Listen to #Hashtag Hong Kong every Sunday morning at 8.15
Focusing on issues affecting civil society, we'll hear from representatives of NGOs, associations, statutory bodies, and non-profit groups.
(Sundays 8.15am - 8.25am)
Good morning! What are you wearing today? Still in pajamas in bed or have you already put on your Sunday outfit? Whichever clothes you’ve chosen today, the fact that you’re wearing clothes makes you an actor of the fashion industry. Most of us think about clothes from a price, comfort or style perspective, not often about their environmental impact. But making clothes is a very energy intensive process that requires a huge amount of resources, such as land to grow cotton, chemicals to dye fabrics, and a lot of human labour - which makes fashion one of the most polluting industries. And what happens to the clothes that aren’t sold? Or if you no longer fit them? Often, landfill is the ultimate destination. In Hong Kong alone, we throw over 402 tonnes of textile every single day, that’s the equivalent of 17,480 large suitcases full of clothes. Fashion’s current linear system of ‘take, make, use and waste’ creates huge amounts of pollution and waste with for example less than 1% of material used to produce clothing being recycled into new clothing. This is not sustainable, and this is why Redress exists. We are an Asia-focused environmental NGO on a mission to build a world where fashion is no longer a burden on the environment. We believe in educating and empowering on one side consumers, to provide them with the knowledge and solutions necessary to reduce the negative environmental impact of clothing. And on the other side, emerging designers, to provide them with circular design know-how and opportunities to bring their circular skills to leading fashion brands.
In the last 10 years, there’s been a real change in how Hong Kongers think about the
climate crisis, with growing knowledge and awareness of the issues. At the same time the abundance of scary news can feel paralysing and it can be hard to know where to start. This is why I believe providing simple solutions, easy switches to lead a more sustainable lifestyle is so important. One thing about fashion that we cannot change is that it has to look good! So what can we start with? Buying less clothes is the obvious, and great for your wallet too, but I think it’s mainly about buying better: making sure it’s an item that fits you really well, makes you feel amazing and that you know you’ll wear many times. Keeping clothes in use for a long time is key to reducing their environmental impact. This can be achieved through mending, tailoring, being creative with mix and match, and promoting secondhand shopping as an alternative to retail. In the last few years, there’s been an exciting growth of options in Hong Kong, from clothing swap events to wardrobe clean-up IG accounts and a number of physical secondhand shops like our Redress Closet in Sham Shui Po. People's attitude towards secondhand clothing is slowly changing, and we see an increasing number of curious customers who may be lured in by accessible prices or the chance of a unique style. The main reason people tell us they are reluctant to buy secondhand is hygiene, which is a bit of a myth given that clothing bought in a retail store have also been touched by just as many hands and probably tried on a couple of times too. As long as you wash it before wearing it, there’s nothing to be worried about. Finding solutions to keep clothes in use for longer can be challenging, but it’s certainly easier for clothes that are of good quality and timeless style, fast-fashion is generally quite hard to rehome as the initial retail price and therefore the perceived value is low. With so many ads and the thrill of online shopping, it is challenging to resist the temptation of buying more. For your next purchase, you can consider this interesting concept of cost-per-wear which is to think about the number of times you’ll be able to wear an item, which is usually a lot more for
an expensive but high quality item than for a cheap, fast fashion item making the former a better investment.
Moving towards a circular economy requires both the availability of options such as
clothing recirculation options, recycling, secondhand shops, etc at the same time as a
change of mindsets. Our approach is to support people, and especially young ones, to understand the relationship between their personal clothing habits and find out what sustainable fashion means for them.
Last year, we educated 7,500 people and extended the life of 55 tonnes of clothing. We need everyone in Hong Kong to rethink their clothing habits to bring back the
positive power of fashion!
Dear gentle listener,
Once upon a time there was a fragrant land called Hong Kong that loved to celebrate the Mid- Autumn Festival.
At this magical time, families came together, bustling shops overflowed with delights, and the aroma of delicious foods filled the air - it looked like a city where no-one could possibly ever want for more. And mooncakes — round, wondrous pastries of delight —were the stars of the show!
