists has revealed that rubbish left outside the city walls were being collected, sorted and resold – Romans invented recycling too. Emmerson believes our modern world needs […]
5 Mins Read Our world is facing an unprecedented food waste crisis, which is contributing over 10% of global carbon emissions that drive the climate emergency. In addition to coming at an enormous environmental cost, discarded food compounds the issues of everyday hunger and malnutrition as well as escalating chronic health problems such as obesity and diabetes. Asia […]