Top five eco-friendly athleisure brands in Hong Kong

Mindful consumership is on the rise. Eco-conscious shoppers are taking a stand by turning towards brands which engage in more ethical, responsible and sustainable practices. Recycled garments aren’t the only key to sustainability – plant-based materials, like Tencel, crafted from eucalyptus tree are making waves in the athleisure industry. So, if you’re a sustainability advocate and on the lookout for stylish attire to sport for your next gym session, here are five Hong Kong-based sustainable brands to support:

 

best hong kong athleisure brands to know gafencu caelum greene

1. Caelum Greene
Perfect for daily yoga sessions or the occasional weekend barre class – Caelum Greene has been a prominent voice of advocacy for ethical and sustainable practices. Offering a wide selection of cosy yoga and lounge wear, while aligning every stage of its business with modern-day mindful consumerism – from the fittings of the store to the their certified environmentally-friendly brand partners –the brand aims to cut down on carbon footprint and not on style or substance. 

The label provides products that are sustainably sourced from biodegradable, organic and natural fabrics, as well as recycled materials. Introducing rayon and model fabrics made from the plant cellulose of softwood trees, recycled polyester from repurposed plastic bottles, sustainably-grown and harvested linen, wool and responsibly-sourced organic cotton. 

best hong kong athleisure brands to know gafencu autopilot

 

2. Autopilot
Emphasising on fuss-free and season-less wardrobe, Autopilot mindfully fuses active wear with everyday attire, providing a slew of versatile performance and statement pieces.  Ideal for a day-to-night look for dynamic boss ladies on-the-go, or for days you wish to scoot straight from the gym to office and then evening cocktails. With less-is-more philosophy, the line allows patrons to maximise their wardrobe while minimising its contents.

Recently launched, its collection uses vegan leather and Ceravida Fresh materials that are lightweight and smartly designed to repel odour and prevent bacterial build up, even during the most intense sweat sessions. Its ceramic and mineral complexes absorb and recycle body heat and energy to regulate temperature and push your workout to the maximum. 

best hong kong athleisure brands to know gafencu skin of nature

 

Also Read: Five local sustainable fashion brands to start following

3. Skin of Nature
Celebrating the beauty of nature is Skin of Nature, a brand that offers sustainable, versatile and, above all else, durable active wear that lasts all day. Surprisingly soft and breathable with a comfortable stretch, each garment is composed of 47% recycled polyester, 47% normal polyester and 6% elastane; it skips on dye — avoiding water wastage and the use of chemicals. Instead, they are knitted with coloured yarns. Cute!

Mindfully produced with advanced manufacturing technology, quick-drying fabrics from recycled materials, specifically certified recycled polyester, plastic bottles and other non-biodegradable polyethylene terephthalate (PET) materials, the brand’s patented Lucylux and Arte fabrics reduce waste and green house gas emissions. 

best hong kong athleisure brands to know gafencu rising lotus

 

Also Read: Stitching Sustainability With Innovation – Will Lam, MD, High Fashion International Group

4. Rising Lotus
A brand that will make you feel good in every way is Rising Lotus. Providing a generous range of elegant patterns, colours and design that will excite any fashion forward fitness enthusiast, while giving them the peace of mind of a sustinable and eco-friendly activewear that contributes to positive impact of the fashion industry. 

Contributing to the mindful practice of sustainable fashion, the label supports the diversity of women, of every colour, shape and style, while supporting eco-friendly practices and individual empowerment everyday. By producing atheleisure wear created from certified upcycled fabrics that re-purposes polyester from recycled plastic bottles, and presented in 100% biodegradable mailers and garment bags that can be naturally composed within 2 years in open environment. 

best hong kong athleisure brands to know gafencu alibi

 

5. Alibi
Innovation and fashion come together in creating this eco-friendly athleisure brand, Alibi. Offering a wide selection of sustainable active wear that fit comfortable on the skin and last longer on the shelves. With the support of SilvadurTM’s Dupont Technology that utilises silver ions in creating materials that prevent fabrics from developing micro-organisms – the results are anti-bacterial active wear that are gorgeously resilient and ecologically-sustainable.

Providing the ideal fashion fix and for any eco-conscious fitness fanatic, the brand’s collections offer a comfortable yet water-resistant, durable but lightweight and breathable stretchy workout attire. 

Also Read: Sustainable Fashion Quiz: How eco-friendly is your wardrobe?

These compost home appliances will solve your food waste problem

Hong Kong homes are typically small and composting food often requires outdoor settings with large bins and easily accessible organic scraps, like leaves and dirt. Although food compost initiatives like the Nicole’s Composting Machine have been introduced, those equipments are often used in hotels, restaurants, or cafeterias.

These compost home-appliances will recycle your food waste zera food recycler by wlabsinnovation image gafencu

In recent years, innovative zero-waste solutions have increasingly emerged in the market. They include food composting machines that are as small as your household rice cooker, and they work as easily as a regular bin. Food composting machines can recycle food waste into fertilizers that can be used for your own indoor plants and rooftop gardens. The following food waste composite machines are convenient home-composting solutions. These easy-to-manage appliances also encourage children to learn a zero-waste lifestyle and develop a habit of upcycling amid an increasingly circular economy. 

These compost home-appliances will recycle your food waste gafencu foodcycler

 

Food Cycler

This user-friendly home-composting system is a drastically smaller and simpler system to operate than larger machines like that of Nicole’s Composting Machine. It needs little composting knowledge and maintenance and functions with a simple press of a button. Its compact size was designed to fit onto any kitchen counter-top. It uses agitators and heaters to dehydrate and break down food scraps into your own backyard fertilizer. Though odorless, some users said the machine isn’t very efficient in breaking down scraps. Unfortunately, this shortcoming has been said to form molds in some cases.

These compost home-appliances will recycle your food waste oklin GG02 gafencu
image from oklininternational.com

Oklin’s GG02

The Oklin GG02 offers a low-carbon footprint zero-waste solution to our food waste challenge.  Unlike the Food Cycler, the Oklin GG02 imitates the natural process of food composting as it uses microbes to turn dinner scraps into compost within just 24 hours –a process that would typically take weeks. Although twice as big as the Food Cycler, it holds a daily capacity of 4 kilograms of fruit and vegetable scraps, bread, eggshells and small fish bones. However, it doesn’t take well to large bones, seafood shells, fruit stones, and heavy amounts of oil.

These compost home-appliances will recycle your food waste zera food recycler by wlabsinnovation gafencu
image from wlabsinnovation.com

Zera Food Recycler

The Zera Food Recycler by Whirlpool won the 2017 Best Innovation Award for Eco-Design and Sustainable Technologies at the CES Innovation Awards. Like the Oklin GG02, it takes almost all types of food waste with the exception of large bones, fruit pits and other scraps. The system uses oxygen, moisture, heat, and agitation to speed the decomposition of up to a week’s worth of dinner scraps and recycles it into rich home fertilizer for your house plants. This device also features digital connectivity to its mobile app to provide live updates and reports.