One Mid-Autumn eve, two fair brothers named Liam and Noel arrived on Hong Kong shores. They had travelled from a land far, far away and with wide eyes and empty stomachs, they were eager to embrace the festivities.
Lanterns in hand, they headed to a street lined with bakeries. “Look, Liam!” Noel exclaimed, pointing at a particularly fine display of Mid-Autumn treats. “This shop has mini mooncakes, ice cream mooncakes… they even have truffle mooncakes!”
As they stood by the shop window in awe of the array, the brothers noticed a truck pull up. It was smart looking, sharp looking and emblazoned with the Feeding Hong Kong logo. Curious, they watched as the driver, a cheerful chap called Shing, went into the shop, and shortly after emerged with a trolley full of mooncakes.
“Excuse me!” Liam called out. “Why do you have so many mooncakes?”
Shing stopped and smiled. “These are just some of the boxes that haven’t been sold and this shop is kindly donating them to Feeding Hong Kong so they don’t go to waste. We’ve collected 25,000 mooncakes so far this year!” He paused, “Would you guys like to find out more?”
Intrigued, the brothers nodded and so Shing invited them to visit the Feeding Hong Kong warehouse in Yau Tong.
Ever the adventurers, they decided to jump on the Sai Wan Ho ferry and have a quick peek around Lei Yue Mun before heading into a big, bustling Yau Tong industrial building at the door of Feeding Hong Kong .
As they walked through XXXXX, their eyes opened wide in amazement. Before them was a mountain of mooncakes - box after box, pallet after pallet, neatly stacked and lined up ready to be delivered to charities across the city.
But there were not just mooncakes. They also spied cases of cans, bags of rice, boxes packed full of juice and trolleys stacked high with… sweet potatoes!
“Wow!” Noel exclaimed. “Do you think all this food would have otherwise gone to waste?”
Just then, a wise man named Edmond approached them. “Welcome, young travellers! Would you like to hear a tale of treasure not trash?”
Liam and Noel nodded eagerly, so Edmond began. “Mooncakes are a special symbol of sharing and celebration, but each year, over three million mooncakes end up uneaten in landfills.”
The brothers leant in to learn more, as Edmond continued, “Here at Feeding Hong Kong, we believe that no good food should go to waste. So, each Mid-Autumn, we partner with shops, bakeries and hotels to rescue these mooncakes and ensure they reach those in need. It’s all about saving food, and helping the community.”
At that point a tall, graceful lady called Connie glided by and picked up the tale.
“Mooncakes matter but they are just part of our story. Every single day in Hong Kong, we work with food companies across the city to save good food, that might otherwise be wasted. Food that is still safe and nutritious, and can go to feed people, not landfills”.
Liam and Noel exchanged a glance. “What can we do to help reduce food waste?” they asked.
Edmond smiled. “You can start by being mindful. Next time you go grocery shopping, bring a list! That way, you can make sure you only buy what you need. And when you cook, be creative! Leftover veggies? Turn them into a delicious soup. Too much fresh bread? Pop it in the freezer for another day!”
The brothers nodded, picturing themselves whipping up culinary wonders back in their homeland of Mancunia and making much better use of their freezer.
“And when you dine out,” Connie added, “be a hero. Order wisely, share with friends, and don’t hesitate to take your leftovers home! Every bite saved is a treasure not wasted.”
As they absorbed this wisdom, Noel felt a spark of inspiration. “This is amazing! By making such small changes, we can really make a difference!”
“Indeed!” Edmond said, his eyes twinkling. “Remember, little by little, we can build a brighter future.”
Liam turned to Noel, grinning. “That’s a nice phrase, Noel. You should write it down.”
And so, with the moon shining bright, the brothers left Feeding Hong Kong, inspired to share their newfound wisdom with the world, one bite at a time.
Now gentle listener, what will you do?
Now gentle listener, what will you do?
Whilst you give it some thought, here’s “Little by Little” by Oasis, a reminder that with every small step, we can create a brighter, more delicious world.
