Hong Kong isn’t quite done with its rainy season yet, and there’s nothing worse than stepping out in your best outfit, only to be sopping wet by the time you arrive. The truth is, rainy days result in massive amounts of waste in Hong Kong – most of which are broken umbrellas and single-use plastic ponchos and umbrella bags. That’s why we’ve put together a list of the best rainy day eco-essentials so that you can brave the next thunderstorm in (sustainable) style:
1.
Rainkiss Rain Poncho
We love Rainkiss’ awesome range of ponchos. They’re all made from 100% certified recycled polyester, using PET bottles as the raw material. Besides this, they come in a range of beautiful patterns, like this one in camouflage, so you can face those storms in style!
Available at Rainkiss
2.
London Undercover Umbrella
After a particularly nasty storm, it’s common to see umbrellas discarded in the street and in bins, turned inside-out from the rain. But these will invariably end up in landfills, and because they’re mostly made from plastic, they’ll take hundreds of years to decompose. Enter London Undercover, whose umbrellas are made with 100% Recycled PET. Plus, you can personalise your umbrella with your initials!
Available at London Undercover
3.
Roma Rain Boots
Made from natural rubber that biodegrades and vegan materials, these Roma rain boots will keep your feet dry from the rain without having a negative impact on the planet (many kinds of rubber used in rain boots do not biodegrade and in fact leach chemicals). We love these teal Chelsea rain boots. Plus, for every pair sold, Roma donates a pair to a child in need!
Available at Roma Boots
4.
Matador Nanofibre Towel
Dry your belongings quickly with this nanofibre towel from Matador, which is lightweight, quick-absorbing and durable, meaning that you won’t need to replace it anytime soon. Matador as a company is also working to be more sustainable, offsetting the carbon emissions on its shipments and encouraging the repair of its products instead of replacement with its in-house repair programme.
Available at Matador
5.
Reusable Umbrella Bag
Instead of using disposable umbrella bags given out at shopping malls and other buildings that will inevitably end up in landfills, get your own reusable bag that dries your umbrella from the inside! This one from OneSTEP is absorbent, waterproof and durable.
Available at Eco-Greenergy
6.
Reusable Waterproof Shoe Covers
Protect your favourite pair of shoes from getting water damaged with these reusable waterproof shoe covers. They’re slip- and skid-resistant with a rubberised sole and generate less waste that goes to landfills because a pair will last up to nine months!
Available at HKTVMall
7.
Sustainable, Waterproof GOT BAG Backpack
These backpacks from GOT BAG are completely waterproof and made from 100% recycled plastic from the ocean! They’re also super durable and can be easily expanded because of its flexible roll top. It even comes with a removable laptop bag!
Available at Zero Waste Store
8.
Team Timbuktu Floral Raincoat
Team Timbuktu makes their stylish raincoats using recycled polyester from plastic bottles – over 31 bottles per coat, to be exact! It doesn’t end here, though – they also use plastic-free packaging, compostable garment bags that are sent in a compostable mailing bag. Plus, they plant one tree for every order to offset their carbon impact.
Available at Team Timbuktu
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