5 Eco Heroes Making A Difference In Hong Kong

As part of our August 2019 sustainability issue, we spoke with five of Hong Kong's most prominent eco-warriors

1. Chen Kai-ping And Dora Lam Of Slowood

Above Chen Kai-ping and Dora Lam (Photo: Nic and Bex Gaunt for Hong Kong Tatler)

Chen Kai-ping and Dora Lam are the creators of Slowood, a one-stop shop in Kennedy Town supplying a huge range of eco-friendly lifestyle products. Opened in January, the store sells produce, skincare, cleaning supplies and dishware within a Scandinavian-inspired space with minimalist decor, floor-to-ceiling windows and wood accents.

“I wanted to create a place where people could easily get organic food, skincare and home decor [in one place],” Dora recalls. “No one else was doing it, so I had to take action.”

Read the full story: Chen Kai-ping and Dora Lam

2. Bobsy Gaia, Founder Of Mana!

Above Bobsy Gaia (Photo: Nic and Bex Gaunt for Hong Kong Tatler)

Beirut-born Bobsy Gaia moved to Bangkok in 1989 to pursue fashion design at a time when world events, such as the collapse of the Berlin Wall, were sparking his spiritual awakening.

Ever since he moved to Hong Kong in 1992, he's launched various sustainability initiatives including Able Charity, which has planted more than 30,000 trees on Lamma Island over two decades to help rejuvenate its forest cover. Since then, he's shifted his focus from fashion to food, opening a series of green restaurants including Bookworm Cafe on Lamma, Life Cafe and Mana!

Read the full story: Bobsy Gaia

3. Daisy Tam, Founder of Breadline And Hong Kong Foodworks

Above Daisy Tam (Photo: Nic and Bex Gaunt for Hong Kong Tatler)

Daisy Tam is the creator of a crowd-sourcing app called Breadline to fight the alarming level of food waste in Hong Kong. It connects bakeries with volunteers wanting to pick up leftover loaves to deliver to charities.

Her awareness of the food waste issue dates back to 2004, where she discovered a community of farmers and bakers who exchanged leftover produce, which inspired her dissertation and a passion for urban food security.

Read The Full Story: Daisy Tam

4. Ada Yip, CEO Of Urban Spring

Above Ada Yip (Photo: Nic and Bex Gaunt for Hong Kong Tatler)

Hong Kong residents buy more than 1.5 million bottles of water a day. Ada Yip, CEO of the social enterprise Urban Spring, is curbing that number with an innovative business solution: the building of a chain of water refilling stations across the city.

“With the amount of water bottles we consume in a day, we could fill up the IFC building 737 times,” says Ada, who used to work in finance. “We wanted to change that.”

Read the full story: Ada Yip

5. Sonalie Figueiras, Founder of Green Queen

Above Sonalie Figueiras (Photo: Nic and Bex Gaunt for Hong Kong Tatler)

With her eco-wellness media platform Green Queen, Sonalie Figueiras is bringing sustainability to the masses. One of the first online media outlets in Hong Kong to provide Asia-focused environmental and wellness content, Green Queen attracts 160,000 visits a month.

The eco-entrepreneur came up with the concept a decade ago when she was dealing with two chronic health issues, Hashimoto’s disease and endometriosis. “There is no cure, but I could manage them with a healthy diet and lifestyle,” says the Generation T 2019 honouree.

Read the full story: Sonalie Figueiras

Topics

Environment Green Queen Ada Yip Urban Spring