This Mother’s Day, we’re honouring all the amazing mums out there who somehow manage to do it all – take care of their families, careers, themselves, and at the same time, Mother Earth.
The following eight Hong Kong mums are not just passionate about motherhood, but about protecting the planet as well so that our future generations will be able to enjoy (and inhabit) it for years to come!
Read on to find out why they feel so strongly about living sustainably, and how they’re passing on these green habits to their kids:
See also: @littlecitytales: DIY Mother’s Day Egg Carton Cards
Jessica Jann of Jessica Beauty
Why are you passionate about sustainability?
I think now that I’m a mother, I want to make sure that my children are able to appreciate the beauty of nature. I’ve always been recycling, conscious of not being wasteful, and making sure that I do my part in taking care of the environment. By teaching my kids good values, I hope that my future generations can continue doing so, too!
How are you teaching your kids to be sustainable?
When I go grocery shopping, I try to bring my own reusable bags and buy items that are packaged in recyclable materials. In our house, we already have a recycling station set up for papers and cans.
I also really like programs like Happy Baton where they deliver educational sustainable toys right to your doorstep. It’s all about having small green habits that can lead to a lifelong journey of being eco-friendly.
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Veronica Chou, Founder of Everybody & Everyone
Why are you passionate about sustainability?
If we don’t all work together immediately and focus all our attention on solving the climate crisis, we will not have a planet as we know it, nor a planet to live on, possibly. It’s frustrating to see politicians and businesses not prioritising this. I do believe a lot of innovation and technology can be developed and utilised to help decarbonise our planet, but we need to do it now – and fast.
How are you teaching your kids to be sustainable?
With kids, it’s about teaching them to choose the right natural materials – by using less plastic, reducing waste, refusing and recycling. They should grow up thinking that secondhand is better and sharing is good, while also learning how to work with others in building a future based on collaboration. Spread love. Do good. Live sustainably.
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Colleen Yu, Founder of Yum Me Play
Why are you passionate about sustainability?
Sustainability should be the way of life – it’s about constantly being considerate and thoughtful for the world’s resources and understanding that every living being has equal right to share them.
How are you teaching your kids to be sustainable?
I try to educate my kids about the life cycle of consumer products, from their design to manufacturing, logistics to disposal. It is important to constantly remind them that there is so much more wastage than what meets their eyes, and be aware that their consumption behaviour can create a huge impact on the world we live in. I hope to inspire them to become future innovators and business owners with a strong sustainability mindset.
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Stephanie Poon of @littlecitytales
Why are you passionate about sustainability?
I was inspired by my parents, who hate seeing things go to waste. From a young age, they instilled in me the importance of mending, stitching and repairing items, be it clothing or utilities, and really prolonging the life of items as much as possible. I really wish to in turn, instill this life value to my own family.
How are you teaching your kids to be sustainable?
Sustainability is a big word that can be daunting for adults and kids alike. For us, we like to take small steps, small actions that add up to something greater. I think this has worked for our kids, as they now think about how to recycle materials, whether it is sorting them or upcycling them for artworks. As parents, we try to set an example as much as possible, so we bring our own shopping bags, mugs and bottles, and generally be mindful of reducing our material footprint wherever we go.
We also believe in nurturing a love for the environment, so we take them out on nature adventures a lot. As they grow to love insects, animals, flora and fauna, their natural instinct is to protect them, so that our shared planet can be enjoyed by everyone for many generations to come!
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Tansy Tam, Co-founder of EcoDrive
Why are you passionate about sustainability?
Because I care about my children, my grandchildren, the animals, the amazing nature on earth and their future. We are using up our natural resources and damaging our earth at such a fast rate that we cannot survive in the long run. There is so much waste everywhere and together as a species, we have to do something. It is our only hope for survival.
How are you teaching your kids to be sustainable?
From a young age, I teach them how to respect and love animals and nature. We watch documentaries and read books about them and learn what we can do to protect them. I also let them know how people’s irresponsible actions, no matter how small it seems, can harm the animals – a plastic bottle on the beach can get washed out to the ocean and harm marine animals, and eventually come back to harm us.
We practice reduction from the source. Whenever we go out, we have our own water bottles, shopping bags and containers for takeaway. We have hand-me-down clothes, toys and books from friends. The most important thing is to let them realise that we are living on one earth. If the animals and trees from the Amazon they see on TV are disappearing, so will we.
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Margaret Chung, Yoga Teacher
Why are you passionate about sustainability?
We need to sustain to live, not only in the present but for the future. A lot of people think of sustainability as taking care of ourselves and our homes, but sometimes you have to look at the bigger picture and realise that Earth is our home too, and we need to sustain it. Little things that we can change in our life can change the quality of the beautiful planet we live on. If we are taking care of ourselves and our homes so eloquently, we should also do that with our time on earth.
How are you teaching your kids to be sustainable?
The good thing is that they learn a lot about recycling and eco-friendly initiatives at school. At home, we take it step by step. We implement sustainability in things we are already doing as a family, like bringing our own cups, making sure that we bring Tupperware to get takeout and supporting restaurants that use eco-conscious packaging. The kids learn so much at school and they often come home and give us new ideas.
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Emily Lam Ho, Founder of 8Shades
Why are you passionate about sustainability?
As a mother, it’s my responsibility to leave the world a better place for my kids. We need to find ways to develop our society and grow our economy in a sustainable fashion. I trust that companies can be doing well by doing good. It can be a win-win for all.
How are you teaching your kids to be sustainable?
Building a sustainable mindset and culture is imperative to passing these values onto the next generation, so that they can also leave the world a better place for many generations to come. I believe in experiential learning and teaching by example, so l try to show my kids how the small changes in our daily lives, such as reducing plastic use, can have a large impact.
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Alison El Azar, fashionista
Why are you passionate about sustainability?
I have always loved being in nature since I was a child and all the best memories I’ve had were all made in nature. Seeing the world change before my eyes, including the increase in plastic waste and ocean pollution, has made me understand the urgency to live a more sustainable life!
How are you teaching your kids to be sustainable?
I educate them with stories and we do beach cleanups so they can see it for themselves. And mostly, I try to lead by example.
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See also: 8Shades’ Mother’s Day Gift Guide For Mums & Mother Earth
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