Eco Heroes: Chen Kai-ping And Dora Lam Of Slowood

The idea for Slowood, a one-stop shop in Kennedy Town supplying a huge range of eco-friendly lifestyle products, occurred to a pregnant Dora Lam in April last year when she had to traverse the city in search of sustainable household items for the family home.

“I wanted to create a place where people could easily get organic food, skincare and home decor [in one place],” she recalls. “No one else was doing it, so I had to take action.” So she and her husband, Chen Kai-ping, set about developing Slowood.

Slowood, which opened in January, sells a range of produce, skincare, cleaning supplies and dishware. With its minimalist decor, floor-to-ceiling windows and wood accents, it looks more like a Scandinavian showroom than a supermarket.

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And buying organic won’t break the bank. Dora says prices for Slowood’s produce are 30 per cent below supermarket versions because the items are sold in bulk and without packaging.

“A lot of products like vegetables don’t need packaging, and we end up using less plastic,” says Dora. “And people can buy as little or as much as they want.” Under its zero-waste policy, customers are required to bring their own shopping bags, or they can purchase muslin totes and glass jars.